The OU-Ole Miss Travel Mess: Why I Don’t Agree With Moving the Game

The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop on flights at 2:15 p.m. Central time Friday. The stoppage was lifted at 7:15 p.m. As a result, the Oklahoma-Ole Miss game was moved to Sunday at noon Central time.

But the decision to move the game raises some serious questions, and I don’t agree with how this situation was handled.

Ole Miss had ample opportunity to arrange buses and make the trip to Norman. Other schools were making arrangements to travel by bus, but Ole Miss chose not to take that option.

Then there’s the timeline. The FAA lifted the ground stop at 7:15 Friday evening. That provided another opportunity for Ole Miss to arrange air travel. We’re told the flight crew had already been sent home. But why was that the end of the discussion?

Why not bus the team approximately an hour and 15 minutes to Memphis and look at flying from there? Why not consider a bus trip to Tupelo? Were those options explored? Those are legitimate questions.

Instead, everyone was left waiting until after midnight before the announcement was finally made that the game would be moved to Sunday at noon.

I believe this decision was unfair to the Oklahoma fanbase, as well as Ole Miss fans who had already made the trip to Norman. Fans make travel plans, spend money, arrange time away from work, and look forward to these games. Moving a game at the last minute has consequences for those people, too.

There’s also the impact on the teams. Yes, both teams have to adjust their preparation and schedules by another day. But the timing of this game creates a bigger challenge for Oklahoma. The Sooners have Texas A&M waiting for them next weekend. Ole Miss also has a game next weekend, but its opponent is Wofford. Those are two very different challenges.

That doesn’t mean the Rebels won’t be affected by the schedule change. But Oklahoma now has a shorter window to prepare for a much bigger challenge next week.

At the end of the day, though, the Sooners aren’t going to make excuses. They’ll show up, play the game, and handle the circumstances in front of them.

Regardless of how we got here, Oklahoma still has a job to do Sunday at noon. The Sooners need to execute, take care of business, and come away with a win.

I can’t wait for kickoff.