The University of Iowa announced that a member of the school's marching died Tuesday after collapsing during Saturday's Hawkeye football game at Kinnick Stadium.
The family of Derek Philips, a mellophone player in the Hawkeye band, shared on social media that Phillips had been taken off life support Tuesday after he collapsed “collapsed in the heat” and suffered a “sudden cardiac arrest."
“Despite the extraordinary efforts of the ICU team at the University of Iowa Hospital, the damage to his brain was too severe, and we have made the heartbreaking decision to remove life support,” the family shared.
According to the local ABC affiliate, the University of Iowa did not mention any incidents or health issues when it suddenly cancelled halftime performances, stating “the health and safety of our students, staff, and fans are our top priority.”
The marching band and cheer teams still performed their usual pregame routines, but the school had announced days in advance of the game that they would perform in their alternate uniforms instead of the traditional wool uniforms because of the heat.
Meteorologists reported the game-time temperature on Saturday of 90-degrees was the fourth-hottest game in Iowa history, with heat indexes making it feel like well above 100-degrees.
The University of Iowa released the following statement on Tuesday:
