FAA Ground Stop Forces UNLV to Consider Bus Ride to New Mexico

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide grounding of all flights on Friday, disrupting travel plans for professional and collegiate athletic teams across the country.

The agency cited extraordinary circumstances and safety reasons for the directive. As of 3 p.m. Friday, UNLV football officials were weighing the option of driving by bus to Albuquerque for their Saturday matchup against the University of New Mexico.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy identified a communications issue affecting 22 regional air traffic control centers as the root cause. He stated that FAA technicians were actively investigating the problem.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin addressed the public on Friday, saying there was no reason to be concerned about loved ones currently in the air.

The stoppage impacted a wide range of teams. No. 2 Utah, eighth-ranked Texas, and No. 9 Tennessee were among the college football programs left at a standstill while attempting to depart for road games. The Longhorns posted a video of players boarding their plane before the halt, and a bus ride to Baton Rouge for their Saturday game would take approximately seven hours.

Other affected football schools included No. 19 Ole Miss, Baylor, Kansas State, Washington, and Minnesota. Some teams, including Missouri, Duke, and No. 10 Texas Tech, managed to take off before the order took effect. In the NBA, the New York Knicks were halted in New Orleans while the Detroit Pistons had already arrived in Miami. The NHL also saw delays, with the San Jose Sharks waiting to depart for a game in Utah.

The FAA did not provide a specific timeline for resuming flights. This uncertainty affects the NFL Week 10 schedule and other college sporting events planned for the coming days.