As Texas rolled through Texas State in its home opener, the bigger story in Austin quickly shifted away from the scoreboard and toward the heat inside Darrell K. Royal Stadium.
Hunter Schuler of Texas State posted on X that fans were crowding into the stadium to get out of the sun, and he said he saw paramedics carry out at least four stretchers for what he called “heat casualties.” In his post, Schuler wrote, “So many heat casualties at this Texas State vs Texas game.
I haven’t seen anything like this in a long time. Already seen paramedics bring 4 stretches in and it’s still Q1.
People are huddled in the stadium like it’s a hurricane shelter. 2:30pm kickoff is a certified disaster,” Schuler wrote.
The reaction online was immediate, with some users pointing to the episode as proof that fans should not be criticized for skipping games in extreme weather. “It’s called karma.
Same people pissing at USC fans for not showing up to a game with 100 degrees and humidity in LA,” one user declared on X. “USC fans knew a football game wasn’t worth heat stroke,” wrote another.
“This is why you don’t blame fans who don’t want to sit in the blazing heat for four quarters,” a third remarked. “Heat kills.
It needs to be taken seriously.” “Conferences have to negotiate with television in September in the South.
This is a health issue.”
On the field, Texas had no trouble at all. The Longhorns beat the Bobcats 59-7, turning the game into little more than a tune-up ahead of next week’s bigger matchup with Ohio State. If the forecast cooperates, the crowd for that one should be much larger - and hopefully a lot more comfortable.
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