As anyone who has been to Louisiana in September can tell you, playing football outdoors in the Pelican State is an arduous task. Late summer on the bayou is hot and sticky; there’s a reason the Saints call the Superdome home.
With LSU staring down games at home in Baton Rouge, one in Orlando, one in Starkville, Miss., and one in Oxford, Miss., this September, the Tigers have found a novel way to beat the heat.
LSU will wear air-conditioned helmets for all practices and games in 2023, created by a Louisiana-based company called Tigeraire. The helmets will reportedly have a five-hour life span before needing to be charged, and last up to four years, according to sports business expert Joe Pompliano.
Several Tigers players tried on the helmets in a video that made the rounds Wednesday afternoon.
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“It feels hella good, actually,” defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo said.
“That feels good, bro!” tight end Mac Markway exclaimed. “If I’m running in this, I ain’t sweating … at all. It’s like, cold.”
Other players agreed with their teammates, with one remarking that Tigeraire “messed up the game.”
In the arms race that is college football, other teams are bound to follow suit and adopt this potentially game-changing equipment. Until then, LSU might just have a slight edge on its foes.
