A college football tie? Why Colorado School of Mines-Washburn ended 16-16

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Every college football team wants to start the season with a win, but what about a tie?

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Something you haven't seen much since college football eliminated ties with overtime in the 1990s, Colorado School of Mines and Washburn finished in a 16-16 tie on Saturday, Sept. 5.

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The reason? Excessive heat.

The game at Washburn's Yager Stadium in Topeka, Kansas was a close one that resulted in a 16-16 tie at the end of regulation. Naturally, the game would go to overtime. But before extra time could begin, officials stopped the game due to the extreme-heat rules of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, Washburn's conference.

After the teams and officially had a lengthy discussion, the game was declared final, with a tied score of 16-16 in line with NCAA rules on suspended games.

The tie goes on both team's records, Washburn now 1-0-1 on the season and Colorado School of Mines 0-1-1.

Why was Colorado School of Mines vs. Washburn stopped?

The MIAA extreme-heat rule states play must be stopped when any wet bulb temperature reaches above 92.1 degrees, with the game unable to continue until it falls back down to a safer temperature.

The game came as extreme heat plagued the Topeka-area, as the U.S. National Weather Service has an extreme heat warning in effect in the area. Temperatures were expected to be in the triple digits and approach record highs, and it's why the game started at 9:05 a.m. local time, hoping it would be able to complete the game before it got too hot.

Colorado School of Mines noted the heat index at the time of suspension was 107 degrees, which the NWS says is a dangerous level that makes "heat cramps or heat exhaustion likely, and heat stroke possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity."

College football tie history

Ties haven't been much of a thing in college football since the NCAA added overtime in the 1995 bowl season and again, permanently, in 1996 to ensure every game produced a winner and loser. The last major tie was between Wisconsin and Illinois on Nov. 25, 1995, a 3-3 result.

However, it has happened since then, and actually just a few years ago. In September 2024, the NAIA matchup between Florida Memorial University Lions and the Clark Atlanta Panthers had the 2024 Sunshine Showdown end in a tie due to lightning. The score was 28-28 early in the second half when the game was suspended, and ultimately determined final.

So ties are still technically possible, thanks to extreme weather.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A college football tie? Why Colorado School of Mines-Washburn ended 16-16

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