STARKVILLE, Miss. — Fans bound for Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., have a later start to plan around Saturday. The Southeastern Conference pushed the Mississippi State home game against Auburn from an 11 a.m. kickoff to 3:15 p.m.
The shift grew out of a Friday disruption far from campus. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a nationwide ground stop that halted departures across the country, and Auburn players were seated on their charter waiting to depart for Starkville when it hit. The team was ordered off the aircraft.
With flying off the table, Auburn switched to ground travel and rode buses across Alabama into Mississippi. The program said its players checked into their Tupelo hotel late Friday night, which would have left a short turnaround before a late-morning kickoff.
Mississippi State posted the adjusted start as the Bulldogs got ready to welcome the Tigers for the SEC matchup. The broadcast plan was still open as of Friday night; officials said the network and channel would be shared once the conference sets them.
For local fans, the move changes the rhythm of a home Saturday. Tailgate lots, campus parking and the walk to Davis Wade Stadium will fill later in the day than first expected, and businesses around Starkville that count on game-day traffic will see the crowd arrive in the afternoon instead of the morning.
Anyone with tickets should check the new 3:15 p.m. start before heading to campus and keep an eye out for the television announcement before kickoff, since the network had not been named.
Section: More Starkville MS sports news
Filed under: Starkville MS Sports News
