FAA Ground Stop Forces College Hoops Postponements, Puts NFL’s Sunday Schedule on the Clock

Gary Adornato Sat, November 14, 2026 at 1:12 AM UTC

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USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

A nationwide flight halt grounded ranked college football teams and disrupted NBA and NHL travel. The NFL’s biggest test comes Saturday, when most visiting teams would ordinarily fly out.

The NFL has a problem coming, and the clock is ticking.

A nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop Friday afternoon has thrown the sports world into travel chaos, forcing college basketball postponements, stranding nationally ranked football teams and leaving NBA and NHL franchises scrambling to reach their next destinations.

But the biggest potential disruption may still be ahead.

With most NFL teams scheduled to travel Saturday for Sunday’s games, the league has a rapidly shrinking window to avoid what could become an unprecedented scheduling nightmare.

The reported widespread disruptions across professional and college sports after the FAA halted departures nationwide because of air traffic control communications problems.

The FAA ordered the ground stop Friday afternoon, allowing aircraft already in flight to land but preventing additional departures.

By Friday evening, two college basketball games had already been postponed, multiple football teams had been forced to change travel plans and the NFL had not announced any changes to its Sunday schedule.

That could change if the aviation crisis stretches into Saturday.

NFL’s Saturday Travel Window Could Determine Whether Sunday’s Games Are Played

The NFL has one significant advantage over college sports: Most teams don’t travel until the day before a game.

That gives the league some breathing room. But not much.

Under normal circumstances, NFL teams playing Sunday road games conduct their final walkthroughs Saturday morning, board charter flights during the afternoon and arrive at their destination with enough time for meetings, dinner and a full night’s rest.

The Green Bay Packers have previously detailed their typical game-week routine, which includes Saturday preparations before traveling to the opposing team’s city.

Unlike commercial passengers, NFL teams generally use private charter aircraft. That provides greater control over departure times, airport selection and scheduling.

However, a nationwide FAA ground stop affects charter flights, too.

And that’s where the situation could become complicated.

Even if the FAA lifts its restrictions Saturday morning, the nation’s aviation system could face a significant backlog of delayed aircraft, displaced crews and disrupted flight schedules.

NFL charters could receive scheduling flexibility, but they would still need clearance to depart.

The critical deadline may be Saturday afternoon.

If the ground stop ends early enough for teams to reach their destinations Saturday evening, the NFL could escape without changing a single kickoff.

But if aircraft remain grounded into Saturday night, the league may face some uncomfortable decisions.

Could a team fly Sunday morning and still play a 1 p.m. game?

Technically, perhaps, depending on the distance involved. Realistically, it would be an enormous logistical challenge.

Teams need time to unload equipment, transport players and personnel, complete medical treatments, conduct pregame preparations and warm up.

And the visiting teams aren’t the only concern.

NFL officials also travel to their assignments. A widespread aviation shutdown could leave officiating crews facing the same transportation problems as players and coaches.

The league has not publicly established a deadline for determining whether games would need to be delayed, but the longer the shutdown continues Saturday, the fewer realistic options remain.

Which NFL Games Are Most Vulnerable to the FAA Ground Stop?

Not every NFL matchup faces the same level of risk.

Some visiting teams could abandon their aircraft entirely and travel by bus. Others face distances that make ground transportation impractical.

According to the NFL’s official 2026 schedule, several Sunday matchups present very different logistical challenges.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals — 8:20 p.m. ET

This is one of the NFL’s more manageable situations.

Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are close enough for the Steelers to travel by bus, eliminating their dependence on air transportation.

The Sunday night kickoff provides additional flexibility.

Even if the FAA shutdown continues through Saturday, the Steelers could conceivably complete their normal preparations and travel by road.

Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals — 4:05 p.m. ET

The Rams also have a realistic ground transportation option.

A bus trip from the Los Angeles area to metropolitan Phoenix would be considerably longer than a flight, but it is manageable with advance planning.

The late-afternoon kickoff gives both teams additional flexibility.

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers — 1 p.m. ET

Minnesota could reach Green Bay by bus, making this another game that should be relatively insulated from prolonged flight restrictions. The earlier kickoff is a complication, however.

The Vikings would almost certainly prefer to make the trip Saturday rather than attempt a Sunday morning arrival.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets — 1 p.m. ET

Buffalo has a ground transportation alternative, although the bus trip to northern New Jersey would take several hours.

The Bills could preserve their normal overnight routine by leaving Saturday. Waiting until Sunday would introduce unnecessary risk.

The identified these four matchups as potential candidates for bus transportation, although no such arrangements had been confirmed Friday evening.

Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts — 1 p.m. ET

This is where the situation becomes more concerning.

Miami faces a long-distance trip to Indianapolis, making a last-minute bus ride an unattractive option. The early kickoff leaves little margin for a delayed arrival.

If the Dolphins cannot fly Saturday, the NFL may have to consider whether a Sunday morning charter could realistically get the team to Indianapolis in time. If not, a kickoff adjustment could become necessary.

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys — 4:25 p.m. ET

San Francisco faces another significant travel challenge.

A bus trip from Northern California to the Dallas area would be impractical as a last-minute replacement for a charter flight.

The 4:25 p.m. kickoff provides more flexibility than an early game, but that advantage disappears quickly if the ground stop continues into Sunday.

For teams facing long flights, the NFL’s ability to preserve its schedule could depend almost entirely on when air travel resumes.

