FAA Ground Stop Grounds Tulane Football Flight
A nationwide FAA ground stop, attributed to a telecommunication outage, prevented the Tulane football team from flying to Houston on Friday.
Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Air Travel
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The Federal Aviation Administration declared a nationwide ground stop on Friday afternoon, preventing the Tulane football team from making its scheduled 2:45 p.m. flight to Houston. Multiple American Conference teams were affected, and the team was bussing back to campus while formulating an alternate travel plan.
Why it matters
The ground stop, attributed to a telecommunication outage, disrupted team travel ahead of a scheduled game and affected several conference teams at once. It is only the second nationwide ground stop since September 11, 2001, and the cause of the outage is not yet known to Trump administration officials.
The Tulane team's scheduled 2:45 p.m. Friday flight was prevented by the ground stop, and Houston is about a five-and-a-half hour drive from New Orleans. The 2023 nationwide ground stop lasted 90 minutes after a system crash, while the cause of the current outage remains unknown.
The players
Federal Aviation Administration
The FAA is the United States federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation, including air traffic control and nationwide flight operations.
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private research university in New Orleans whose football team competes in the American Conference.
The details
The FAA's nationwide ground stop, attributed to a telecommunication outage, blocked the Tulane football team from flying to Houston for its Saturday 1 p.m. kickoff against Rice. The team was bussing back to campus and formulating an alternate travel plan, while the American Conference league was aware of the problem.
Timeline
September 11, 2001: Start of the period without nationwide FAA ground stops until this event.
2023: A previous nationwide ground stop caused by a system crash lasted 90 minutes.
Friday, 2:45 p.m.: The Tulane team's scheduled flight to Houston was prevented by the ground stop.
Friday afternoon: The FAA declared the nationwide ground stop.
Saturday, 1 p.m.: Kickoff for the Tulane-Rice game in Houston.
Seasonal Patterns
This is only the second nationwide FAA ground stop since September 11, 2001, following the 2023 ground stop caused by a system crash that lasted 90 minutes. The telecommunication outage behind the current stop suggests a different failure mode than the 2023 incident.
Travelers with flights during a nationwide ground stop should expect delays and check with their airline for rebooking options. Teams and fans heading to Saturday's Tulane-Rice game in Houston should watch for updated travel plans as the outage is resolved.
The takeaway
A single telecommunication failure can halt air travel nationwide, so travelers should build flexibility into time-sensitive trips. Confirming flight status before departure is a practical step during any ground stop.
Further reading
For more on how airline disruptions affect travelers, see Air Travel coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NOLA.
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