On Friday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stoppage for all departing flights due to extraordinary circumstances and reasons for safety. The announcement coincided with preparations by numerous college football programs to leave for road games across the country, leaving teams scrambling for alternate travel plans as officials investigated a communication issue affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.
SEC Impact and Team Travel
As reported by CBS Sports, the SEC is assessing whether any officiating crews for Saturday’s games have been affected by the ground stop, while also evaluating the situation alongside member institutions. Auburn was unable to depart before the FAA directive, but sources told CBS Sports that the Tigers will take a bus to Starkville for their 12 p.m. ET kickoff against Mississippi State. Third-ranked Alabama had already planned to bus to Nashville and remained unaffected, while No. 8 Tennessee began exploring alternate options after its scheduled 4 p.m. ET departure for its longest road trip of the season was grounded.
Several other SEC programs successfully reached their destinations before the stoppage, including No. 22 Missouri, which arrived in Athens to face top-ranked Georgia, and Florida, which safely landed in Lexington ahead of its matchup against No. 11 Kentucky. No. 19 Ole Miss had not yet arrived at the airport when flights were grounded; according to 247Sports, Rebels players were instructed to return home and come back to the airport at 7 p.m. local time, with a potential kickoff delay to Sunday remaining under consideration. No. 6 Texas was sitting on the tarmac when the announcement was made and may need alternative travel plans, though the Longhorns benefit from a late kickoff time in Baton Rouge against No. 21 LSU. Meanwhile, No. 17 South Carolina landed in Arkansas prior to the stoppage, ensuring both the team and the officiating crew are ready for kickoff.
Big Ten and ACC Status
In the Big Ten, Washington, Minnesota, and Purdue were the only teams impacted by the stoppage, with all conference officials remaining available for their assignments, according to CBS Sports sources. Northwestern landed in Columbus, Nebraska touched down in Newark, and No. 18 USC departed successfully after posting photos of players boarding at around 2:30 p.m. ET. Michigan avoided the chaos entirely by traveling to Eugene on Thursday. Conversely, Washington was grounded in Seattle, Minnesota was grounded before taking off for Penn State, and Purdue opted for a bus ride to Iowa City.
Across the ACC, sources told CBS Sports that all schools arrived at their respective game sites and the conference believes its officiating situation is secure. No. 13 Wake Forest landed in Dallas, Cal arrived in Charlottesville, Boston College departed before the stoppage, and Stanford safely reached Blacksburg ahead of the implementation.
Big 12 and Additional Matchups
The Big 12 released a statement on Friday night announcing it is evaluating potential changes to Saturday’s football schedule while monitoring travel disruptions alongside member institutions. While Cincinnati landed safely in Des Moines to face Iowa State, Kansas State was stuck on the tarmac at the time of the stoppage, prompting discussions with TCU about the kickoff time for a potential seven-hour bus journey. Arizona State prepared to fly out on Saturday morning for its game against UCF, Baylor was grounded in Waco with plans to fly out Saturday morning, and No. 2 Utah remained in Salt Lake City ahead of its matchup against No. 23 Arizona. No. 12 Texas Tech successfully landed in Stillwater for its game against No. 25 Oklahoma State.
Among other notable games, James Madison, Tulane, FAU, Oregon State, UNLV, Utah State, and NDSU faced varying travel fates. James Madison reached UConn beforehand, Tulane and FAU were grounded, Oregon State had not yet left for Boise State, UNLV returned to campus, Utah State evaluated options in Logan, and NDSU had already arrived in Hawaii early Friday morning.
