The Southeastern Conference confirmed that the college football matchup between Ole Miss and Oklahoma has been moved to Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
This decision follows a nationwide ground stop issued by the FAA on Friday, which created significant travel complications for multiple athletic programs across the country, according to Yahoo Sports.
Ole Miss was scheduled to depart Oxford on Friday for the road game but was unable to leave due to the federal flight restrictions.
Even after the FAA lifted the ground stop, the team’s charter company could not accommodate a late-night departure, forcing the trip to be delayed until Sunday, the outlets reported.
Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny expressed strong opposition to the change, noting that the school had contacted conference leadership immediately upon learning of the Rebels’ travel issues.
Denny stated that the decision places an undue burden on the university and its fanbase.
“Put simply, this decision isn’t fair to our athletes, our institution, or to Sooner Nation,” Denny said.
The athletic director further disclosed that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey informed Oklahoma that refusing to play at the newly directed Sunday time would result in a forfeit for the school.
The travel disruptions impacted other teams as well, including the Colorado State Rams, who were forced to hold a walkthrough on the tarmac at Northern Colorado Regional Airport while waiting for flight clearance to Pullman, as noted by The Big Lead.
While the SEC has solidified the new kickoff time for the Ole Miss and Oklahoma game, the television network for the broadcast has yet to be determined.
Oklahoma officials indicated that they plan to release additional information regarding game logistics and fan appreciation measures on Saturday.