Your plans to watch college football this weekend could be derailed after a nationwide ground stop left some teams in limbo.
College football teams across the country that were planning to travel Friday for their weekend games were halted after the Federal Aviation Administration issued the ground stop late in the afternoon.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said there had been a “communication issue” impacting air traffic control centers. The ground stop was lifted at around 8:30 p.m. Eastern time.
At a press conference after the ground stop ended, Duffy was asked about the impact to traveling college football. He said “larger movements” would be prioritized, which could include college football teams that often travel on large charter planes.
“I would encourage those football teams to reach out to the FAA to schedule their flight times and make sure they can move to make sure we have games going off tomorrow,” he said.
Prior to the ground stop being lifted, several teams confirmed to Business Insider that they were grounded and still unsure of their travel plans, including the University of Texas and the University of Utah.
The Southeastern Conference said it was monitoring the situation and coordinating with teams to determine whether schedule changes are needed.
“The Southeastern Conference is aware of the FAA’s nationwide ground stop and the potential impact on team travel for this weekend’s competitions,” the league said in a statement. “We are in close communication with our member institutions to assess potential disruptions and coordinate appropriate responses.”
The Big 12 conference said in a statement that it was also considering changes to Saturday’s game schedule.
“The Conference will continue to monitor the travel disruptions alongside its member institutions and provide updates for Saturday’s games,” the league said.
The Texas Longhorns, who were set to travel from Austin to Baton Rouge for their Saturday game against Louisiana State, deplaned after the ground stop and headed back to campus.
A spokesperson for the team confirmed to Business Insider that the plane was grounded and that the team was waiting to see when it could leave.
The Utah Utes, which were supposed to play Arizona on Saturday, were grounded in Salt Lake City and returned to their football facility, a spokesperson said.
Kansas State was grounded and unable to take off Friday evening, a spokesperson said. The team is scheduled to play Texas Christian University on Saturday morning.
Baylor, which is set to play Brigham Young on Saturday, was also grounded, a team representative said.
Some teams have already made other plans. A spokesperson for Purdue University confirmed the team was traveling to Iowa City via bus Friday evening after its plane had been grounded earlier. The team is scheduled to play the Hawkeyes Saturday evening.
College football teams weren’t the only athletes left in limbo. College basketball, as well as NHL, NBA, and NFL games, could also be impacted.
The University of Southern California said its women’s basketball team was grounded in Los Angeles after the ground stop. The team is scheduled to play the University of South Carolina on Sunday morning.
