Nationwide Ground Stop Cancels Thousands of Flights, Scrambling Teams Before Weekend Games
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 14
Nationwide Ground Stop Cancels Thousands of Flights, Scrambling Teams Before Weekend Games
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 14
Summary
Thousands of flight cancellations upended travel for pro and college teams Friday, leaving the Brooklyn Nets and Texas Longhorns stranded ahead of weekend games even after the nationwide ground stop was lifted.
Markwayne Mullin said technology upgrades overwhelmed the flight communication system, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy urged college football teams to coordinate with the FAA to keep Saturday games on schedule.
A few teams switched to buses instead — including Purdue for a 330-mile trip to Iowa — while UNC Greensboro's game at Cornell was postponed and USC women's basketball delayed travel to Sunday opponent South Carolina.
The disruption had not yet hit any high-profile games, and five NFL teams said their Sunday travel plans were unaffected, but the NWSL semifinals faced added risk after the Kansas City Current's flight to New York was affected.