Kentucky over Texas A&M and Houston over Texas Tech headline the Week 3 national climate-conditioning forecast

LAKE JACKSON, Texas, Sept. 18, 2026 – The SwampButt Underwear Scale of Sultry predicts two visiting teams will overcome home-field advantage in Week 3, selecting Kentucky over Texas A&M and Houston over Texas Tech as evidence from last weekend shows that oppressive stadium conditions can affect far more than the final score. The SwampButt Underwear Scale of Sultry is a numeric score that rates locations based on temperature, humidity, solar exposure. Based on a bone dry comfortable score of one to a Singapore on an August day feel of ten, the theory of the ‘scale’ is that the teams from the hottest and stickiest locales enjoy a conditioning advantage of those that come from more comfortable places.

Week Three Upsets

Kentucky receives the Scale’s narrow conditioning edge at Kyle Field because its campus conditioning baseline of 7.0 is slightly higher than Texas A&M’s 6.8. Houston receives the edge in Lubbock because its 6.4 campus baseline exceeds Texas Tech’s 6.1.

The campus baselines represent the broader climate environments in which the teams routinely live and practice. They are not simultaneous game-time forecasts for both campuses. The separate game-site score describes the conditions expected at the stadium. The selections do not measure rankings, talent or betting odds; they test whether players accustomed to hotter, more humid and slower-drying conditions may be better prepared when discomfort becomes part of the game.

Fan Discomfort Can Become a Medical Problem

The national story extends beyond the two upset predictions from the previous week. SwampButt Underwear is built around an everyday consequence of hot and humid weather: sweating. In a stadium, the same combination of temperature, humidity, sunlight and slow evaporation can move beyond discomfort and create dangerous conditions for spectators, bands, workers and players.

That danger became measurable during the Week 2 UC Davis-SMU game in Dallas. The game carried a 7.3 Scale of Sultry score and began at a reported 99 degrees. The University Park Fire Department recorded 54 patient contacts and nine hospital transports. A department spokesperson said most were related to heat illness. Members of the SMU band also developed symptoms of heat exhaustion, left the stadium to cool down and later returned wearing lighter clothing.

At the UTSA-Texas State game in San Marcos, temperatures reached about 101 degrees and the heat index was reported as high as 107. Many spectators left sun-exposed seats for shaded concourse areas. In Denton, UNLV’s official account described 102-degree heat during its game at North Texas. In Austin, Texas prepared for Ohio State inside its climate-controlled training facility rather than expose players unnecessarily to artificial turf reportedly measuring 160 degrees before kickoff.

“The scoreboard measures who won,” said Nick Heraldson, a spokesman for SwampButt Underwear. “The Scale of Sultry also measures what every person inside the stadium had to overcome. Our underwear is about managing sweat and discomfort, but the fan experience can become dangerous when heat, humidity, sunlight and slow evaporation converge.”

The two games with tied published campus scores – Miami of Ohio at Cincinnati and Miami at Wake Forest – retain the recorded Scale selections of Cincinnati and Miami. No unreported tiebreaking formula is being claimed.

How the Scale Works

The Scale combines temperature, relative humidity, solar exposure and estimated fabric-drying conditions to produce a score from 1 to 10. A score of 1 represents dry, comfortable conditions in which moisture should evaporate relatively quickly. A score of 10 represents exceptionally hot, humid conditions comparable to a summer day in the Amazon.

The Scale posted a 44-42 Week 2 record and stands at 101-82 for 2026, including the Week 0 pilot. It is an entertainment forecast focused on climate conditioning, not a betting recommendation or a substitute for conventional football analysis.

The Scale of Sultry is an informational and entertainment tool, not an official medical or weather warning. Fans should follow venue guidance and instructions from local weather and emergency officials, seek cooling when needed and take symptoms of heat illness seriously.

Evolution Of An Idea And Underwear

The inventor of the ‘scale’ originally wanted a tool to track the evaporation rates of cotton fabric compared with lycra/spandex in various weather conditions. Once done, he later expanded it to predict how local weather conditions could translate to a lack of comfort for college football fans in the stands while at their respective games.

Harold Nicoll, who invented SwampButt Underwear™ and also came up with the Scale of Sultry, recognized a connection between local climate and its possible impact on conditioning for college football players. “Harold really likes college football,” Heraldson said. “I think this gives him a reason to blend football with the underwear business.”

Scale of Sultry Predictions Past

The Scale posted a 44-42 Week 2 record and stands at 101-82 for 2026, including the Week 0 pilot. It is an entertainment forecast focused on climate conditioning, not a betting recommendation or a substitute for conventional football analysis.

The Scale of Sultry is an informational and entertainment tool, not an official weather warning or betting recommendation. Fans should follow venue guidance and local weather and emergency officials.

The Scale combines temperature, relative humidity, solar exposure and estimated fabric-drying conditions to produce a number from one to 10. Higher numbers indicate conditions in which perspiration evaporates more slowly, and athletes and spectators may feel hotter and wetter.

The Scale of Sultry is an informational and entertainment tool, not an official weather warning or betting recommendation. Fans should follow venue guidance and local weather and emergency officials.

About SwampButt Underwear

SwampButt Underwear is a Lake Jackson, Texas-based men’s underwear brand designed to help manage moisture and improve comfort in hot, humid conditions. Its Scale of Sultry combines temperature, humidity, sunlight and fabric-drying conditions to describe how uncomfortable game-day weather may feel and to explore whether climate conditioning can influence college football outcomes. SwampButt Underwear is a trademark registered in the United States and other countries.

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