Baylor’s trip to BYU is suddenly hanging in the balance after the nationwide FAA grounding of flights created travel problems for multiple college football teams on Friday.
The Bears are set to face BYU in Provo, Utah, at 2:30 p.m. CT, but that schedule could get blown up if Baylor can’t get out tonight. According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Baylor has already returned to campus, and the earliest it could leave for Utah would be Saturday morning.
That creates a real timing issue for a game that already has a tight window. If Baylor can’t make the trip in time for the original kickoff, one option would be pushing the game later on Saturday. Arizona State and UCF are dealing with a similar situation, and they’re reportedly looking at a later start as well.
A Sunday makeup game would be the obvious backup in a normal season, but BYU’s agreement says the program does not play on Sundays. That was written and signed off on years ago when BYU joined the Big 12, so a Sunday solution appears highly unlikely.
If the game gets pushed to Monday, the ripple effect gets even bigger. Baylor would have to juggle its routine at a critical point in the season, and the Bears would then turn around to host Texas Tech in Waco next week. That would leave them with only about four days to reset before facing another CFP top 15 team.
For now, the biggest obstacle is simple: the flights aren’t going anywhere, and Baylor’s schedule is at the mercy of that ground stop. A later Saturday kickoff remains the most realistic path if the teams can make it work.
In Other News...
Baylors Coaching Search Just Got More Complicated At The Worst Time
Baylors coaching search is moving in the background at a moment when the on-field picture has become a lot more interesting. Under interim head coach Joe Klanderman, the Bears have won their last two games and stayed alive in the Big 12 Championship race, giving the program a jolt of momentum after Dave Aranda was fired. Even with the season still in front of them, the process is already taking shape, and it is beginning to look like a search with more layers than a simple interim-to-full-time handoff.
Reports say Baylor is expected to interview Robert Griffin III for the job, while Jeff Traylor and Zach Kittley are also among the names in the mix. Klanderman has made clear he would like the permanent role, but he is not actively pushing his case during the season, which leaves the Bears balancing competitive urgency with a decision that could define the programs next chapter. For a team still playing meaningful football, that kind of uncertainty can linger a little longer than anyone would prefer. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Coaching Search Just Turned Into A Debate Fans Will Feel
Baylors coaching search is moving into a familiar and potentially emotional direction, with the school expected to interview Robert Griffin III for its vacant head football coach job after firing Dave Aranda. Griffin is one of the most recognizable figures in program history, a former Bears quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, and his name alone gives the search an immediate jolt of nostalgia and intrigue.
The appeal is obvious, but so is the question mark. Griffin has no collegiate coaching experience, though he does work as a college football analyst and has coached a seven-on-seven team, which at least gives Baylor a chance to hear how he sees the job and the programs next step. The university is aiming to make a decision by late November, so the conversation around this hire figures to move quickly and carry plenty of weight with fans who remember what Griffin meant in green and gold. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Has A Real Shot At BYU If One Thing Finally Clicks
Baylor heads into the BYU matchup with a chance to make the game more about its defense than the Cougars recent reputation, and that is a place the Bears have started to feel more comfortable. Under Klanderman, the group has shown more energy and confidence, and that matters against a BYU team that has not looked nearly as sharp since its marquee win. If Baylor can lean into that edge on defense, it can keep the game within reach long enough to matter late.
The bigger question is whether Baylor can finally put together the kind of offensive stretch it will likely need if it has to come from behind. BYUs recent struggles have opened a door, but the Bears still have to walk through it with cleaner execution and enough balance to avoid letting the game slip away early. For Baylor, this is less about style points than finding the one thing that has been missing and making it show up at the right time. [Read more 🡒]