On Saturday, LSU Football will kickoff in Tiger Stadium against UCLA at 2:30pm CST. The Storm Station forecast calls for a kickoff temperature of 95 degrees beneath mostly sunny skies. Adding in humidity though, the feels-like temperature may exceed 100 degrees. 

Since 1960, LSU Football is 3-1 in home games with a kickoff temperature at or above 92 degrees. The last loss in these conditions was to Tennessee in 2005, a Monday night game moved from the weekend due to Hurricane Rita. Many LSU fans recall that game as the hottest in Tiger Stadium history. It was certainly the most recent with a kickoff feels-like temperature over 100 degrees. While there have been hotter air temperatures at kickoff, when factoring in humidity and calculating the feels-like temperature, that loss to the Vols is "burned" into the record books.  

The Storm Station, via a partnership with researchers at LSU’s Department of Geography and Anthropology is launching the exclusive LSU Football Kickoff Weather Index. With team records and weather data dating back to 1960, the index will add two layers of context to gameday weather forecasts. With this information, Storm Station Meteorologists will be able to relate the forecast to weather from past games and how the program has performed in similar conditions. 

Competing in the southern climate, researchers wanted to know if the football team performed better in heat and humidity since those were the conditions most familiar to the players. Project leader Ariana Zerangue collected figures related to game scores, location, temperature and precipitation. She then analyzed that data to identify any underlying trends.

2024 LSU Football Kickoff Weather Index

“I was excited to take on this research project because I have always been intrigued by the weather and our atmosphere,” said Zerangue. “This research grabbed my attention because it was a new approach to climatology I had not considered before. I also think it will be an interesting conversation starter at next season’s tailgates!”

As the researchers and fans would expect, LSU Football wins more games in hotter temperatures. The warmer the minimum temperature, the better the outcomes tend to be for the team.

“Changing players, coaching staffs, and even athletics technology make the impacts weather has on games different from year to year,” said Storm Station Chief Meteorologist, Dr. Josh Eachus. “However, trends on the collegiate and professional ranks hold true year after year. “After all, through practice and cumulative competition, these teams are acclimated to the local weather which may ultimately lead to some sort of advantage when conditions are near average.”

“I hope that people will appreciate the influence the weather has on our lives. It is something every LSU student and Baton Rouge resident has in common, and it can be more interesting than small talk! I also hope someone will continue to build on this project to see if there is any further impacts weather has on our football team,” said Zerangue.

The Storm Station and LSU hope to continue adding specifics to the database, building on the research project for years to come. WBRZ Viewers and LSU Football Fans can expect to see the LSU Football Weather Index become a daily part of the gameday forecast through football season.