A nationwide FAA ground stop has prevented several college football programs from traveling, potentially impacting upcoming matchups for teams including Texas and Baylor. The FAA attributed the ground stop to an equipment outage that caused communication problems for regional air traffic control centers.
The No. 6 Longhorns were among the programs unable to travel Friday night, according to a spokesperson. Their 6:30 p.m. game against No. 21 LSU in Baton Rouge, La., could be moved to Sunday or Monday, according to Horns 247.
Baylor was also grounded before reaching Provo, Utah, for its 2:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday against No. 10 BYU. A complication for the Bears is that BYU cannot play on Sunday because of religious restrictions.
Other programs facing uncertainty include TCU and Tennessee. A Kansas State spokesperson told The News around 5 p.m. Friday that TCU is currently grounded with no immediate plan in place. Discussions regarding the kickoff time for TCU's 1 p.m. Saturday game against Kansas State are ongoing.
Tennessee's senior associate athletic director for strategic communications, Bill Martin, stated on X that the team was scheduled to depart at 4 p.m. ET for College Station (CLL) but was returning to the facility for dinner to await further direction.
Some teams successfully arrived before the ground stop was issued. No. 12 Texas Tech arrived in Stillwater, Okla., for its matchup against No. 25 Oklahoma State, and SMU's opponent, No. 13 Wake Forest, arrived in Dallas ahead of time.
North Texas is taking a bus to UTSA after its flight was grounded, according to a UNT spokesperson. Additionally, a flyover scheduled for Saturday's game at Gerald J. Ford Stadium has been canceled, according to SMU.
The FAA stated the ground stop was being imposed due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety. Beyond team travel, the availability of officiating crews remains a complicating factor as they attempt to reach their destinations.
The impact of the ground stop may extend to professional sports, as the Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks, and Stars are all scheduled to play this weekend.
