The Southeastern Conference announced late Friday that the football game between No. 19 Mississippi and Oklahoma has been rescheduled for Sunday.
The decision follows a nationwide ground stop issued by the Federal Aviation Administration, which disrupted travel schedules across the country, according to AP News.
The SEC stated that the Ole Miss football team was unable to depart from Oxford on Friday night as originally planned.
The conference noted that once the flight stoppage was lifted, the charter company contracted by Mississippi could not accommodate a late-night departure, per Yahoo Sports.
The Rebels are now scheduled to travel on Saturday afternoon, and the kickoff has been moved to 1 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.
Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny publicly criticized the decision, which he stated was made by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey despite the university’s strong objection.
Denny claimed that the conference threatened Oklahoma with a forfeit if the institution did not agree to the schedule change, reported Yahoo Sports.
In a post on the social media platform X, Denny addressed the unique travel struggles faced by the visiting team.
“We were told that Ole Miss explored every avenue to travel to Norman and play on Saturday as planned,” Denny wrote.
He added that unlike other teams traveling for competition, the Rebels were unable to secure a viable transportation solution.
Denny further expressed concern regarding the impact on the fan base and the athletes involved.
“Put simply, this decision isn’t fair to our athletes, our institution or to Sooner nation,” the athletic director stated.
While acknowledging the difficulty of managing extraordinary circumstances, he maintained that the conference reached the wrong outcome.
The game was originally set for a 4:15 p.m. Eastern start before the logistical complications prompted the Sunday shift.