USC Women's Basketball Stuck in Los Angeles After FAA Nationwide Ground Stop

USC women's basketball was grounded in Los Angeles on November 13 after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports, leaving the team to find a way to reach Sunday's game against South Carolina in Greenville, South Carolina. The New York Post reported the grounding.

USC's Grounding and the FAA Order

The USC Trojans were supposed to arrive in Greenville on Friday for the matchup against the Gamecocks. The team's social media account said: "We have been grounded in Los Angeles following the nationwide ground stop, per the FAA. Will provide updates as we have them."

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Friday that the FAA issued a "nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports." In a social media post, Duffy said the order followed "a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers" and that FAA technicians were investigating.

USC women's basketball is one of several collegiate or professional sports teams affected. The USC football team arrived in Bloomington ahead of Saturday's game against Indiana at Memorial Stadium.

Sunday's matchup against No. 1 South Carolina was set to be the Trojans' biggest challenge of the season. USC must now find a way to travel to the East Coast before taking the floor.

USC Athletics' Broader Operations

According to akta.pro company records, USC Trojans is the University of Southern California's NCAA Division I athletics program, competing in the Big Ten Conference since 2024 and fielding 21 varsity sports. The program's revenue is estimated at $100 million to $250 million, with a valuation estimate of $1 billion to $5 billion. United Airlines holds naming rights to United Airlines Field at L.A. Memorial Coliseum and serves as the official airline of USC Athletics.

USC's Week of Football News

The grounding came as USC prepared for a football game with conference stakes. The Washington Post reported that No. 6 Indiana faces No. 15 USC on Saturday, with the winner staying in contention for one of two Big Ten championship game spots and a potential playoff spot. Yahoo reported that Indiana ruled out starting right guard Joe Brunner for the game. SI reported that former USC players in the NFL are dealing with injuries ahead of the USC-Indiana game, with Amon-Ra St. Brown questionable due to a rib injury.

USC's Sunday Tipoff in Greenville

USC's Sunday game against South Carolina in Greenville remains on the schedule, and the team has said it will provide updates on travel as they come.