Spring-area football coaches are adjusting practice schedules, ditching pads, and moving drills indoors as the UIL's mandatory Wet Bulb Globe Temperature rules hit the field for the first time.
The rules, which took effect Saturday, Aug. 1, require every Texas high school program to measure WBGT before and during outdoor practices and follow a tiered set of restrictions. For the Houston area, where August WBGT readings average between 85 and 95 according to the National Weather Service, that means most early-season workouts will face some form of modification.
Nearly 80% of Houston-area high school football coaches surveyed by the Houston Chronicle said the thresholds are too restrictive, Houston Public Media reported.
UIL Executive Director Jamey Harrison pushed back on that criticism: "The bottom line is, this is the national gold standard for keeping kids safe when working in the heat, and that's our ultimate goal. That will require some schools to get out of their comfort zone and do things a little differently than they have in the past, but it is not an insurmountable task by any stretch."
What the thresholds mean on the practice field
Below a WBGT of 82, teams can run a full three-hour outdoor practice with no modifications. Above 82, at least three four-minute breaks per hour are required and a rapid cooling site must be on hand.
Above 87, practice is capped at two hours, four rest breaks per hour are mandatory, and football players must wear shorts only. Above 90, practice drops to one hour with no pads, no helmets, and no conditioning drills. At 92.1 or higher, practice moves indoors or gets canceled.
Perry Weather data from last year's Houston-region readings showed eight days hit the no-outdoor-workout threshold, 13 triggered the one-hour limit, and 23 fell in the two-hour range. Most of those readings were concentrated between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
How it played out Monday
At Katy High School's Monday morning practice, the WBGT registered 86.2, triggering the two-hour cap and shorts-only requirement. Katy ISD Athletics Executive Director Lance Carter had rapid cooling equipment on the sideline, including what the district calls a "taco," a tarp opened like a taco shell where an athlete can lie down and be doused in ice water.
The rules apply only to practices, not games. Harrison noted that 100% of heat-related deaths in high school sports over recent years have occurred during practice, where athletes face long periods of high-exertion activity with limited rest.
He added that the restrictions don't shut programs down entirely, saying the UIL is "largely talking about a 2- to 3-hour window on some days" when coaches need to adjust.
Spring High and Klein Collins heading into the season
Both programs are navigating the new rules as they prepare for scrimmages on Friday, Aug. 28, and season openers on Friday, Sept. 4.
Spring High's new head coach, identified as KaRon Coleman in Texas HS Football's preseason preview, takes over a Lions program that went 2-8 last season. Coleman came from Fort Bend Hightower, where he served as offensive coordinator. The Lions return 24 lettermen, including four offensive and six defensive starters, and open at Channelview's Maddry Stadium on Aug. 28 before hosting Waller at Planet Ford Stadium on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.
Klein Collins enters 2026 ranked No. 23 in the state after an 11-2 campaign and a run to the regional semifinals. The Tigers scrimmage Tompkins on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. and open at Willis on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m.
The UIL board voted in June to make WBGT monitoring mandatory after three years of recommending the practice. The decision followed a Houston-area player suffering heatstroke during a private training session in summer 2025 and a Dallas-area player dying after a medical emergency during an August 2025 practice. Texas joins at least 17 other states that now require WBGT readings to guide outdoor athletic practices.
