Oklahoma AD criticizes SEC's scheduling move for Ole Miss game | Yardbarker

A late schedule change

The SEC announced shortly after midnight that Oklahoma and Ole Miss would play at 1 p.m. ET Sunday. The game had been set for 3:15 p.m. Saturday. At 12:12 a.m., Oklahoma athletic director Denny posted that his school had been told it would forfeit if it did not play Sunday at the directed time. He said Oklahoma had objected to the change.

Denny objects publicly

Denny said Commissioner Sankey informed Oklahoma of his decision after several conversations with the league office. He said further discussions brought the forfeit warning. Denny said the outcome was unfair to the athletes, the school and Sooner Nation. He added that Oklahoma was obligated to play when directed, while maintaining that the decision was wrong.

Travel problems and other teams

The article says other teams managed to travel after the aviation stoppage lifted. SEC schools Texas and Tennessee flew Friday night, while Alabama took a bus to Nashville for its Saturday game against Vanderbilt.

Ole Miss, flying from Tupelo, about 50 miles from Oxford, could not get its charter company to turn a plane around. The article does not explain why Oklahoma–Ole Miss was the only NCAA game moved to Sunday.

Fans face a lost Saturday

The game marked Oklahoma’s first regular-season Sunday game since Sept. 1, 2019. Denny’s statement made the scheduling dispute public before kickoff, framing the move as more than a logistical decision.