What are the rules regarding lightning during a college football game?

Answer 1

The basic guidelines are:

As a minimum, lightning safety experts strongly recommend that

by the time the monitor observes 30 seconds between seeing the

lightning flash and hearing its associated thunder, all individuals

should have left the athletics site and reached a safer structure or

location.

To resume athletics activities, lightning safety experts recommend

waiting 30 minutes after both the last sound of thunder and last flash

of lightning. If lightning is seen without hearing thunder, lightning

may be out of range and therefore less likely to be a significant

threat. At night, be aware that lightning can be visible at a much

greater distance than during the day as clouds are being lit from

the inside by lightning. This greater distance may mean that the

lightning is no longer a significant threat. At night, use both the

sound of thunder and seeing the lightning channel itself to decide

on resetting the 30-minute "return-to-play" clock before resuming

outdoor athletics activities.

Almost every college has a system, such as the SkyScan Lightning/Storm Detector, in place to assist game managers in their decisions when it's safe to resume play.

Answer 2

In high school, as soon as thunder is heard or a cloud-to-ground lightning bolt is seen, play is suspended for 30 minutes. In college, they usually measure the time between seeing the lightning bolt and hearing the thunderclap, and if it is less than 30 seconds, play is suspended for 30 minutes.

The NFL purportedly has similar guidelines, but they seem to enforce them only in the gravest situations.