Texas football team unable to leave Austin for LSU game because of FAA shutdown

An American Airlines pilot flies the Texas Longhorns flag as the team arrives at Louis Armstrong International Airport on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Texas Longhorns will face the Washington Huskies in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, 2024. (Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman) On Friday afternoon, the Texas football team remained stuck in Austin ahead of its planned trip to LSU.On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration halted all air travel because of a communication issue. That decision impacted the Longhorns, who had boarded their American Airlines plane ahead of Saturday night's game at LSU.COLUMN: Why I'm taking Arch Manning to make the difference SaturdayA team spokesperson confirmed to the American-Statesman that the team's plane was indeed grounded and the Longhorns were still awaiting word on when they can leave. Citing sources, Horns247 also reported that Texas players, coaches and staffers had deplaned and headed back to the team facilities.Texas is set to play LSU at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.This is a developing story that will be updated. Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.This article originally published at Texas football team unable to leave Austin for LSU game because of FAA shutdown.