A nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop disrupted air travel on Friday, leaving college football teams scrambling to reach their destinations ahead of Saturday’s games. Ohio State avoided a potential travel problem: Northwestern had landed in Columbus before flights were grounded, and the teams’ noon ET kickoff remained on schedule.
That gave the Buckeyes one less complication to manage. Both teams entered the matchup at 6-3 overall after consecutive losses, but Ohio State faced a more pressing concern than travel: another defeat could further damage its Big Ten title hopes.
## What caused the nationwide ground stop?
The FAA issued the ground stop at 3:54 p.m. ET after a telecommunications failure affected all 22 Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which help manage aircraft traveling between airports.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said outdated routers had become overloaded with data, creating inconsistencies in information moving through the system. Reports also indicated that an update to the communications network triggered a reboot and subsequent crash.
Because reliable communications are essential to air traffic safety, the FAA paused departing flights as a precaution. Federal officials said there was no indication of a cyberattack or other malicious activity.
The disruption lasted about five hours. The FAA reopened the airspace at 8:15 p.m. ET, but lifting the order did not immediately resolve the effects on airline operations. Flight tracking data recorded more than 10,000 delays and over 4,000 cancellations on Friday.
It was only the third nationwide ground stop since September 11, 2001. The first followed the terrorist attacks. The second occurred in January 2023, when the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions system failed.
## College teams faced travel uncertainty
The timing was especially difficult for college football programs. Teams commonly travel on Fridays to prepare for Saturday games and get adequate rest before kickoff. The ground stop left several programs uncertain about when they could depart, while the later resumption of flights still meant dealing with airline backlogs and aircraft repositioning.
Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Utah were among the programs affected. Auburn, Purdue and North Texas switched to buses, while other teams considered Saturday morning flights. Overnight travel and last-minute changes threatened to disrupt preparation, recovery time and pregame routines.
Some conferences adjusted kickoff times. Arizona State’s game against UCF moved to 5:30 p.m. ET, while Florida Atlantic’s matchup with Tulsa shifted to 7:15 p.m. ET. Auburn-Mississippi State and Tulane-Rice also received revised start times.
Officiating crews were another potential concern because referees often fly to their assignments the day before games. The Big Ten confirmed that officials for all eight of its Saturday matchups had already arrived, avoiding an additional scheduling problem.
The disruption was not the first time aviation restrictions had affected college football on a large scale. After the September 11 attacks, dozens of games were postponed or canceled amid flight restrictions and national security concerns. Ohio State’s game against San Diego State was moved to October 20, while Northwestern’s matchup with Navy was canceled. Hawaii also postponed its game against Nevada after United Airlines could not guarantee flight operations.
Northwestern had already reached Columbus before Friday’s nationwide ground stop. The Wildcats had also avoided an earlier equipment-related ground stop affecting Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports. With the team in town and Ohio State playing at home, the noon ET kickoff was unchanged.
## Both teams enter after consecutive losses
Ohio State arrived at the game with a 6-3 record overall and a 4-2 mark in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes had lost 30-18 to USC and 41-28 to Oregon, marking their first consecutive defeats since 2011.
Quarterback Julian Sayin was sidelined indefinitely, leaving freshman Luke Fahey preparing for his third start. Ohio State needed an offensive response after the losses dealt a serious blow to its conference championship hopes.
Northwestern was also looking to stop a slide. The Wildcats began the season 6-1 but then lost 34-26 to Oregon and 24-10 to Iowa. With quarterback Aidan Chiles sidelined, Nicco Marchiol was expected to start.
The game also brought together familiar coaching figures. Northwestern offensive coordinator Chip Kelly helped Ohio State win the 2024 national championship and was set to face Ryan Day, who considers Kelly a mentor.
Ohio State entered as an approximately two-touchdown favorite and was seeking to extend its 11-game winning streak against Northwestern. The Buckeyes’ remaining schedule included a trip to Nebraska on November 21 and a home game against Michigan on November 28, leaving little room for another setback.
## Conferences and teams worked through the disruption
During a Friday night briefing, Duffy addressed the travel challenges facing college football programs. He encouraged schools using charter flights to coordinate departure times with aviation authorities so teams could travel safely and games could proceed.
The SEC said the safety and well-being of student-athletes, coaches and team personnel were its highest priority. The Big 12 said it was evaluating possible schedule changes. TCU also acknowledged discussions about its kickoff against Kansas State after the Wildcats’ travel was disrupted.
The aviation problem affected professional sports as well. The Brooklyn Nets were grounded in New Orleans, while Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said his team was scrambling to secure hotel rooms ahead of its next game. NHL teams and women’s college basketball programs also faced uncertainty.
The travel disruption renewed questions about the demands of college football’s geographically scattered conferences. When air travel becomes unreliable, teams have fewer practical alternatives than they might have with more regional schedules.
For Ohio State and Northwestern, the immediate travel concern had passed before kickoff. The Buckeyes’ larger challenge remained: ending their two-game losing streak and keeping their Big Ten title hopes alive.
