The Southeastern Conference rescheduled No. 19 Ole Miss’ football game at Oklahoma from Saturday to Sunday due to travel issues caused by the nationwide air-traffic shutdown on Friday, but the altered date didn’t sit well with Sooners athletic director Roger Denny.
In a social-media post early Saturday morning, Denny wrote that SEC commissioner Greg Sankey informed him the Sooners would be required to forfeit the game if they didn’t agree to play on Sunday.
Denny acknowledged “the extraordinary circumstances” surrounding the Rebels’ disrupted travel plans.
He added, “We were told that Ole Miss explored every avenue to travel to Norman and play on Saturday as planned. But, unlike every other team traveling for competition tomorrow, they were unable to find a solution. After multiple conversations with the league office, Commissioner Sankey informed us of his decision to move our game to Sunday, over our strong objection. After continued discussions, he further informed us that our failure to play on Sunday at the directed time would result in a forfeit.
“Rescheduling the game has a significant impact, particularly on our fans. Those who have made travel arrangements, accommodations, and personal plans around a Saturday game now face unnecessary disruption and hardship. Their time, commitment, and investment deserve greater consideration than they were afforded in the conference’s decision tonight.”
Denny added, “Put simply, this decision isn’t fair to our athletes, our institution, or to Sooner Nation. But we’ve been given no other choice. We are obligated to play the game when directed, but we remain steadfast in our belief that the wrong outcome was reached this evening.
“We will continue to fight in the best interests of OU Athletics and always on behalf of our student-athletes and fans.”
Numerous other college football games had their Saturday kickoff times altered because of travel issues on Friday, but the Ole Miss-Oklahoma game was the lone contest moved to a different date.
Entering the game now set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Ole Miss (6-3, 4-3 SEC) is looking to bounce back from a blowout loss to then-No. 2 Georgia last week. Oklahoma (5-4, 3-3) is looking for its first two-game winning streak of the season after downing then-No. 24 Florida last week.
–Field Level Media
