Alabama season opener ties record for hottest game in Tuscaloosa

The third season of the Kalen DeBoer era had an early kickoff Saturday as players took the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium with the sun at full force.

Alabama hosted East Carolina in what was expected to be one of the hottest games on record in the stadium’s history.

According to the National Weather Service, the temperature peaked at 99 degrees at 11:20AM shortly after the game kicked off. That temperature matched the current record for hottest game in Tuscaloosa, tying the mark set during the 2014 game against Kent State.

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Heat impacts Alabama-East Carolina game

The university said the heat index reached 106 during the game but it almost certainly felt hotter in the stadium and at field level.

Between the heat and Alabama’s blowout victory, it’s no surprise the stadium started emptying out well before the final whistle.

The university placed cooling stations which included free water bottles and medical staff across campus on game day, leaving them open to the public until 4PM.

Tuscaloosa’s hot start to September

The city’s average temperature across the 24 hours of Sept. 5 was 86 degrees, a new record high for the date.

But if you live in Tuscaloosa, Saturday may have actually felt like a bit of a relief as it has been the coolest day through the first week of September.

The city reached triple digits five times in the first week of the month, including setting a high of 102 degrees on Friday, Sept. 4.

Saturday’s 99 degree heat fell just short of the Sept. 5 record of 103.