Texas football team members boarded their chartered American Airlines plane on Friday afternoon, only to return to their facility when the Federal Aviation Administration halted all air travel because of a communication issue.
The nationwide ground stop briefly disrupted travel plans for the Longhorns ahead of their Saturday night game at LSU. The FAA later lifted the ground stop, and a Texas spokesperson confirmed around 9:15 p.m. to the Austin American-Statesman that the team was returning to the airport to fly to Baton Rouge that evening.
Texas and LSU are scheduled to meet at Tiger Stadium at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The matchup carries major implications for the 2026 College Football Playoff.
The Texas football team has returned to campus pic.twitter.com/7Y2KAirhOZ
Ranked No. 6 by the CFP committee in the 12-team field, Texas holds a 7-2 overall record and a 4-2 conference mark, giving the team some margin for error in the tournament race. LSU stands at 6-3 overall and 3-3 in conference play, likely needing a win against Texas to secure a playoff spot.
As of Friday evening, the Southeastern Conference had not altered the kickoff time for the Texas-LSU game. The conference previously pushed back the game between Auburn and Mississippi State after the Tigers experienced travel troubles.
The Southeastern Conference addressed the situation in a statement released earlier on Friday.
“The Southeastern Conference is aware of the FAA’s nationwide ground stop and the potential impact on team travel for this weekend’s competitions. We are in close communication with our member institutions to assess potential disruptions and coordinate appropriate responses. The safety and well-being of student-athletes, coaches, and team personnel remain our highest priority.”
The Longhorns resumed their trip to Baton Rouge late Friday evening.
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