Historically awesome summer (*) has impacted all of Texas football (*so far)
Rule No. 1 for all of us living in North Texas right now is we don’t mention by name about what’s going on outside.
It’s no different than Rule No. 1 when a pitcher is throwing a no-hitter.
We all know what’s going on here, and we might just make it out.
“The weather has been incredibly cooperative,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said Wednesday after his team practiced.
Apparently Coach Dykes didn’t get the memo that you don’t talk about the no-hitter we have all been enjoying. If this blows up, it’s on him.
What was that wet stuff?
We don’t talk about what happened on Wednesday morning, when the historic event happened all over town as this weird, wet stuff fell from the sky on Aug. 20. The last time something wet fell from the sky in this area on Aug. 20 was Aug. 20, 1834(*).
(*May not be true, but it feels true.)
At 10:47 a.m. Central time on Aug. 20, 2025, the thermostat read 75 degrees. The only other time that’s happened here was the day after all of the dinosaurs died(*).
(*True)
It’s Aug. 20, and ERCOT hasn’t screwed up anything for months(*).
(*Probably not true; it’s ERCOT)
It’s Aug. 20, and the last thing any of us needs to do is to alert God of what’s been going on outside really since May. A few of us could argue that He owes us for all of the summers of torture we have previously endured; even Job caught a few breaks.
From the lack of 100-degree days to the surplus of rain, we have cheated death this summer, and we all just need to play it cool; we might just make it to Sept. 20 without the air conditioners that we pray to break down, and break us.
Caught up in this once-in-a-century event are area football teams and their coaches who plan practices to follow the elements, and patterns, well established in North Texas summers. They plan for 102, not 92.
“[Tuesday] was a hot and humid day, and you want to have enough of that,” Dykes said. “You want your guys to have to deal with that, and what that feels like, but you don’t want too much of it.”
Unusual August 7-day forecast
What’s going on this summer all over DFW is more like Kansas City, St. Louis or Indianapolis rather than our usual August 7-day forecast that reads:
“Monday: Awful.”
“Tuesday: Don’t leave the living room.”
“Wednesday: Move.”
“Thursday: Much worse than Monday.”
“Friday: Pain.”
“Saturday: What did we do to deserve this?”
“Sunday: 10 percent chance of scattered showers.”
For years (and decades) football coaches in this area have preached the benefits of practicing in conditions that could serve as Mephistopheles’ attic. When the games start, and the temperatures are still well into the 90s, their players are more accustomed to the heat and are better prepared for a third and fourth quarter against teams that are from north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
It doesn’t always work that way, but it always sounds great.
The way the last two-plus months have gone for us who live in North Texas, coaches, and players, may actually dodge the normal elements during the early part of the season that are a major part of this entire state’s identity. Texans love to brag that 98 degrees is sweater weather.
“We have been able to stay outside a lot, which has led to more quality reps and staying off the [indoor] turf, and I think that helps you stay healthy, and the wear and tear on your body,” Dykes said. “I have been happily surprised in how mild this summer has been.”
On this point, even the people at SMU would have to concur with Sonny Dykes. This is one issue that Republicans, Democrats, Aggies, Longhorns, Red Raiders, Bears, Ponies and the rest of us all can agree on.
For the players themselves, they’re the ones who really notice it. For the veterans, they’re not used to what we are enjoying, and they perversely miss the way things used to be.
“I kinda like how hot it is because when we’re not playing in Texas, you feel a whole lot better and you don’t have to deal with the heat,” TCU senior linebacker Namdi Obiazor said. “So you can make the practices harder, so when you get to the games that’s easy.”
Practicing in the excessive Texas summer heat is not really the advantage a coach, or his players, want to believe. If it was, explain Texas A&M. Or Auburn. Florida State. Florida. Arizona.
If practicing in the heat was that much of an advantage, explain Ohio State. Oregon. Michigan. Notre Dame. Wisconsin.
Practicing in the heat for Texans is the same as practicing in the cold for Yankees, or Midwesterners. It can help, but seldom is it the difference.
What is currently going on outside is an outlier, a one-off. The summer equivalent to The Great Texas Freeze that we experienced in February of 2021.
“It looks like it’s supposed to get hot again Saturday and Sunday, and taper off a little bit,” Dykes said. “We are going to need to have some hot days to continue to test their will.”
On behalf of all of us here in North Texas, the last thing any of us is needs is a few hot days to test our will. We passed that test decades ago, so let us just enjoy what we can’t openly discuss because we don’t want to jinx it.
This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 6:20 PM.
