Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns’ trip to Baton Rouge took an unexpected turn Friday after a nationwide aviation ground stop disrupted their travel plans. The team had boarded a charter flight in Austin for the roughly 90-minute journey to Louisiana, but the flight did not depart. Instead, players and staff were forced off the plane and returned to campus.
With Saturday’s Texas-LSU game approaching, the Longhorns were left waiting to learn whether air travel would resume in time. If the delay continued, they could have to make the 432-mile trip by bus. The drive from Austin to Baton Rouge via Interstate 10 is estimated to take about six hours and 29 minutes.
The situation also affected ESPN’s plans for the game. Sideline reporter Holly Rowe was among those caught up in the disruption, and Kirk Herbstreit was assigned to the ABC broadcast. Rowe shared a map showing the route between Austin and Baton Rouge and joked that the drive was “not too bad if worse comes to worst.” Her comment offered a light moment during a difficult travel situation, but the possibility of a lengthy road journey remained real.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the nationwide ground stop at 3:54 p.m. ET Friday. Communication problems had disrupted operations at air traffic control centers across the country, prompting the FAA to pause departing flights while officials investigated. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the issue publicly.
The FAA cited safety concerns and “extraordinary circumstances” while offering limited additional detail. Departing aircraft were required to remain on the ground until further notice. International flights arriving in the United States were also affected, with officials saying each arrival would be handled individually.
This was not a disruption confined to one airport. The FAA halted flights nationwide, a measure it had taken only once before since the September 11 attacks: in January 2023. The broad scope of the order left teams, broadcasters and other travelers facing uncertainty about when their plans could proceed.
Texas had already reached the airport and boarded its charter before the ground stop changed the team’s plans. The No. 6 Longhorns returned to campus after being taken off the plane. An update later indicated that the team was back at the university and scheduled to be in Baton Rouge on Saturday night. At that point, the program still had to determine how it would complete the trip if flights did not resume.
The travel disruption posed a challenge for ESPN as well. Rowe was expected to report from the sideline, while Herbstreit was set to work the ABC broadcast. With the crew also affected by the ground stop, the network faced uncertainty about its travel arrangements and possible backup plans.
For Texas, getting to Baton Rouge was only one part of the challenge. The Longhorns were scheduled to play LSU at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ABC, with both teams still hoping to strengthen their cases in the College Football Playoff conversation. Texas entered the matchup with a 7-2 record, while LSU stood at 6-3.
The game also carried historical significance for the Longhorns. It was scheduled to be their first appearance at LSU’s Tiger Stadium since 1953. A planned visit in 2020 was canceled because of COVID, making the return to Baton Rouge a long-awaited one.
At the time the travel plans were disrupted, Texas was still waiting for clarity on when flights would resume. A bus trip remained a possible alternative if the delay continued, but the journey had not been confirmed as the team’s final plan. With kickoff approaching, the Longhorns had to balance travel uncertainty with preparation for a major road game.
The ground stop transformed what was expected to be a routine flight into a race against the clock. Whether by air or by road, the immediate priority for Manning and the Longhorns was reaching Baton Rouge in time to face LSU.
