AUSTIN, Texas â Reports of heat-related medical emergencies overshadowed part of Texasâ season-opening victory over Texas State on Saturday, as temperatures reached 100 degrees during an afternoon game attended by more than 102,000 people.
An eyewitness inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium said paramedics brought at least four stretchers into the seating area during the first quarter. Photographs shared from the stadium also showed large groups of spectators gathered inside shaded concourses while attempting to escape the direct sunlight.
The game began at 2:30 p.m. Central Time, placing thousands of fans inside the largely open-air stadium during one of the hottest periods of the day.
Hunter Schuler, a Texas State contributor who attended the game, documented the conditions on X and described seeing multiple apparent heat-related incidents.
âAlready seen paramedics bring 4 stretchers in and itâs still Q1,â Schuler wrote while sharing an image of fans sheltering inside the stadium.
Schuler characterized the situation as involving âheat casualties,â although that was an eyewitness description rather than an official medical assessment.
As of publication, the University of Texas and Austin-Travis County EMS had not publicly released a verified count of spectators treated at the game. It was also unclear whether all four stretchers were used, how many people were transported to hospitals or what medical conditions were diagnosed.
Reports stating definitively that four fans were hospitalized should therefore be treated cautiously until emergency officials or the university provide confirmation.
Austin temperature reached 100 degrees during the game
Weather observations support accounts of extremely hot conditions around the stadium. The National Weather Serviceâs Austin climate report recorded a high of 100 degrees at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at 3:53 p.m.
That reading came approximately 80 minutes after kickoff and was seven degrees above Austinâs normal high of 93 degrees for September 5.
The weather report also recorded an average wind speed of only 3.4 mph. Although relative humidity had fallen to 31% by 4 p.m., spectators sitting in direct sunlight faced prolonged exposure to triple-digit temperatures.
The timing of the game quickly became part of the discussion online. Several college football fans questioned why an early-September game in Austin had been scheduled for the middle of the afternoon instead of the evening.
Television scheduling generally plays a major role in college football kickoff times. Texas Athletics had announced the 2:30 p.m. start and ESPN broadcast in May, months before game-day conditions could be known.
The reported medical incidents also revived a wider debate about spectator safety at early-season football games in hot-weather states. Fans may spend several hours outside before and during a game, including time walking from parking areas, attending tailgates and waiting at stadium entrances.
Arch Manning leads Texas to 59â7 victory
On the field, No. 5 Texas opened its 2026 season with a dominant 59â7 victory over Texas State.
Quarterback Arch Manning completed 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards, throwing four touchdowns and one interception before leaving during the third quarter with Texas holding a commanding lead.
Cam Coleman caught two of Manningâs touchdown passes and finished with 70 receiving yards. Ryan Wingo recorded seven catches for 121 yards and one touchdown, while Raleek Brown scored twice.
Texas finished with 516 total yards, including 360 through the air. The Longhornsâ defense forced three turnovers and limited Texas State to seven points despite the Bobcats producing 349 total yards.
The announced attendance was 102,738, according to the game information published by Fox Sports.
Saturdayâs game was the first football meeting between Texas and Texas State since 1930. Texas also won that earlier contest, defeating what was then Southwest Texas State Teachers College 36â0.
The Longhorns will remain in Austin for a significantly tougher Week 2 test against No. 1 Ohio State on September 12. That game has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m., when temperatures are expected to be lower than those experienced during Saturday afternoonâs opener.
This report will be updated if the University of Texas or local emergency officials release an official count of heat-related medical calls or hospital transports.
Related: Read how Bryce Underwood delivered a dramatic Hail Mary victory for Michigan.
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