An annular solar eclipse could cast a few shadows over college football games next Saturday, Oct. 14.

In the continental U.S. the Oct. 14 annular eclipse will begin in Oregon at 11:13 a.m. CDT, track southeastward across the west, and end in Texas at 12:03 p.m. CDT.

Here’s another view of the eclipse path:

The annular solar eclipse will be visible in Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas, as well as some parts of California, Idaho, Colorado and Arizona, according to NASA astronomers.

Veteran Alabama meteorologist James Spann mentioned the Oct. 14 eclipse recently and noted that that it could cause some fans at college football games on Oct. 14 to take notice — including those at the University of Alabama, which will be playing at its home stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Spann wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) that: “We have an interesting situation coming up one week from Saturday (October 14)… a solar eclipse will take place while many college football games are being played. Alabama has a home game against Arkansas; kickoff is 11a CT. Here it will be a partial eclipse; at the peak 58 percent of the sun will be obscured by the moon at 12:08p CT, most likely during the second quarter of the game.”

Football fans were warned to not look directly at the sun to see the eclipse. During an annular eclipse, it is never safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection, according to NASA. Here’s how to see the eclipse safely.

What is an annular solar eclipse?

An annular solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth while it is at its farthest point from Earth, according to NASA.

Because the Moon is farther from Earth, it looks smaller than the Sun and does not completely obscure it and creates what’s called a “ring of fire.” The Sun is never completely blocked by the Moon during an annular solar eclipse.

The Oct. 14, 2023, annular solar eclipse will cross North, Central and South America, according to NASA. It will be visible to millions of people in the Western Hemisphere.

Here are kickoff times for some of the college football games scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14, near the time of the eclipse that are closest to the path. Some games don’t have a set time yet. All times are in CDT:

* Temple at North Texas (Denton, Texas, north of Dallas) – 11 a.m.

* Georgia at Vanderbilt (Nashville, Tenn.) – 11 a.m.

* Arkansas at Alabama (Tuscaloosa) – 11 a.m.

* Syracuse at Florida State (Tallahassee, Fla.) – 11 a.m. or 6:30 p.m.

* Iowa State at Cincinnati – 11 a.m.

* Ohio State at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.) – 11 a.m.

* Indiana at Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) – 11 a.m.