Friday the 13th lived up to its billing for college football teams trying to get to their Week 11 games.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon. It cited communications problems at regional air traffic control centers, and it was the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023.
Several Power 4 programs were stuck on the ground as a result, and multiple ranked matchups on Saturday’s slate could be affected, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The FAA said the order was issued “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” Moreover, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X that the order came after a communication issue affected all Air Route Traffic Control Centers.
“FAA technicians are investigating the issue,” Duffy added.
FAA Ground Stop Leaves College Football Teams Stranded
The list of teams that hadn’t made it to their destinations on Friday was a long one.
In the Big 12, Baylor, Kansas State, Utah, and Arizona State were delayed. The SEC had Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas waiting, while Minnesota and Washington were stuck in the Big Ten.
Oregon State hadn’t left for Boise State, and Wyoming was on a grounded flight, per ESPN.
However, the ACC got lucky. All of its visiting teams had reached their destinations before the stop went into effect.
But some programs didn’t wait around.
Purdue switched to buses for its trip to Iowa City after its flight was delayed. Auburn is busing to Mississippi State, and North Texas is doing the same for its trip to UTSA. Alabama also switched to driving to Nashville for its game against Vanderbilt instead of flying, according to USA Today.
Arizona State got off its plane and went home to rest. The Sun Devils plan to fly to Orlando on Saturday morning for their 3:30 p.m. ET game at UCF.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart summed up the chaos on “The Paul Finebaum Show.”
“The text thread is popping,” Smart said.
Additionally, Smart pointed out that regional conferences could make driving to games possible for some teams.
Which College Football Games Could Be Affected?
The biggest question is what happens to Saturday’s ranked matchups. Thamel listed five games that could be affected:
- No. 8 Tennessee at Texas A&M (3 p.m. ET)
- No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 22 Missouri (3:30 p.m. ET)
- No. 24 Boise State vs. Oregon State (6 p.m. ET)
No. 6 Texas at No. 21 LSU (7:30 p.m. ET) - No. 2 Utah at No. 23 Arizona (7:30 p.m. ET)
Missouri had already arrived in Athens, but Georgia has assistant coaches stranded on recruiting trips.
It’s not just the players and coaches either. Officials usually fly in the day before games. A Big Ten spokesman told ESPN that all of the officials for the conference’s eight games on Saturday were already on site. Some officials for ACC games are grounded, but the league can work with seven-man crews if needed.
There’s some good news. Around 6 p.m. ET, the FAA said flights would be allowed to depart as en route traffic facilities recover. That could open the door for stranded teams to get out late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Several College Football Games Are in Jeopardy After FAA’s Ground Stop Order