UIL heat-safety rule requires monitoring

The University Interscholastic League made a heat-safety change effective August 1, 2026 that now requires Texas member schools to monitor outdoor practice conditions with Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, or WBGT. The rule applies to outdoor athletic and marching band activities and turns what UIL had previously recommended into a statewide requirement. UIL says schools must use WBGT readings to decide when to modify work-rest ratios, hydration breaks, equipment and practice length. ### What changed on August 1? August 1, 2026 is the date UIL says its mandated heat protocols and procedures took effect for the 2026-2027 school year. UIL’s rule-change page says the update changed heat-stress and athletic-participation guidelines from recommended procedures to required standards for member schools during periods of elevated heat. (uiltexas.org) The 2026-2027 required plan says all UIL outdoor athletic and marching band activities must now use WBGT to monitor environmental conditions and guide activity modifications. UIL first approved WBGT as a recommended measurement in 2023, then made it mandatory after what it described as two successful years of recommended implementation. (uiltexas.org) ### What is WBGT, and why is UIL using it instead of heat index? WBGT is a heat-stress measure that combines temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and solar radiation, according to UIL. KTXS reported that the reading is taken with a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature thermometer and is intended to show whether activities should be modified or canceled. (uiltexas.org) UIL says the American College of Sports Medicine recommends WBGT-based guidelines because they can set activity changes at given heat levels, including work-rest ratios, hydration breaks, equipment worn and practice length, to help prevent exertional heat stroke. UIL’s FAQ says the protocols were first adopted by U.S. military medical researchers and later translated into current practice by the American College of Sports Medicine. (uiltexas.org) ### How often do schools have to check conditions? UIL says WBGT readings should be taken within 15 minutes before the start of outdoor activity and every 30 minutes during practices or workouts. The FAQ says schools do not have to monitor continuously, but they must keep taking readings throughout the practice window. UIL also says readings should be taken at all outdoor practices, including covered pavilions, and at indoor facilities that are not climate-controlled. (uiltexas.org) Schools may use a scientifically approved on-site instrument or an approved internet-based WBGT forecasting resource, according to the FAQ. ### What does the rule require schools to do once the reading is high? (uiltexas.org) UIL says schools must alter practices according to a chart tied to WBGT levels. The required plan says those adjustments can include changes to scheduling, the ratio of workout time to rest and hydration time, and the point at which activity must be terminated. (uiltexas.org) The UIL plan also says rapid cooling zones must be available and that schools must have equipment allowing full-body immersion in ice water if someone is experiencing heat illness and distress. UIL’s heat-stress resources say whole-body ice-water immersion should begin as quickly as possible in suspected exertional heat stroke, with tarp-assisted cooling as an alternative if immersion is not possible. (uiltexas.org) ### How are schools describing the change on the ground? Abilene-based KTXS reported that Wylie ISD Athletic Director Mike Fecci said his district had already been using the system for two years, so the statewide requirement did not significantly change local procedures. “It improves player safety, and it allows the coaches to have a clear set of guidelines to know what is safe and what is not,” Fecci told KTXS. (uiltexas.org) KTXS also reported Fecci urging athletes to arrive prepared for August practices by drinking water, getting rest and telling staff if they feel unwell. His account matched UIL’s broader framework, which is built around objective readings, scheduled reassessment and required cooling capacity rather than coach discretion alone. (ktxs.com) August football workouts and marching band practices are the first major test of the new requirement, and UIL’s 2026-2027 required heat plan and FAQs remain the governing documents schools are directed to use this season. (uiltexas.org) (ktxs.com)