The Federal Aviation Administration grounded flights nationwide for several hours, throwing athletic travel into chaos on Friday, November 14, 2026, as NBA, NHL, and college football teams scrambled to reach their weekend destinations.
Transportation officials cited extraordinary circumstances caused by communications issues at regional air traffic control centers for the nationwide suspension, as reported by the Los Angeles Times en Español. The disruption forced professional sports franchises to secure emergency hotel rooms, alter game times, and charter buses.
“We are going to allow general aviation, those larger movements, to take place as a priority. Smaller movements will have lower priority,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy after the suspension lifted on Friday evening in Washington.
Travel Complications Postpone Mississippi Football Game at Oklahoma
Mississippi’s nineteenth-ranked football game at Oklahoma was postponed from Saturday to Sunday at 1 p.m. Central time due to travel complications. Most collegiate football programs playing on Saturdays typically travel the day before, leaving powerhouse programs paralyzed during departure windows.
Affected institutions included second-ranked Utah, eighth-ranked Texas, and ninth-ranked Tennessee. The Utes were slated to play Arizona, the Longhorns visited Louisiana State, and the Volunteers traveled to face Texas A&M.
“The Southeastern Conference is aware of the FAA’s nationwide suspension and the potential impact on team travel,” the league indicated in a statement.
“The safety and health of student-athletes, coaches, and team personnel remain our top priority,” the conference added.
Texas and Tennessee initially returned to their campuses during the grounding. Once the FAA lifted the order after more than four hours of uncertainty, both schools scrambled to secure flights to arrive before kickoff.
Auburn chose to take a bus to Mississippi State, prompting the SEC to push back kickoff from noon Eastern time to 4:15 p.m. to give the Tigers extra buffer time. Purdue similarly boarded buses from West Lafayette, Indiana, for an away game against Iowa.
Adjusted Start Times Across Major Conferences
The Big 12 announced on Friday evening that the Kansas-West Virginia matchup, originally set for 5:30 p.m. Eastern, would move up to 3:30 p.m. because the Jayhawks arrived with sufficient time.
That adjustment allowed the conference to shift the Arizona State-UCF game from 2:30 p.m. Eastern to 5:30 p.m., granting the Sun Devils a three-hour cushion after their flight from Arizona to Florida faced severe delays.
| Team | Opponent | Original Plan / Disruption | Resolution / Adjusted Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utah (2) | Arizona (22) | Paralyzed during departure window | Flew out following FAA clearance |
| Texas (8) | LSU (24) | Returned to campus during ground stop | Rescheduled flights post-suspension |
| Tennessee (9) | Texas A&M | Returned to campus during ground stop | Rescheduled flights post-suspension |
| Auburn | Mississippi State | Flight disruption | Took team bus; kickoff moved to 4:15 p.m. ET |
| Purdue | Iowa | Flight disruption | Boarded buses from West Lafayette |
| Kansas | West Virginia | Arrived early | Game moved up to 3:30 p.m. ET |
| Arizona State | UCF | Flight delayed from Arizona | Game moved to 5:30 p.m. ET |
| Washington | Michigan State | Flight grounded; returned to campus | Flew late Friday; kickoff delayed 75 minutes |
Washington spokesperson Kurt Svoboda said that the Huskies returned to campus when their flight was halted, though officials maintained steady contact with Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines while flight crews stayed in place. Washington ultimately flew late Friday for their Saturday matchup at Michigan State, which kicked off 75 minutes later than originally planned.
Other schools caught in the airspace shutdown included Baylor, Washington, Kansas State, Minnesota, and Arizona State.
Professional Leagues Adapt to Airspace Paralysis
In the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers played in Miami on Friday night but delayed their return flight until Saturday morning, aiming to land roughly eight hours before hosting the Dallas Mavericks. NBA teams almost exclusively avoid flying on game days.
Cleveland hurried to rebook Miami hotel rooms after checking out earlier that day.
“It’s part of this. You simply adapt,” expressed Atkinson.
Meanwhile, the United States national soccer team’s match against Haiti on Saturday in Miami avoided any disruption from the ground stop. Both squads and the referee crew had already arrived in South Florida for the opening leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal series.
The Big Ten confirmed that all of its assigned game officials successfully arrived for Saturday commitments despite the nationwide aviation halt.
