Update: TCU, K-State kickoff set for 2 p.m. after three-hour lightning delay

The skies are clearing and we have a tentative start time for TCU and Kansas State.

Officials hope to kickoff at 2 p.m. after a three-hour delay at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

Persistent lightning near the Stadium Saturday morning forced multiple delays. The skies started clearing just after 1 p.m. and the stadium’s public address announcer told fans of the 2 p.m. start to a loud round of cheers.

TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte and K-State AD Gene Taylor went down to the locker rooms to discuss the situation.

Del Conte said there was never any consideration about postponing the game until Sunday. The main concern, he said, was the safety of the players and fans. The original early start gave officials the luxury of waiting out the weather.

The game was originally delayed 45 minutes to 11:45 a.m. Both teams had warmed up, the national anthem had been played when lightning forced the second delay. Players and staff have been in their locker rooms since leaving the field at about 11:40 a.m.

The region has been pelted with persistent rain since early Saturday morning but the lightning has forced officials from allowing fans into the Stadium.

The game was supposed to start at 11 a.m. but each time lightning is spotted in the area it’s a mandatory 30-minute delay. Police told fans waiting to enter the stadium that they were waiting to open the stadium so that an evacuation wasn’t necessary if lightning struck in the area.

TCU coach Gary Patterson and K-State coach Bill Snyder have to agree on revised pre-game warmups.

No. 6 TCU (5-0, 2-0 in the Big 12) is coming off a win against West Virginia. The Wildcats (3-2, 1-1) lost last week in overtime to Texas in Austin. K-State beat TCU in Fort Worth in 2016. The Frogs won the meetings in 2014 and ’15

This story was originally published October 14, 2017 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Update: TCU, K-State kickoff set for 2 p.m. after three-hour lightning delay."