As a three-time Florida State University alumnus, I was watching the game against Alabama when it was paused just before halftime due to lightning. The game had been delayed prior to the original start time for the same reason. Many fans from both teams complained on social media. Several college football games were delayed because of lighting on Saturday. While certainly the right call, a dangerous narrative played out. Fans lamented the decisions and complained about delays happening even though the sky was blue over the stadiums. Here’s why that is a potentially deadly perspective.

Read my virtual lips. It does not have to be raining for lightning to strike you on the ground . For years, my colleagues and I have warned about “Bolts from the Blue.” What is that? “A Bolt from the Blue is a cloud to ground lightning flash which typically comes out of the back side of the thunderstorm cloud, travels a relatively large distance in clear air away from the storm cloud, and then angles down and strikes the ground," according to the National Weather Service website. “These lightning flashes have been documented to travel more than 25 miles away from the thunderstorm cloud,” The website continued.

This is why the NCAA and other organizations implement the 8-30 rule . That rule or some variant of it requires teams to wait 30 straight minutes after a lightning strike is detected within an 8 mile radius of the stadium. If a new strike is detected, the clock starts over. During games Saturday, fans stayed in stadiums, and other activities continued. Kudos to the ABC-ESPN management as their camera crews were required to take shelter even as the FSU-Alabama game continued. Alternative camera angles were shown from automated cameras. At that time, I snapped the radar image above. Current knowledge and technology could lead to adjustments in this rule, and I am not against potential modifications. However, that’s the guidance we have right now.

Chris Vagasky is one of the leading lightning experts in the nation. “The discourse around today’s delays has been exhausting. Ron Holle and I have documented 262 football-related lightning casualties in the U.S. between 1970 and 2023,” He told me in a message on social media. While some people may say that no person has died from a lightning strike at a college football game. Guess why? “Lightning delays prevent that number from getting higher,” Vagasky went on to say. He noted that a -152 kA lightning flash came within 0.25 miles of the Appalachian State stadium. It knocked out the speakers.

Vagasky , who manages the Wisconsin Environmental Mesonet (Wisconet), ended with an important point. Lightning is a hazard that needs to be taken seriously, even if it is not raining. He is also a member of the National Lightning Safety Council, so he is far from just a random opinion on the Internet.