A nationwide aviation stoppage caused by a telecommunications outage has left several athletic teams and travelers stranded across the United States, according to Yahoo Sports.
The Federal Aviation Administration order halted air travel on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, forcing significant logistical challenges for Michigan-based sports programs.
The Michigan State football team, currently in East Lansing, is preparing for a scheduled Saturday game against the Washington Huskies.
However, the contest remains in doubt because the visiting team has been unable to depart Seattle, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Rescheduling the matchup presents a difficult challenge for the Spartans, as the team is already set to travel to the West Coast early next week for a game against Oregon on Nov. 20.
Other regional programs are navigating the travel disruptions with varying success.
The University of Michigan football team successfully arrived in Eugene on Thursday ahead of their Saturday matchup against Oregon, avoiding the immediate impact of the grounding.
However, the Michigan men’s basketball team faces a looming hurdle as they prepare to host William & Mary, which is traveling from Virginia for a Sunday game.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions have avoided the current domestic travel crisis entirely.
The team is already stationed in Munich, Germany, where they are scheduled to host the New England Patriots at Allianz Arena on Sunday morning.
Fans have gathered in Germany for festivities leading up to the game, despite the travel chaos unfolding back in the United States.
The situation at Detroit Metropolitan Airport remains fluid as passengers and teams wait for the telecommunications outage to be resolved.
The broader impact on collegiate and professional sports schedules continues to be monitored by league officials as the nationwide plane stoppage persists across the country.
Authorities have not yet provided a definitive timeline for when normal flight operations will resume for the stranded teams and general travelers.