‘This Decision Isn’t Fair’ — Roger Denny Refuses to Sugarcoat Things In Blunt Statement Against Greg Sankey and SEC for Moving Ole Miss-Oklahoma to Sunday

Colin D'Cunha Sat, November 14, 2026 at 11:07 AM UTC

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Sep 4, 2026; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners athletic director Roger Denny before the game against the UTEP Miners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. © Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Friday’s nationwide ground stop turned college football’s weekend travel into one giant game of musical chairs, and by the time the music stopped late Friday night, only one game had been bumped all the way to Sunday.

That game is No. 19 Ole Miss at Oklahoma, which the SEC decided to push from Saturday afternoon to Sunday at 1 p.m. ET after the Rebels were unable to get out of Oxford. Shortly after the conference made it official, Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny dropped a statement just after 1 a.m. ET Saturday opposing the move.

How Roger Denny Says the Sunday Decision Came Together

The Sooners will still take the field Sunday, and Denny spelled out where that leaves them. “We’ve been given no other choice. We are obligated to play the game when directed, but we remain steadfast in our belief that the wrong outcome was reached this evening.”

Denny began with the back-and-forth that followed Ole Miss’ travel trouble. “We recognize the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the ground stoppage and understand the challenges they created for teams across the country. As soon as we learned of Ole Miss’ travel issues, we immediately began communicating with their staff and our conference leadership.

“We were told that Ole Miss explored every avenue to travel to Norman and play on Saturday as planned. But, unlike every other team traveling for competition tomorrow, they were unable to find a solution.”

From there, the decision sat with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, and Denny detailed how Oklahoma’s talks with the league office ended. “After multiple conversations with the league office, Commissioner Sankey informed us of his decision to move our game to Sunday, over our strong objection. After continued discussions, he further informed us that our failure to play on Sunday at the directed time would result in a forfeit.”

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With the forfeit warning on the table, Denny made his position plain: “I understand that difficult decisions sometimes must be made under extraordinary circumstances. But those decisions must also consider the impact on everyone involved. Put simply, this decision isn’t fair to our athletes, our institution, or to Sooner Nation.”

Why the SEC Says Ole Miss Was Stuck in Oxford

The SEC’s announcement explained why the Rebels were still sitting in Mississippi. “The Ole Miss football team was unable to depart Oxford Friday night due to the FAA ground stoppage. After the stoppage was lifted, a late-night departure could not be accommodated by the charter company with which Ole Miss was contracted, and the team’s departure has been delayed until Saturday afternoon.”

With the Rebels not leaving until Saturday afternoon, the original 3:15 p.m. CT kickoff in Norman was effectively off the table.

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The stoppage ran more than four hours Friday before departures resumed that evening, and transportation officials traced it to communications trouble at regional air traffic control centers.

Elsewhere, schedules bent without breaking. Kickoffs for several games in multiple conferences moved around to account for late arrivals, with the stranded teams either heading out Saturday morning or getting away late Friday on a plane or a bus.

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What Denny Says the Sunday Move Costs Oklahoma Fans

Denny then turned from the timeline to what the move costs Oklahoma’s fans. “Rescheduling the game has a significant impact, particularly on our fans. Those who have made travel arrangements, accommodations, and personal plans around a Saturday game now face unnecessary disruption and hardship. Their time, commitment, and investment deserve greater consideration than they were afforded in the conference’s decision tonight.”

The new noon CT kickoff arrives almost 21 hours after the original 3:15 p.m. CT start.

He also vowed that Oklahoma will “continue to fight in the best interests of OU Athletics and always on behalf of our student-athletes and fans.”

Sunday Kickoff in Norman and a Short Week for Both Teams

The game is now set for 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 15, at Memorial Stadium, with the TV network still to be announced after the matchup had been slated for SEC Network on Saturday.

As for the football itself, Pro Football Network’s College Football Playoff Meter gives Ole Miss (6-3) a 54.5% chance to win, leaving Oklahoma (5-4) at 45.5%.

The Playoff Meter puts the Rebels’ playoff chances at 1.1%, a number that rises to 2.0% with a win and falls to 0% with a loss, while the Sooners sit at 0.1% to make the field and drop to 0% with a loss.

Neither team gets much time to catch its breath afterward. Oklahoma hosts Texas A&M on Nov. 21, six days after Sunday’s kickoff, while Ole Miss returns home that same day to face Wofford.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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Source: “AOL Sports”