Oklahoma athletics director Roger Denny revealed SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey delivered a stark ultimatum: play Sunday at 1 p.m. ET against Ole Miss or forfeit. That’s the message Oklahoma received after the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to ground flights nationwide for several hours Friday threw college football schedules into chaos.
Travel Chaos and the SEC’s Call
The whole mess kicked off Friday when the FAA grounded flights. College football teams everywhere scrambled to adjust their kickoff times, but Ole Miss got hit hard. Their players and staff had to deplane Friday and couldn’t travel that night. Seriously, they returned to the football facility waiting for news. Early Saturday morning, the SEC dropped a statement, explaining the Rebels couldn’t depart until Saturday afternoon. “The Ole Miss football team was unable to depart Oxford Friday night due to the FAA ground stoppage,” the statement read. “After the stoppage was lifted, a late-night departure could not be accommodated by the charter company with which Ole Miss was contracted and the team’s departure has been delayed until Saturday afternoon.”
Oklahoma’s Outrage and Fan Impact
But that explanation didn’t fly with Oklahoma. Not at all. Denny made it crystal clear how unhappy Norman was with the situation. He said that after “multiple conversations” with the league office, Commissioner Sankey made the call to move their game to Sunday, flat out ignoring Oklahoma’s “strong objection.” And then, the kicker: Sankey informed them that if they didn’t play Sunday at the directed time, it would result in a forfeit. Can you believe that? Denny didn’t hold back, calling the decision unfair to the athletes, the institution, and to “Sooner Nation.” He was furious about the “unnecessary disruption and hardship” for fans who made travel arrangements, booked accommodations, and planned their entire weekend around a Saturday game. Denny was straight up, “Put simply, this decision isn’t fair to our athletes, our institution, or to Sooner Nation.” He added that while difficult decisions happen, they need to “consider the impact on everyone involved.”
Stoops Weighs In: A Power Four Discrepancy?
It’s not just the current AD steaming. Even former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops jumped on social media Saturday morning, letting everyone know his frustrations. Stoops straight up called Sankey’s decision “absolutely wrong.” He pointed out that “All of the Power 4 teams found a way to make it to their games, but Ole Miss wouldn’t.” He even gave an example, saying ASU was flying across the country to UCF that very Saturday morning to play. Stoops was like, why couldn’t Sankey tell Ole Miss to forfeit if they couldn’t find a way to Norman, even with a delayed game, instead of hitting OU with the forfeit threat? It’s a valid question, right?
Oklahoma may not agree with the SEC’s decision, but the Sooners will have no choice but to take the field Sunday afternoon in Norman.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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