Could the NFL Move Games to Monday?

If the FAA shutdown extends deep into Saturday or even Sunday, the league could face decisions that go beyond simply delaying kickoffs by a few hours.

Moving a Sunday afternoon game into Sunday night might provide enough time for a stranded team to arrive, but that would create additional complications involving stadium operations, television windows, security and staffing.

Monday could become another theoretical alternative.

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The NFL has demonstrated during previous emergencies that it can adjust games on short notice, although doing so is never simple.

Any postponement would also affect competitive preparation, recovery time and the following week’s schedule.

And moving one game doesn’t necessarily solve the larger problem if multiple teams remain stranded.

For now, these remain contingency scenarios rather than announced NFL plans.

The league’s best-case scenario is straightforward: Get the nation’s aircraft moving again before Saturday’s normal charter departures.

Anything beyond that could force increasingly difficult decisions.

Patriots-Lions Game in Germany Appears Safe From Travel Crisis

One NFL game appears to have avoided the most significant travel problem.

The New England Patriots and Detroit Lions are scheduled to meet Sunday in Munich, Germany, and both teams completed their transatlantic travel before Friday’s shutdown.

The Patriots confirmed their arrival in Germany, while the Lions reported departing Thursday evening.

That means the two teams are already where they need to be.

The game itself should be largely insulated from the immediate U.S. departure restrictions, although return travel could become complicated if aviation problems persist.

For the NFL, having both international participants already overseas is a fortunate break.

College Basketball Games Already Postponed as Travel Chaos Spreads

While the NFL still has time to react, college basketball is already feeling the consequences.

Two Saturday men’s basketball games have been postponed because teams could not reach their destinations.

UNC Greensboro’s scheduled visit to Cornell was called off after the Spartans were unable to depart Charlotte.

Air Force’s game at Pacific was also postponed.

According to Mid-Major Madness, additional programs were caught in the disruption.

Stonehill was stranded in Dallas while attempting to reach Texas Tech, and Idaho State encountered travel problems ahead of its game at Seattle University.

The women’s game is also being affected.

No. 3 USC was preparing to travel to face No. 1 South Carolina in one of the weekend’s most anticipated matchups. Instead, the Trojans were forced to leave their aircraft at Los Angeles International Airport and return to campus, according to the .

The game remained scheduled for Sunday as of Friday evening, but USC’s travel interruption raised questions about whether the highly anticipated showdown could proceed as planned.

Three Top-10 College Football Teams Caught in Travel Nightmare

College football faces an even more complicated situation because Saturday’s schedule includes games with significant conference championship and College Football Playoff implications.

Three nationally ranked teams encountered travel disruptions ahead of major road games:

No. 2 Utah at Arizona

No. 8 Texas at LSU

No. 9 Tennessee at Texas A&M

All three games remained scheduled for Saturday as of Friday evening.

Tennessee was forced to return to campus after its travel plans were disrupted.

Other SEC programs decided not to wait for the aviation system to recover.

Auburn switched to bus transportation for its trip to Mississippi State, while Purdue made similar arrangements to reach Iowa.

The Big 12 was also evaluating potential schedule changes.

Arizona State planned to fly to Orlando on Saturday morning for its matchup with UCF, according to Arizona Desert Swarm’s reporting on the conference’s travel disruptions.

The detailed the broader college football travel problems.

For teams competing for playoff positioning, the disruption introduces another concern.

Even if games proceed as scheduled, some teams could arrive significantly later than planned, potentially sacrificing rest, preparation time and established pregame routines.

That raises competitive questions beyond whether a game can physically be played.

NBA and NHL Teams Stranded With Games Approaching

Professional basketball and hockey have their own scheduling emergencies.

The Brooklyn Nets were already aboard their aircraft in New Orleans when their flight to Memphis was halted. Brooklyn is scheduled to face the Grizzlies on Saturday, leaving little time to complete the trip if flight restrictions continue.

The Cleveland Cavaliers faced a different dilemma.

After playing Friday night in Miami, Cleveland was attempting to determine whether it could return home for Saturday’s game against Dallas. The Cavaliers were exploring hotel availability in Miami in case their travel plans collapsed.

In the NHL, the San Jose Sharks were waiting to determine whether they could reach Utah for Saturday’s matchup.

All three games remained scheduled as of Friday evening, according to the .

Unlike the NFL, where most teams have several days between games, NBA and NHL clubs frequently operate on compressed schedules with little recovery time between contests.

That makes even a relatively brief aviation shutdown potentially disruptive.

The NFL Has Hours to Avoid a Much Bigger Problem

The immediate damage is already apparent.

College basketball games have been postponed. Major college football programs have been stranded. NBA and NHL teams are scrambling to find ways to keep their schedules intact.

But the NFL represents the biggest looming scheduling question.

The league has the resources to adjust charter departures, arrange alternate transportation and coordinate emergency travel plans.

What it doesn’t have is unlimited time.

If the FAA restores normal operations before Saturday afternoon, the NFL may get through the weekend with little more than inconvenience.

If the shutdown stretches into Saturday evening, long-distance visiting teams could face serious logistical problems.

And if flights remain grounded Sunday morning, the league could find itself confronting an extraordinary situation: multiple games potentially threatened by circumstances completely beyond its control.

For the NFL, Saturday isn’t just another travel day. It could determine whether Sunday’s schedule survives intact.

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Source: “AOL Sports”