Arizona-Utah kickoff pushed back after nationwide FAA ground stop lifted
The Wildcats’ game against the Utes has been moved to 8:30 p.m. Arizona's game was originally scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. kickoff.
Head coach Brent Brennan of the Arizona Wildcats reacts during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Casino Del Sol Stadium on November 06, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
A nationwide Federal Aviation Administration ground stop threw a wrench into college football travel plans across the country, directly impacting Saturday’s showdown in Tucson between No. 2 Utah and No. 23 Arizona.
The Wildcats’ game against the Utes has been delayed to 8:30 p.m. MST on Fox. Arizona’s game was originally scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. MST kickoff.
The FAA ordered a complete halt to all flights nationwide due to a communication issue impacting Air Route Traffic Control Centers. The sudden grounding has left teams scrambling as travel windows rapidly narrow. The ground stop was lifted around 6:15 p.m. on Friday after more than four hours.
The Big 12 Conference released a statement Friday evening saying it is looking into potentially changing kickoff times for Saturday’s games.
“Due to the national FAA ground stop impacting team travel, the Big 12 Conference is evaluating potential changes to Saturday’s football schedule,” the statement read. “The Conference will continue to monitor the travel disruptions alongside its member institutions and provide updates for Saturday’s games.”
Utah is currently stuck in Salt Lake City, according to KSL’s Josh Furlong, ahead of its game against Arizona, which is set to kick off at Casino Del Sol Stadium. The Utes have been unable to depart, and Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger reported Utah will not fly until at least Saturday morning.
Furlong reported Utah is not considering a 12.5-hour bus ride to Tucson at this time.
In addition to Arizona’s game getting delayed, Arizona State’s game against UCF has been moved to 3:30 p.m. MST on ESPNU. The Sun Devils’ game was originally scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. MST kickoff on ESPN2.
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