Flight Grounding Forces Auburn Into Last-Minute Travel Changes Ahead of Mississippi State Game

The Tigers' travel plans to Starkville have changed due to the grounding of flights nationwide.

Alex Golesh and the Auburn Tigers are forced to shift their travel plans ahead of their matchup with Mississippi State on Saturday morning. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Auburn Tigers are less than 24 hours away from their Week 10 clash at Mississippi State, and Friday afternoon’s news drastically changed the logistics surrounding the trip.

The Federal Aviation Administration declared the nationwide grounding of all flights Friday afternoon due to communication problems at regional air traffic control centers. According to PBS, the historic ground stop is because of "extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety."

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Therefore, Auburn’s travel plans to Starkville, Miss., have been altered.

The Tigers will now bus to Tupelo, Miss., on Friday evening, per a report from 247Sports’ Brandon Marcello. The team will drive from Columbus, Ga., to Tupelo, Miss., which is expected to typically take about five hours.

Furthermore, Auburn and Mississippi State are set to start at the earliest time slot possible on Saturday, with kickoff set for 11 a.m. CST. Now, the Tigers will likely arrive in Tupelo, Miss., around 10 p.m. CST — just over 13 hours before toe meets leather at Davis Wade Stadium.

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