The Florida Gators made it to Lexington in time.
That matters more than usual on a day when the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop because of “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” With all flights grounded indefinitely, plenty of teams were left stuck on the tarmac. Florida wasn’t one of them, landing in Lexington before the shutdown hit and keeping Saturday night’s game against Kentucky at Kroger Field on track.
Florida’s social media team posted the Gators arriving at Bluegrass Airport and stepping off a chartered Delta plane. Elsewhere around the country, other programs weren’t as fortunate.
Pete Nakos reported that No. 6 Texas, headed to LSU, No.
8 Tennessee, bound for Texas A&M, and No. 19 Ole Miss, traveling to Oklahoma, were among the teams grounded.
Texas and Tennessee both sit ahead of Kentucky in the current College Football Playoff rankings, and there was no immediate word on when the ground stop would be lifted, leaving the status of those games uncertain. On3 has been tracking which teams are grounded, which are in the air, and which have already landed.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the shutdown was “due to a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers” and added that FAA technicians are investigating the problem. It’s only the second nationwide ground stop since September 11, 2001.
The other came in 2023, when the FAA’s NOTAM system failed and pilots couldn’t complete required pre-departure paperwork. Roughly an hour before the nationwide stop, the FAA had already issued a ground stop at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway because of an equipment outage.
For now, Florida is in place and Kentucky’s game remains on the board. And either way, it’ll be Football Time in the Bluegrass tomorrow night.
No. 11 Kentucky vs. Florida: How to Watch, Listen
You can also follow along on the KSR LIVE BLOG, which will start a few hours before kickoff, and join the conversation on KSBoard.
Week 11 Top 25 & SEC Schedule
Kickoff (ET) Matchup TV/Streaming
12:00 PM Auburn at Mississippi State ESPN2
12:00 PM Duke at #7 Miami ABC
12:00 PM #13 Wake Forest at SMU ESPN, Disney+
12:00 PM Northwestern at #20 Ohio State Fox
12:45 PM #3 Alabama at Vanderbilt SEC Network
3:00 PM #8 Tennessee at Texas A&M ESPN
3:30 PM #22 Missouri at #1 Georgia ABC, Disney+
3:30 PM Boston College at #5 Notre Dame NBC
3:30 PM #18 USC at #9 Indiana CBS
3:30 PM Baylor at #10 BYU Fox
3:30 PM Michigan at #16 Oregon FS1
4:15 PM #19 Ole Miss at Oklahoma SEC Network
6:15 PM Florida at #11 Kentucky ESPN
6:00 PM Oregon State at #24 Boise State USA Network
7:30 PM #2 Utah at #23 Arizona Fox
7:30 PM #6 Texas at #21 LSU ABC
7:30 PM Purdue at #15 Iowa NBC
7:45 PM #17 South Carolina at Arkansas SEC Network
9:30 PM #12 Texas Tech at #25 Oklahoma State ESPN
In Other News...
Floridas Latest Availability Shift Could Matter For Kentucky Saturday
The SECs new weekly availability reports are already adding another layer to Saturdays Kentucky-Florida matchup, and Kentuckys side of the ledger stayed steady when the latest update came out. The Wildcats did not list any changes from the previous report, with several players still sidelined because of long-term injuries, so their preparation for the game in Gainesville remains centered more on who is available than on any late-breaking surprises.
Florida, though, made a notable adjustment by adding defensive back Dijon Johnson as doubtful, a development that could matter in a game where every healthy body in the secondary counts. The Gators already had multiple players sitting in the out, doubtful or questionable categories, so the latest shift only deepens the uncertainty around their roster heading into a matchup that could hinge on how much depth each side has left by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Gets An Early Test After Kansas Exposed A Real Concern
The Champions Classic served up an early reality check for Kentucky, and Mark Pope did not try to dress it up after No. 24 Kentuckys 89-69 loss to No. 15 Kansas. Zoom Diallo was the bright spot with 24 points, but the Wildcats spent much of the night chasing a Jayhawks team that exposed some issues Kentucky will have to clean up quickly if it wants to settle in early this season.
Northern Arizona brings the next chance to respond, and it arrives with its own bruises after a 90-59 loss to No. 12 Arizona. The Lumberjacks coach has stressed the need to keep confidence intact through a rough stretch, which makes this a useful early measuring stick for Kentucky as much as a tune-up. Pope called the Kansas game a learning experience, and now the Wildcats get a shot to show how fast that lesson can turn into progress. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Defense Faces An Uncomfortable Brad White Comparison
Kentuckys defense has become the kind of unit that invites comparison to the one Brad White built, and not always in flattering ways. Under Jay Bateman, the Wildcats have shown some of the same baseline sturdiness that defined Whites tenure, but the broader picture has been less steady when it comes to points allowed, total defense and the ability to create turnovers. The numbers are close enough to make the conversation unavoidable, especially for a program that has long leaned on defense as its identity.
The uncomfortable part is where the current group has been more vulnerable, particularly on third downs and against the pass, two areas that can expose even a respectable front seven. Kentuckys offense has also had to keep adjusting, including changes at quarterback, which only adds pressure on a defense that is being measured against a recent standard. For now, the comparison says as much about expectations as it does about performance, and it leaves the Wildcats trying to prove they can match the old formula without looking like a step behind it. [Read more 🡒]