FAA Ground Stop Triggers Dispute Over Oklahoma–Ole Miss Game

The nationwide FAA ground stop ended Friday night, but its effects continued to disrupt college football travel—and sparked a heated dispute over the scheduled Oklahoma–Ole Miss matchup in Norman.

Several teams, including Texas, had been preparing to fly to their Saturday games when they were told to leave their charter planes. Once the restriction was lifted, some schools managed to travel and adjust their kickoff plans as needed.

Ole Miss, however, remained in Oxford. The Rebels returned to their football facility after deplaning and waited for word on when they could depart. Though they were ready to return to the airport after the ground stop ended, their charter company could not arrange a Friday night flight. Sources said crew duty limits were among the issues.

In a statement early Saturday, the SEC said Ole Miss had been unable to leave Oxford because of the FAA stoppage and that its charter company could not accommodate a late-night departure. The team’s trip was pushed to Saturday afternoon.

Oklahoma wanted the game played Saturday, even if kickoff had to be moved to the evening. During several calls with Ole Miss and the conference Friday night, the Sooners objected to postponing the game. Athletic director Roger Denny said SEC commissioner Greg Sankey ultimately told Oklahoma the game would be moved to Sunday.

Denny said the conference had also warned that Oklahoma would forfeit if it did not play at the newly scheduled time. He criticized the decision, saying it would disrupt plans made by fans who had arranged travel and accommodations for a Saturday game.

Other teams, including Texas and Tennessee, reached their destinations Friday night, raising questions among Oklahoma supporters about why Ole Miss could not do the same. Still, the comparison does not necessarily mean the Rebels had another viable option; charter arrangements and crew availability can vary.

Denny acknowledged that difficult calls sometimes have to be made in unusual circumstances, but said the outcome was unfair to Oklahoma’s players, school and fans. He added that the Sooners would play as directed while continuing to believe the conference had made the wrong decision.

The disruption came during an already unusual travel weekend. Texas reached Baton Rouge for its game against LSU, while Tennessee made it to College Station. Other teams were expected to travel Saturday morning and play later that day, as Ole Miss awaited its departure from Oxford.