Oklahoma will now host Ole Miss on Sunday, and the Sooners are not happy about it.
The conference moved the matchup to noon CT Sunday, Nov. 15, at Gaylord Family–Oklahoma Memorial Stadium after Friday’s nationwide FAA ground stop disrupted Ole Miss’ travel. The game originally was scheduled for 3:15 p.m. CT Saturday.
In a statement posted on X, Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny acknowledged the disruption facing teams across the country but also said Ole Miss wasn’t making its best effort to make it happen.
“We recognize the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the ground stoppage and understand the challenges it created for teams across the country. As soon as we learned of Ole Miss’ travel issues, we immediately began communicating with their staff and our conference leadership.
“We were told that Ole Miss explored every avenue to travel to Norman and play on Saturday as planned. But, unlike every other team traveling for competition tomorrow, they were unable to find a solution.”
Denny said the discussions with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey ended with an ultimatum.
“After multiple conversations with the league office, Commissioner Sankey informed us of his decision to move our game to Sunday, over our strong objection,” Denny said. “After continued discussions, he further informed us that our failure to play on Sunday at the directed time would result in a forfeit.
“Rescheduling the game has a significant impact, particularly on our fans. Those who have made travel arrangements, accommodations, and personal plans around a Saturday game now face unnecessary disruption and hardship. Their time, commitment, and investment deserve greater consideration than they were afforded in the conference’s decision tonight.”
Denny accepted that the circumstances required a difficult decision but disputed the outcome.
“I understand that difficult decisions sometimes must be made under extraordinary circumstances. But those decisions must also consider the impact on everyone involved. Put simply, this decision isn’t fair to our athletes, our institution, or to Sooner Nation,” Denny said. “But we’ve been given no other choice. We are obligated to play the game when directed, but we remain steadfast in our belief that the wrong outcome was reached this evening.”
SEC Explains Why Ole Miss Could Not Travel
The SEC attributed the delay to the availability of Ole Miss’ charter after the FAA lifted its restrictions Friday night.
According to the conference announcement, the charter company could not accommodate a late departure, pushing the Rebels’ trip to Saturday afternoon.
Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported that charter and pilot issues prevented Ole Miss from leaving until after 4 p.m. local time Saturday. That would put its departure after the original kickoff.
Before announcing the postponement, the SEC had issued an initial statement Friday acknowledging that the FAA’s nationwide ground stop could affect travel for the weekend’s competitions. The league said it was communicating with member schools to evaluate disruptions and coordinate a response, with the safety of athletes, coaches and team personnel taking priority.
Other SEC teams also scrambled to reach their destinations. The Associated Press reported that Texas and Tennessee began arranging departures after the ground stop ended. Auburn switched to buses for its trip to Mississippi State.
Oklahoma Faces Disruption Before Key Home Stretch
On the field, Oklahoma enters at 5-4 overall and 3-3 in SEC play. The Sooners are coming off a win at Florida but have alternated wins and losses throughout the season.
Ole Miss is 6-3 overall and 4-3 in conference play, ranked No. 19 in the AP poll. Oklahoma has lost all three previous meetings with the Rebels, including a 34-26 defeat in Norman last season.
The postponement also leaves Oklahoma one fewer day between games before hosting Texas A&M on Nov. 21. The Sooners then close the regular season at Missouri.
Oklahoma Calls Out Ole Miss, SEC After Game Moves to Sunday