Oklahoma AD Roger Denny releases statement objecting to decision to move Week 11 game
By Jacob Moss
Published:
Week 11 of the SEC regular-season schedule was thrown into disarray on Friday after the FAA grounded flights across the country for several hours due to widespread communications failures.
The disruption affected the travel plans of several SEC programs, including the Ole Miss Rebels, who were unable to secure a suitable charter flight to Norman for their showdown against Oklahoma until Saturday afternoon. As a result, their Week 11 matchup against the Sooners has been pushed back by nearly 24 hours, with kickoff now scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Oklahoma Athletic Director Roger Denny released a statement early Saturday morning addressing the SEC’s decision to reschedule the game, and he made his displeasure with the entire situation very clear.
“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,” Rogers wrote. “…I understand that difficult decisions sometimes must be made under extraordinary circumstances. But those decisions must also consider the impact on everyone involved. 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.”
Denny’s frustrations are entirely valid, but if the league office makes the decision to delay the game then there is really nothing he can do. All eyes will be on Sunday’s showdown to see how the unexpected disruption impacts the two teams as they look to navigate the final stretch of the regular season.
