Louisiana State University football players are set to wear air-conditioned helmets during the upcoming 2023 college football season.
The LSU Tigers, who play in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Western Division, will use the new technology during practices and games this autumn and winter. Installed within their Riddell SpeedFlex helmets, the cooling lasts for five hours and is powered by rechargeable batteries.
With road trips to Florida State in Orlando and rivals Mississippi State during the opening weeks of September, it will be put to the test early on in the campaign. They will hope the investment helps them close the gap on back-to-back national champions, the Georgia Bulldogs, who beat them 50-30 in the SEC Championship Game last term.
Tigeraire are the Bayou-based company behind the technology and has publicised its partnership with LSU on social media. Several players have been shown trying on the helmets for size in a series of videos this month.
The most recent, which has received over two million views on TikTok, Mekhi Wingo and Mac Markaway, among others, react positively to the results. Stood inside their Charles McClendon Practice Facility, defensive lineman Wingo instantly becomes a fan.
After moving into the cafeteria, tight end Markaway was similarly impressed. "If I'm running in this, I ain't sweating," he claimed. "It's like, cold," he adds before passing the helmet onto other teammates around him who also give it their seal of approval.
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The airflow is achieved using Tigeraire's Cyclone air accelerator, version two of which retails on their website for $185 (£147.64) per unit. It consists of a pair of blower units and tubes which attach to each other allowing air to move around the helmet.
These tubes are also adjustable and enable players to choose where the cooling comes onto their faces. They can also be used to de-mist visors should an individual opt to have one of those at the front of their helmet.
As they state on their website, the technology helps athletes by accelerating the evaporation of sweat and reducing body temperature as a result. LSU, their local Division I team, are the first to try it out.
Other individuals have tried out the air-conditioned helmets including, according to their website, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase. The former Fighting Tiger is quoted as saying their technology keeps him cool and help him get his wind back quicker.
Former New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, who won two Super Bowls in seven seasons with the franchise, also stars in an advert of theirs. Social media also shows that Manchester High School and Trinity Escopical School in the state of Virginia are both trying them out at high-school level.
Whether adoption by an NFL franchise is next remains to be seen. Their local New Orleans Saints would seem to most likely starting point for the three-year-old company.
