Ole Miss Explains Why Oklahoma Game Was Moved to Sunday

The Ole Miss Rebels have provided an explanation for why their upcoming game against Oklahoma is set to be played on Sunday rather than Saturday. In a statement released on Saturday evening, the school detailed the difficulties it encountered during the nationwide FAA ground stop on Friday. The Rebels highlighted the lack of options available to them, contrasting their situation with other teams that had the ability to fly on Friday or travel via bus.

Ole Miss stated that while they initially aimed to play the game on Saturday after receiving clearance, the ground stop prevented them from rescreening players and meeting the required duty time restrictions for the flight crew. Consequently, they were unable to secure alternative flight options and found it impossible to arrange a lengthy bus trip for their student-athletes.

The game against Oklahoma will now take place on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. Oklahoma's athletic director, Roger Denny, expressed criticism towards Ole Miss, stating that the school had not had the same advantages as other SEC teams with access to Friday charters or a shorter bus trip. Denny questioned the league's ability to find a solution, expressing concern over the pressure they faced to accommodate the game schedule during the ground stop.

The incident resulted in nine games being postponed due to the nationwide ground stop, with the FAA attributing the issue to communication problems affecting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers.