SEC releases statement on FAA nationwide ground stop, addresses potential impact on Week 11 games

In a statement Friday evening, the SEC said it is monitoring the latest on the FAA’s nationwide ground stop and how it could impact Week 11 games. The conference said it is in close contact with schools amid the stoppage. Friday’s ground stop is impacting a number of college football teams who were planning to fly out for Saturday’s games. On3 is tracking the programs affected and who has changed plans to make it to their respective games. $39.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage Three SEC programs – Texas, Tennessee and Ole Miss – are grounded as of 6:40 p.m. ET Friday. In the meantime, the SEC said it is maintaining communication with schools about the disruptions and possible next steps. “The Southeastern Conference is aware of the FAA’s nationwide ground stop and the potential impact on team travel for this weekend’s competitions,” the statement read. “We are in close communication with our member institutions to assess potential disruptions and coordinate appropriate responses. “The safety and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, and team personnel remain our highest priority. We will continue to monitor developments and work with our institutions to determine whether any adjustments to scheduled competitions become necessary.” The FAA issued the ground stop at 3:54 p.m. ET due to a communication issue, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said via social media. The issue impacted all Air Route Traffic Control centers and the FAS was investigating it. The FAA said in an advisory that the order was “due to extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” The advisory also said “all departing traffic should remain ground stopped until further notice” and inbound international flights would “be managed on a case by case basis.” No other information was included in the alert. Friday’s nationwide ground stop is only the second one ordered by the FAA since Sept. 11, 2001, according to ABC News. It’s the first time since 2023 when the FAA’s NOTAM system went down, which meant pilots could not fill out their required pre-departure paperwork. Additionally, prior to the nationwide order, a ground stop was issued at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport due to an outage. That order came down at approx. 3:10 p.m. ET, roughly an hour before the nationwide ground stop went into effect.