Strike Time

Saban Field

1:20 PM CT

Closest CG

22.0 mi

Sun on the bowl · 0.00 in/hr

Inbound 11 mph

Markers · Bama 09/19/26

Desk call

Clear the field

142 ms

Players, band, and officials off. Bowl stays put.

Clear the Hill and open bleachers to the concourse first.

NCAA

Play

Clear

Fans

Concourse

21% margin

Patron threat1

Player threat12

Unnecessary dump8%

Field delay96m

Parallel questions

NCAA 8-mile threshold is met

0.04

Cell is tracking into the bowl

0.01

Rain core is overhead

0.02

A full stadium dump increases outdoor exposure this window

0.46

The Hill / open berm is a materially higher risk than the concourse

0.55

No flash inside 15 miles. Play continues with radar up.
Sun on the bowl and a dry gauge mean the core is not overhead. An 8-mile flash is a protocol hit, not a bowl strike.
Cell is inbound at 11 mph. Core ETA ~125 min — threat is rising, not here.
Concourse and under-stadium are substantial shelter. A campus dump (Fike / Littlejohn / cars) puts 81,500 people back into the weather.
Cell-track delay for the field: ~96 min. Publish an ETA. Do not run a silent 30-minute reset loop.

Desk call

Clear the field

142 ms

NCAA

Play

Clear

Fans

Concourse

21% margin

Patron threat1

Player threat12

Unnecessary dump8%

Field delay96m

Markers · Bama 09/19/26

Same Saturday as Clemson. Six pregame 8-mile resets with sun on Bryant-Denny; most of the bowl dumped, student section stayed. Kick 4:15 p.m. CT. Seventh delay at 2:36 Q2, resume 6:02, no halftime. GLM flashes within 18 miles.

Verdict

Was this delay correct?

Bryant-Denny Stadium · Bama 09/19/26 · 105 min stop · Alabama 50–36

Delay

135 min

Strike Time delay

30 min

Game saved

105 min

Fans kept seated

90 min

1:40 PM CT
They First 8-mile. Warmups off.
Strike Time Watch. Sun on the bowl. Fans stay.
2:26 PM CT
They Reset. Still no kick.
Strike Time One CG at 5.2 mi. Clear the field. 30-minute hold.
2:42 PM CT
They Bowl dumped. Students stay.
Strike Time Stands full. Warmups back ~3:00.
4:15 PM CT
They Kick 4:15. 105 minutes late.
Strike Time Would have kicked ~3:15.
5:32 PM CT
They Q2 dump. FSU 21–6.
Strike Time No CG inside 8. Play on.
6:02 PM CT
They Resume. No halftime.
Strike Time Second half already on.

Bottom line

An 8-mile warning before kickoff is a field delay, not a stadium dump. Watch whether the storm is coming or going. The student section sitting in the sun is the control group.

For stadium weather

How this app changes the next call

Two groups
Players on the field need a delay. Fans in covered seats usually do not need to leave.
Direction matters
A storm moving away is not the same as one moving in. Distance alone is not the call.
Say when
Put a return time on the board. Silent 30-minute resets are why people walk to their cars.
Open seats first
Clear grass berms and uncovered sections before the deck. Parking lots last — that is a second outdoor wait.