Oregon-Oklahoma State weather updates: Latest news on forecast after thunderstorms, lightning push back kickoff

Oregon-Oklahoma State weather updates: Latest news on forecast after thunderstorms, lightning push back kickoff originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Those hoping to tune into No. 6 Oregon‘s clash with Oklahoma State were dealt a cruel blow in the lead-up to the contest’s scheduled kickoff.

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Thunder and lightning proved unruly in the lead-up to game’s 12 p.m. ET start. As it turned out, Mother Nature preferred a slightly later opening act.

Here’s the latest on the weather delay preventing the Ducks and Cowboys from taking the field.

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Oregon-Oklahoma State weather updates

Kickoff for Oregon vs. Oklahoma State was slated to take place at 12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. local time). As it turned out, that start time proved to be something of a moving target; the game was subjected to a lengthy delay after thunderstorms roved above Boone Pickens Stadium.

Lightning struck within eight miles of the stadium, bringing about the initial delay. Another bolt descended within the eight-mile radius around 12:10 p.m. ET, pushing the start time back an additional 30 minutes.

When will Oregon-Oklahoma State start?

ESPN’s Max Olson reported that game organizers are targeting a 1:15 p.m. ET (12:15 p.m. local time) kickoff at Boone Pickens Stadium. That’s a tentative mark, admittedly — another lightning strike would lead to a lengthier delay.

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The storms looked to have little impact on the field 30 minutes before the initial 12 p.m ET kickoff. The clouds did look ominous, however.

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College football lightning policy

Per NCAA rules, play can resume 30 minutes after the last visible lightning strike. Here’s an official excerpt from the NCAA:

Electrical charges can linger in clouds after a thunderstorm has seemingly passed, so activity should remain suspended until 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder is heard or the last strike of lightning is seen. This 30-minute clock restarts for each lightning flash seen or thunder heard.

If the venue is consulting with a professional meteorologist that is using real-time lightning cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground data, other criteria can be considered for determining earlier, safe resumption of play.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated.