Missouri made it to Athens before Friday’s nationwide flight halt, keeping the Tigers’ trip to face Georgia on track despite a day when air travel across the country was thrown into chaos.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon, freezing all flights for the time being. By 6:40 p.m.
ET, USA Today reported more than 10,000 flights had been delayed and more than 3,000 canceled. In its statement, the FAA said the ground stops were in place because of “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety,” adding that “all departing traffic should remain grounded until further notice.”
For Missouri, though, the timing worked out. The team’s X account posted that the Tigers had already arrived in Athens before the stop went into effect.
Arrived in Athens. #FlyCOU pic.twitter.com/sxzPoChJdd
There was also encouraging news on the game operations side. On3’s Pete Nakos reported that all SEC officiating crews, including the one assigned to Mizzou vs.
Georgia, were already on their respective campuses. An ESPN spokesperson confirmed the broadcast crew had also arrived for the game.
Around the country, other programs were still sorting out travel plans. Some teams were looking at buses, others were simply waiting, and some were exploring delayed kickoffs. Ross Dellenger reported that schools were in talks with media partners about possibly swapping time slots and kickoff windows with other games.
The matchup itself carries major weight for Missouri. No.
22 Missouri enters Saturday at 6-3 overall and 3-3 in SEC play, while No. 1 Georgia is 8-1 and 6-1.
The Tigers are coming off a 34-20 loss to No. 6 Texas, a game that was heavily discussed because of controversial officiating and replay-review handling.
Georgia, meanwhile, rolled past No. 19 Ole Miss 42-7 in Oxford, Mississippi.
The game is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff at Sanford Stadium in Athens, with streaming and television information available for fans to follow, though those details could still change.
Missouri On SI is traveling to Athens and plans to be on-site for the game. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Mizzou Heads To Georgia With Almost No Margin For Error
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The rest of the league card only adds to the stakes, with Auburn at Mississippi State, Alabama at Vanderbilt, Tennessee at Texas A&M, Ole Miss at Oklahoma and Florida at Kentucky all carrying their own implications for the SEC race and the weekly picks competition around the conference. For Missouri, though, the focus is narrower and more immediate: a road trip to one of the leagues toughest settings, where the margin for error is thin and the outcome could shape how the Tigers are viewed the rest of the way. [Read more 🡒]