HOUSTON– THE Tennessee The football team remains in Knoxville Friday evening after flying to Saturday’s game at Texas A&M was grounded when the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide shutdown that halted all departing flights across the country.
The eighth-ranked Flights were scheduled to depart McGhee Tyson Airport at 4 p.m. ET, between five and 10 minutes after the FAA issued a ground stop “due to extraordinary circumstances and for safety reasons.” he said in a statement. According to CNN, this is the first nationwide ground stop since January 2023.
“The @FAAnews has conducted a nationwide ground shutdown for all U.S. airports following a communications issue affecting all air traffic control centers. FAA technicians are investigating the issue. We will provide immediate updates as soon as we have them,” US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shared a message on on Friday afternoon.
Multiple sources told GoVols247 that the Tennessee team was on the plane on the tarmac for about two hours waiting for what happened next, but Bill MartinSenior Associate Director of Strategic Sports Communications for Tennessee Football, shared on at 6:01 p.m. ET, the Vols were returning to Anderson Training Center for dinner and “will await further instructions.”
“The Southeastern Conference is aware of the FAA National Stage and the potential impact on team travel for this weekend’s competitions,” the SEC said in a statement.
“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 staff remains our highest priority.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and work with our institutions to determine whether adjustments to scheduled competitions are necessary. »
This is the longest road trip this season for the Vols, who previously played Georgia Tech, Arkansas And South Carolina and last played at Texas A&M ten years ago in 2016.
“There has been a temporary telecommunications outage – as an abundance of caution, all flights have been halted. Every flight has been accounted for and international flights will be handled on a case-by-case basis,” the FAA published on at 5:02 p.m. ET.
Several other college football teams are in similar situations, according to reports.
“A ground stop is an order issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that requires aircraft to remain on the ground and prohibits them from taking off. » according to CNN. “Airplanes already in flight are allowed to remain in the air. Some ground stops only cover certain types of aircraft or facilities, although the one released Friday covers all aircraft across the United States.”
Tennessee is scheduled to face Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station at 3 p.m. on ESPN on Saturday.
GoVols247 will share further updates as they become available.
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