Headline: NWSL Reschedules Match Between Denver Summit and Utah Royals Due to Heat Concerns
A matchup between the Denver Summit and Utah Royals has been significantly postponed due to extreme heat and other environmental factors, the NWSL announced Friday.
The match, originally scheduled to start at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday in Denver, is now set to take place at 8 p.m.
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The league made the decision to delay the game after discussions with climate experts, medical personnel from both teams, and the NWSL Players’ Association.
“The health and safety of our players, staff, officials and fans remains our top priority and will continue to guide our decision-making in this matter,” the league stated.
Saturday’s match will occur at Centennial Stadium, the temporary home for the Summit while they construct a new facility in Denver. Centennial is situated just southeast of Denver.
Forecasts predict temperatures nearing 100 degrees in Denver on Saturday. Additionally, the region faces air-quality challenges due to wildfires in the West. The high altitude, typical for Denver at a mile above sea level, will worsen these conditions.
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This combination led to “unique medical considerations that warranted additional precaution beyond the operational standards established in the league’s Gameday Heat Safety Policy,” according to the NWSL. The policy typically assesses heat safety risks using the wet bulb globe temperature, factoring in humidity and cloud cover.
The league’s weather policy has received criticism in recent years, particularly as climate change exacerbates conditions. Last August, a match between the Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride experienced over a three-hour delay due to extreme heat.
Reports following that incident revealed that NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman had considered fining the Current over a safety disagreement, highlighting the potential financial impact of rescheduling due to broadcast windows.
In the wake of scrutiny regarding the heat policy—and Berman’s alleged threat facing backlash—the NWSL updated its weather protocols ahead of the 2026 season, implementing further hydration breaks during matches when certain wet bulb globe temperature conditions are present.
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More adjustments are likely forthcoming this offseason, as a summer filled with wildfire smoke nationwide has raised concerns about additional weather-related issues impacting games.
During the Queens Classic last month, a match where Gotham FC defeated the Washington Spirit at Citi Field proceeded as planned, despite an air quality index of 170, just shy of the NWSL’s cutoff for postponements. Players voiced concerns about the air quality post-game, despite two hydration breaks per half aimed at mitigating smoke effects.
In a midseason press conference this past Wednesday, Berman noted that the league would reevaluate its policies after the ongoing season and acknowledged the Gotham-Spirit match would serve as a “data point” for that review.
A matchup between the Denver Summit and Utah Royals has been significantly postponed due to extreme heat and other environmental factors, the NWSL announced Friday.
The match, which was set to kick off at 2 p.m. MT on Saturday in Denver, has been rescheduled to 8 p.m.
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The NWSL said the decision to push back the match was made after consulting with climate experts, doctors from both teams and the NWSL Players’ Association.
“The healthy and safety of our players, staff, officials and fans remains our top priority and will continue to guide our decision-making in this matter,” the league wrote in a statement.
Saturday’s match will be held at Centennial Stadium, the Summit’s temporary venue while the team builds a new stadium in Denver. Centennial, Colorado, where the stadium is located, is just southeast of Denver.
Temperatures are set to near 100 degrees in Denver on Saturday. In addition, the area will be affected by air-quality issues stemming from wildfires in the western part of the country. Both of those issues will be exacerbated by the altitude, an ever-present issue in Denver, which sits one mile above sea level.
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That combination, per the league, led to “unique medical considerations that warranted additional precaution beyond the operational standards established in the league’s Gameday Heat Safety Policy.” The league’s policy, which uses the wet bulb globe temperature to measure safety risk, is usually used to factor humidity and cloud cover into the baseline heat.
The NWSL’s weather policy has been criticized over the past few years, especially as weather conditions worsen due to climate change. Last August, a game between the Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride was delayed more than three hours due to excess heat.
The Athletic reported after that game that NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman had threatened to fine the Current over a disagreement about whether it was safe to play, with Berman citing the potentially high cost of missing the game’s broadcast window.
With the league’s heat policy facing scrutiny (and Berman’s alleged threat receiving backlash) after that game, the NWSL updated its weather policy ahead of the 2026 season, adding additional hydration breaks during games within a set wet bulb globe temperature range.
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More changes are likely coming this offseason. A summer marred by wildfire smoke across the country has raised concerns about additional weather issues that can affect games.
In the Queens Classic last month, when Gotham FC beat the Washington Spirit at Citi Field, the game proceeded as scheduled despite an air quality index of 170 — just below the NWSL’s threshold for postponing the match. Players after the game said the air quality was less than ideal for playing, even with two hydration breaks per half to try to combat the effects of the smoke.
During a midseason news conference Wednesday, Berman said the league would be reassessing policies at the end of the season and acknowledged that the Gotham-Spirit game would be used as a “data point” in that analysis.
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