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In case you’ve forgotten, Iowa State’s game at Baylor on September 28, 2019 was an absolute scorcher, with actual air temperatures reaching 95 degrees by kickoff. Texas being hot as shit in September is news to absolutely nobody, including Iowa State, who had packed tents for the players to sit under on the sideline to stay cool during the game.
However, apparently Iowa State had apparently forgotten to apply for the right to use tents on the sideline, which is a thing, I guess. Surely Baylor would have understood the miscommunication and allowed ISU to use the tents to make sure players are safe from the punishing heat and sunlight and hopefully are able to avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke...right?
NOPE.
Baylor refused to allow Iowa State use tents for the duration of the game, roughly 75% of which was played with Iowa State standing in direct sunlight while the Baylor sideline had both tents and shade provided by the stadium. What did that disparity look like?
No explanation needed pic.twitter.com/YROt8Amulx
— Jared Stansbury (@JaredStansbury) September 28, 2019
122 DEGREES. ONE HUNDRED. AND. TWENTY. TWO. DEGREES.
And that’s not for someone just standing still on a patch of grass in shorts and flip flops. This is dozens of people wearing heavy pads and tight jerseys while playing one of the most physically demanding games mankind has ever conceived.
In case you’re wondering, the hottest temperature ever recorded on earth was 134.1 degrees in Death Valley in 1913.
This year’s trip to Waco takes place on September 25th, which means there’s a non-zero chance it is once again hot enough to boil the Brazos River when the Cyclones head south. While this article is not a commentary on their prior transgressions, it does not appear we can count on Baylor’s administration being willing to show a skosh of empathy and forgive a missed application in the interest of a hundred-plus people not being roasted alive on a patch of fake grass in Waco, TX.
So, let this article serve as a reminder to the Iowa State football coaching staff and Athletic Department staff to **APPLY TO USE TENTS ON THE SIDELINE AT BAYLOR THIS YEAR.**