Bulls Face Bus Trip or Delay as FAA Ground Stop Hits Chicago Sports
While most Chicago teams secured their travel before Friday's nationwide flight halt, the NBA squad now weighs options for a Saturday contest in Minnesota.
By Fatima Saleh ·
The Chicago Bulls face an uncertain start to their Saturday night game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Because the team had not yet departed for Minneapolis when the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights on Friday, the club must decide between rescheduling the contest or transporting players by bus. This stands in contrast to the Atlanta Hawks, who arrived at the United Center before the order took effect and played their Friday night matchup as planned.
Ice hockey fans will see the impact on the Chicago Blackhawks' schedule, though the event remains on the books. The team hosts the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday afternoon. The Jets arrived in Chicago prior to the ground stop and completed a practice session at the United Center on Friday, ensuring the visiting roster is in place for the afternoon tip-off.
College athletics across the region largely avoided disruption due to prior travel or short driving distances. The Northwestern Wildcats reached Columbus on Friday before flights stopped, positioning them for their Saturday football game against Ohio State. Meanwhile, the Illinois Fighting Illini played UCLA in Los Angeles on Friday night, having already secured their location before the FAA order.
Other local matchups proceeded as scheduled. The Illinois men's basketball team hosted Sam Houston State on Friday night at 6 p.m. The Northwestern Wildcats men's team faced DePaul in a home game, eliminating the need for intercity travel. The Loyola men's team is in Colorado for a Saturday afternoon game against Colorado State, a location where they had already traveled for a Wednesday contest against Air Force.
The Chicago Bears enter a bye week, removing them from the immediate schedule of games affected by the stop. In South Bend, Notre Dame hosts Boston College at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Eagles arrived in Indiana before the ground stop, allowing the game to proceed as planned.
Several remaining games depend on short ground distances or prior positioning. The Loyola women's team hosts Milwaukee on Saturday, a distance manageable by bus if necessary. Northern Illinois hosts Nevada in DeKalb on Saturday, with the Wolf Pack already in town. The Illinois women's basketball team faces Southeast Missouri State on Sunday, a trip that requires only a four-hour drive, potentially bypassing the need for air travel entirely.
