A nationwide FAA ground stop grounded departing flights across the country on Friday, forcing several college football teams to scramble for alternate ways to reach their Week 11 games. Purdue and Auburn both turned to buses rather than wait out the disruption, while programs including Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona State and Kansas State were left searching for solutions hours before kickoff weekend.
The Federal Aviation Administration cited “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety” in halting departures nationwide, according to the agency’s notice. It marked the first nationwide ground stop since a January 2023 computer malfunction grounded flights across the country. A communications issue affected 22 regional air traffic control centers that direct planes between airports, according to ESPN. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said FAA technicians were investigating the problem.
Purdue And Auburn Opt For Buses
Purdue will bus to Iowa City rather than fly, according to sources who spoke with CBS Sports and ESPN. The Boilermakers are set to play at No. 15 Iowa on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. Auburn made a similar call after its flight was delayed, choosing to bus to Mississippi State for its game.
Those decisions reflect the broader calculation facing programs across the country Friday: wait indefinitely for the ground stop to lift, or commit to a long overland trip with no certainty flights would resume in time regardless.
Minnesota, Tennessee And Texas Face Deadlines
Minnesota was grounded ahead of its game at Penn State, but the Gophers have some cushion. Their matchup kicks off Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, a night slot that Yahoo Sports noted gives the program more time to arrange alternative transportation than teams playing earlier in the day.
Tennessee was preparing to depart at 4 p.m. ET for one of its longest road trips of the season, a game at Texas A&M scheduled for 3 p.m. ET Saturday.
Texas, meanwhile, had already posted video of players boarding their plane before the stoppage hit, according to Fox Sports. The Longhorns play at No. 21 LSU on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Baton Rouge, and Fox Sports reported a bus trip to that site would take roughly seven hours for the 6:30 p.m.
CT kickoff if it came to that.
Cross-Country Trips And Tarmac Delays Add Pressure
No program faced a tougher geographic problem than Arizona State, stranded at the airport ahead of a trip of more than 2,000 miles from Tempe to Orlando for its game at UCF, set for 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday. Washington and Ole Miss were also caught by the stoppage. Ole Miss players were sent home and told to return to the airport at 7 p.m. local time, with ESPN reporting that pushing the Oklahoma game to Sunday remained on the table.
Oregon State had not yet left for its game at No. 24 Boise State as of Friday evening. North Texas chose to bus to San Antonio for its game against UTSA rather than wait on its flight. Wyoming, Baylor and Kansas State were all affected as well, with Kansas State reported stuck on the tarmac ahead of its game at TCU. A bus alternative for the Wildcats would run just over seven hours from Manhattan, Kansas to Dallas, according to CBS Sports.
Some Teams Beat The Stoppage
Not every program got caught. USC took off before the ground stop took effect, posting photos of players boarding around 2:30 p.m. ET Friday. The ACC confirmed all of its visiting teams reached their destinations before the stoppage began, and ESPN reported that Missouri, Duke and No. 10 Texas Tech all got off the ground in time for their trips to No. 1 Georgia, No. 5 Miami and Oklahoma State, respectively.
What Comes Next
The FAA has not given a timeline for resuming flights, according to Fox Sports, leaving the status of games beyond Saturday uncertain. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said there was no indication yet of nefarious acts behind the communications issue. Questions remain about player rest and whether any kickoffs will need to be adjusted for teams arriving late, including the possibility raised for Ole Miss of a Sunday game. Saturday’s full slate, including Purdue’s trip to Iowa, is still scheduled to proceed as planned.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
