The University of Washington football team resumed travel to East Lansing on Friday evening after a nationwide FAA ground stop disrupted their flight plans.
The Huskies had been prepared to depart from Boeing Field on Friday afternoon for their Saturday game against Michigan State University when the Federal Aviation Administration issued the grounding.
Following the lifting of the order, the team returned to campus to await directives from the FAA and the Big Ten Conference, according to The Seattle Times. The team had been unable to depart on a scheduled 1:15 p.m. flight and spent nearly five hours in limbo.
KOMO reported that players and coaching staff loaded onto several team buses and departed campus by 6:30 p.m. Friday. Washington eventually departed for East Lansing at 10:25 p.m. EST on Friday, following a roughly six-hour delay. The Huskies are expected to arrive in Michigan at approximately 2:20 a.m.
Fans expressed a desperate need for a victory over the Spartans on Saturday. Noah Adam, a UW student, told KOMO that while the team is having a difficult season, the lack of practice time might actually be helpful. “Maybe they just get on the field and have a good day anyway,” Adam said.
The Washington-Michigan State game is moving to 5:30 p.m. ET Saturday, and will still be aired on BTN, according to a source. Originally was set for 4:15 p.m. ET. Washington making the late-night trip to Michigan following the FAA national ground stop.
Kickoff time moves to 5:30 p.m
The travel delay has resulted in a schedule change for the matchup at Spartan Stadium. While the game was originally slated for a 4:15 p.m. ET start, the kickoff has been pushed back to 5:30 p.m. EST, The State News reported. The game will remain on the Big Ten Network.
David Bassity, senior vice president of communications for the Big Ten Conference, confirmed the new time to The State News. Washington spokesperson Jeff Bechthold also confirmed the status of the game via email to the same outlet.
“No determination has been made regarding the kickoff time for Saturday’s game,” Bechthold said, adding that “The team had not yet boarded its plane before the FAA grounded all flights. We await word just like the rest of the country.”
Washington athletics spokesperson Kurt Svoboda also confirmed a 45-minute delay to The Detroit News on Friday. The Huskies (5-4, 2-4) face Michigan State (3-6, 1-6 Big Ten) on Saturday.
The ground stop was issued by the FAA due to “extraordinary circumstances,” according to KOMO.
Nationwide FAA disruption affects travel
The FAA’s decision to halt all departing traffic impacted several college football programs across the country. According to ESPN, Washington was one of 10 Power Four conference teams facing travel uncertainty. The Athletic also said that Ole Miss and Oregon State saw their travel impacted.
With the FAA lifting the nationwide ground stop, the @UW_Football team anticipates resuming travel to Michigan State this evening. No determination has been made regarding the kickoff time for Saturday’s game. We remain in communication with the Big Ten Conference and will…
The nationwide grounding was the third such event in U.S. history, following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and a computer system outage in January 2023, as noted by The Associated Press.
The FAA is currently investigating a communication issue impacting Air Route Traffic Control Centers. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin stated there is no indication yet that the telecommunications outage was caused by a cyberattack, according to FOX 13. Mullin also noted an investigation into whether the FAA’s recently implemented artificial intelligence system was involved in the issues.
In response to the travel issues, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy suggested that football teams contact the FAA to schedule flight times to ensure games proceed, according to KOMO.
“Michigan State is in contact with the Big Ten Conference and the University of Washington. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide relevant updates,” Michigan State athletics said in a Friday night statement, according to The Detroit News.
The @FAAnews issued a nationwide ground stop for all U. S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as we have them.
Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines broadcast might face delays
The ground stop may also affect the broadcast of the No. 16 Oregon Ducks game against the Michigan Wolverines. While the game is scheduled to proceed with a 12:30 p.m. PST kickoff at Autzen Stadium, the broadcast could be impacted. Michigan arrived in Eugene on Thursday and will not be affected by the grounding, though the delay could impact their ability to return home after the game.