Mizzou football's season opener is turning into a Thursday night ritual. Since 2022, the Tigers have kicked off four straight seasons on a weekday, and tomorrow makes five, when Mizzou hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 7 p.m.

It's a deliberate move by Coach Eli Drinkwitz to stuff the stands and snag some primetime visibility, all building on the hype of Labor Day weekend. But playing in early September instead of waiting for a Saturday later in the month comes with a trade-off: the late-summer heat.

Thursday's opener kicks off in the middle of a heat advisory. We're tracking heat index values up to 100 degrees, with highs in the upper 90s continuing through the holiday weekend.

That could be the hottest weekday game Mizzou has faced in the past decade. The Tigers have played on a weekday nine times since 2015; five of those were season openers in late August or early September.

Historical weather data compiled from Weather Spark reveals that kickoff temperatures rarely exceeded the mid-80s in recent years. The hottest Thursday opener Mizzou has played so far was back in 2024, when the Tigers faced Murray State (and won 51-0) with a kickoff temperature of 87 degrees.

Expect hotter conditions tomorrow night, especially during tailgating, with an afternoon heat index near 100 degrees. By 7 p.m. kickoff, most of that triple-digit heat index will have eased, but it'll still be hot and sticky.

Heat illnesses can set in quickly in these conditions. Heat exhaustion occurs when the body can't cool itself fast enough, bringing heavy sweating, dizziness, and nausea. Left unchecked, it can progress to heat stroke, when the body's core temperature spikes above 103 degrees and the ability to sweat can shut down entirely. Heat stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate 9-1-1 attention.

Athletes in pads and helmets are especially vulnerable, which is why teams build in hydration breaks and monitor players closely during hot games. Fans face the same risks, so hydrate before heading to Faurot Field, seek shade when possible, and dress light.

Late summer and early fall have been trending warmer across Missouri and much of the country in recent decades, part of a broader pattern tied to a warming climate. That means the kind of heat that used to be rare for a September kickoff is becoming more common, while season openers are steadily shifting earlier into a hotter time of year.

This dangerous summer-like heat will grip the area through the holiday weekend.