We’re all well aware of the frustrations and inconveniences of flying, but Friday, November 13 was an altogether different day for travelers, including college football players and coaches from around the country. The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop just before 4 p.m. ET, something that had only been done once since all air traffic was halted on September 11, 2001. That 90-minute stoppage in 2023 was due to a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) disruption. Friday’s stoppage was a different beast, as ATC (Air Traffic Control) frequencies were impacted.
Thousands and thousands of flights were already delayed by 6 p.m. ET and many were cancelled, with passengers rebooked on other itineraries, if they were rebooked at all. In the college football world, national and local beat writers were frantically burning up the phone lines and reaching out to contacts to see whether or not the teams were en route, had arrived already, or were caught up in the ground stop.
One of the best sources of information throughout the day was Pete Thamel, ESPN’s Senior College Football Writer.
At 5:49 p.m. ET, Thamel gave an update on the Power Four teams and a trio of Group of Six teams that he knew were “in limbo”.
Some teams, including North Texas and Purdue, opted to make other arrangements and travel by bus. Some teams, like Arizona State, didn’t really have that luxury because they were playing in Orlando against UCF. A similar story for Utah heading from Salt Lake City to Tucson and Washington going from Seattle to East Lansing.
The other note from Thamel that bears mentioning is that a shortage of officials may impact games.
As is the case when any news breaks, opportunistic bettors try to capitalize on what has been presented. Bookmakers were on top of the news as well, with some adjusted lines just based on speculation, and others moving quickly at the first signs of action. While most of the nation’s road teams had gotten to where they were going prior to the ground stop, the ones who did not make it before the FAA issuance saw their odds change, in some cases significantly.
Matt Fortuna from the Sports Business Journal posted an all-inclusive update at 6:19 p.m. ET on X.
Alabama bussed to Vanderbilt, dropping from -17.5 to -14.5 over the course of the day. Washington went from -3.5 to -2.5 with a 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff scheduled for Saturday. TCU touched as high as -13 in the market with Kansas State unable to get out of Manhattan to fly to the DFW metro.
While writing, the UNLV vs. New Mexico line started to move, with the Lobos increasing in size as a home favorite. The Rebels were set to take a charter for the short skip to Albuquerque, but the ground stop halted those plans. New Mexico was out to as high as -16.5 by posting time.
While Oregon State was stuck due to the stoppage, that line moved because QB Braden Atkinson is out, not because of the travel headaches. Also, Corvallis to Boise is not as daunting of a ride as some of the other trips that could be taken.
Other games saw some line movement, either as a result of bettors just expecting the hellacious travel day to have an impact or because word leaked through on social media that teams were delayed. These disruptions aren’t always a guarantee of hardship. The Red Sox had left Denver and were airborne for a bit before having to turn around due to a mechanical issue on June 24 after they lost to fall to 32-46 with a four-game series against the Yankees and eventual unanimous AL Cy Young Award winner Cam Schlittler scheduled for Game 1. Boston got to town close to game time, won 6-3 anyway, and preceded to surge all the way to the playoffs by going 55-29 the rest of the way.
These can be bonding and galvanizing moments for teams. They can also be tremendous headaches, especially in the midst of a tough season.
Keep an eye out for games to potentially be rescheduled, as Ole Miss beat writer Chase Parham noted that a Sunday game against Oklahoma is a possibility.
That’s a good reminder to check the House Rules at places where you make wagers. For example, at Circa Sports Nevada, games must be played within eight days of the originally scheduled date and games are “Action” regardless of location. However, in Circa’s other states, the rules are determined by the state’s Gaming Board or Gaming Control Board.
At time of posting, we still didn’t know the scope of the cancellations or how long the ground stop would be in effect, so expect to see more line movement as more updates come out.
As of Friday evening, none of the NFL games had really been impacted, including Patriots vs. Lions in Munich, as both teams had already left for that international game. Expect line movement and possible disruptions/cancellations across the NBA, NHL, and college basketball for Saturday games and maybe even Sunday games as well.
Stay informed on the latest college football odds movement and check out our Pro Picks page for any new bets from our VSiN hosts and guests.
