NC State Athletics Unveils Enhanced Heat Plan for 2019 Football Season

RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State Athletics today unveiled an enhanced heat plan for the safety and comfort of fans attending football home games at Carter-Finley Stadium. The 2019 football schedule features seven home games, including three over the first four weeks of the season, when Raleigh typically experiences high temperatures and humidity levels.

NC STATE ATHLETICS HEAT PLAN

The primary elements of the heat plan for the 2019 football season are:

Rex Healthcare: two Rex Healthcare stations are always available to fans on game days, one on the East Concourse (near Gate 8) and one on the West Concourse (near Gate 4). Heat plan activation adds a third air conditioned station on the North Concourse (near Gate 14) and upgrades the East Concourse station to an air conditioned tent (West Concourse station is a permanent air conditioned space).

Water Stations (enhanced for 2019): complimentary water stations have been further expanded since last season and will be available in the following concourse locations: East Concourse (near Gate 8 and Gate 10); Southwest Concourse (near Section 215); and North Concourse (near Section 220 and Section 221).

Bottled Water: fans are always permitted to bring into Carter-Finley Stadium one sealed water bottle per person. Additional bottled water is available for sale at concession stands throughout the stadium.

Bottle Filling Stations (new for 2019): bottle filling stations have been added throughout the concourse, near existing water fountains, for fans to utilize at their convenience.

Misting Stations (enhanced for 2019): misting stations have been further expanded since last season and will be available in the following concourse locations: East Concourse (near Sections 10-11); South Concourse (near Sections 212-214); and North Concourse (near Sections 220-223).

Dunking Stations: coolers filled with iced water, for fans to dunk a handkerchief, mini towel, etc. will be available on the South Concourse (near Sections 212-214) and at the Rex Healthcare stations on the North Concourse (near Gate 14) and East Concourse (near Gate 8). Reminder: fans should never drink from towel stations due to risk of illness.

Air Conditioned Buses (enhanced for 2019): Four air conditioned buses will be parked outside of the East, West and North gates of the stadium. Medical personnel will direct fans to these buses based on medical need.

Shade Tents (new for 2019): tents will be added to a number of exposed areas of the stadium concourse to provide additional areas of shade for fans.

Sunscreen Stations (enhanced for 2019): complimentary sunscreen was a popular addition with fans last season and has been expanded this year with dispensers now available throughout the stadium concourse.

In addition to the above provisions, the following fan promotions will be in place for the first two home games. For the season opener against East Carolina on Sat., Aug. 31 at 12pm, the Wolfpack Club Game will offer a free bottle of water to each season ticket account. Vouchers will be mailed to account holders prior to the season and can be redeemed at designated stadium locations on game day. For Week 2 against Western Carolina on Sat., Sept. 7 at 12:30pm, the first 8,000 fans in attendance will receive red cooling towels courtesy of NC State Athletics' AgDay partners Lowes Foods, Kioti Tractor, NC Soybean Producers Association, NC Electric Cooperatives, and The NC Farm Bureau.

FAN GUIDELINES FOR WARM DAYS

Wear a hat and light-fitting, light-colored clothing.
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during and after the game.
Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol.
Use sunscreen and reapply periodically.
Immediately seek assistance of game day staff and on-site medical personnel if you need help.

HOW NC STATE INITIATES HEAT PLAN

NC State will utilize Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) as an objective measure of when to enact our heat plan. Carter-Finley Stadium has a WBGT meter installed in-venue.

WBGT is utilized by the National Weather Service, military agencies, OSHA and other entities as a guide to manage heat stress in direct sunlight, based on temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover. WBGT differs from the heat index, which is based only on temperature and humidity and is calculated for shady areas.

NC State will activate our heat plan when conditions reach a WGBT of 82 degrees (see above graphic). NC State reserves the right to implement all or parts of our heat plan when conditions are cooler than described above, in the interest of patron comfort and safety.

REAL-TIME WEATHER UPDATES FROM CARTER-FINLEY STADIUM

Wolfpack Fans are encouraged to sign up for real-time weather updates from Carter-Finley Stadium WeatherSTEM, an integration of weather sensors that feature dynamic displays of current conditions and forecasts. Visit the Carter-Finley Stadium WeatherSTEM website HERE, download the WeatherSTEM iPhone or Android app, or follow @NCSUFootballWX on twitter.

HOW FOOTBALL KICKOFF TIMES ARE DETERMINED

Kickoff times for football games selected by television are determined by the ACC's television partners, not by NC State. For the 2019 season, the ACC's television partners have thus far established kickoff times for the following home games:

Sat, Aug 31 at 12 pm vs East Carolina
Sat, Sept 7 at 12:30 pm vs Western Carolina
Thurs, Oct 10 at 8 pm vs Syracuse

On those rare instances when a home game is not selected for broadcast by ACC TV partners, NC State's general approach is to schedule early season games for evening kickoffs (such as 6pm or 7pm) to avoid the heat of day, and late season games for afternoon kickoffs (such as 3:30 pm) to enjoy seasonal fall temperatures.

During each Football season, TV partners will generally notify the ACC of its selections and kickoff times no later than 12 days prior to game day (i.e. Monday the week prior to a Saturday game). However, on limited occasions each season, television has the option to notify the ACC of its selections and kickoff times as late six days prior to game day (i.e. Sunday the week of a Saturday game).

Once television selections are made, NC State Athletics immediately communicates information regarding kickoff times through our website, www.gopack.com, on social media channels such as Twitter (@PackFootball and @PackAthletics), and through local media outlets. Anyone who has purchased tickets to the games through NC State will also be notified via email.

NC State Athletics Unveils Enhanced Heat Plan for 2019 Football Season

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