An FAA ground stop issued Friday afternoon is disrupting travel nationwide, and college football teams scheduled to play Saturday are among those affected. The restriction, the second nationwide ground stop since the Sept. 11 attacks, could cause delays as travelers wait for flights to resume ahead of a busy weekend.
Several teams that have not yet left for their games are looking for other ways to travel. Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Washington, Minnesota, Baylor, Tulane, Auburn, Arizona State and Oregon State are among the schools reportedly affected.
USC had already taken off for Bloomington, Indiana, where it is due to face Indiana. Texas, meanwhile, had boarded its plane in Austin for a trip to Baton Rouge to play LSU, but had not left before the ground stop was issued.
Tennessee was scheduled to depart Knoxville at 4 p.m. ET for its game at Texas A&M. The team was unable to take off, and it was not yet clear how the Volunteers would get to College Station. The situation remained fluid.
Some teams had already reached their destinations, while others can travel by bus. Alabama, for example, is heading to Nashville to play Vanderbilt. Auburn, scheduled to face Mississippi State in Starkville, may also be able to make the trip by bus.
Utah, ranked No. 2, was still in Salt Lake City when its flight for Saturday night’s game against Arizona was grounded.
Teams often travel on Friday afternoons, sometimes holding a walkthrough at their facility before heading to the airport. Many schools also arrange security screening on campus, allowing players and staff to board their charter flights after arriving by bus.
The travel plans of several teams could change as the ground stop continues to affect flights.
