The FAA’s nationwide flight grounding has created an unexpected twist for Purdue’s trip to Iowa City, but the Boilermakers are still on track to make it there for Saturday night’s game against Iowa.
What was supposed to be a short flight from West Lafayette to Cedar Rapids turned into a bus ride after Purdue deplaned, according to Scott Dochterman of The Athletic. From there, the Boilermakers will head to Iowa City the old-fashioned way for the Big Ten matchup at Kinnick Stadium.
That change is inconvenient, but it does not appear to threaten the game itself. The drive from West Lafayette, Indiana, to Iowa City, Iowa, is a little more than five hours, which means Purdue should arrive well before midnight.
The timing also works in the game’s favor. With kickoff set for 6:30 p.m.
CT, there does not seem to be any reason to move the start time or alter Purdue’s pregame routine in any major way. The biggest adjustment may simply be a later start to the usual buildup, with players potentially getting a little extra sleep before the trip to the stadium.
If this were an 11 a.m. CT kickoff, or even a 2:30 p.m.
CT start, the situation might look different. In fact, some early games around the country could still be pushed back if teams are dealing with similar travel problems.
For Purdue, though, the path to Iowa City is clear now: no plane, just buses and a longer ride into Saturday night.
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