The House Education Committee advances a resolution asking the SEC not to schedule LSU home football games in September before 6pm. It’s being proposed by Harahan Republican John Illg, who noted that last season, they made LSU play a game at 2:30 in the afternoon last September 21st, with a gametime temperature of 90 degrees.
“With heat indexes well over 100 degrees, there were over 70 people that needed to be treated and medically,” Illg said.
Illg noted that many fans in the east stands, which get the most direct sunlight that time of day, were not around to see LSU pull away for the 34-to-17 win.
“The stadium on the east side was basically empty. I go with a group of 10. Two of them made it to half the time, Illg said.
While Illg’s resolution singles out LSU, he would hope that other schools in Louisiana would follow suit in asking that their home games in September not be scheduled for afternoons.
“LSU is the flagship. I would hope by doing this, we would put all the schools on notice that it is a health concern, and I’ll ask him if it a game’s start is after six o’clock in the month of September,” Illg said.
Last year, a new TV contract began between the SEC and ESPN that’s worth $3 billion dollars. Ultimately, it’s up to ESPN to decide when kickoff times are scheduled.
