Purdue Football's Travel Plans to Iowa Altered Due to FAA Ground Stop

Purdue was one of several teams that was grounded because of the FAA's security measure on Friday. It forced the Boilers to change their travel plans.

Oct 31, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Barry Odom. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The FAA's nationwide flight stoppage has forced Purdue to make other travel arrangements on the eve of its game against No. 15 Iowa. The Boilermakers will no longer fly and will instead take buses to Iowa City for tomorrow night's game, according to Tom Dienhart of GoldandBlack.com.

Purdue waited on the tarmac for more than 75 minutes before deciding to alter its travel plans. Saturday's game between the Boilermakers and Hawkeyes is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will air on NBC.

The FAA's stoppage began at 3:45 p.m. ET on Friday.

Traveling via bus isn't a new venture for the program, though it usually relies on flights for longer trips. It bused to Champaign for its Oct. 3 matchupn against Illinois. The Boilers will also take buses down to Bloomington when they play rival Indiana for the Old Oaken Bucket.

Purdue heads into Saturday's game against with a 3-6 record, having lost each of its last three games to Washington, Penn State and Maryland. Iowa is 7-2 and is hoping to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Hawkeyes' schedule sets up nicely for a 10-2 finish, playing Purdue, Illinois and Nebraska to close out the year.

For Purdue, the good news is that it does not have an early kickoff in Iowa City. Although the change in travel plans isn't ideal, the Boilermakers still have plenty of time to get into town and adjust for an evening start time.

Purdue vs. Iowa

Purdue center Gus Hartwig (53) blocks against Iowa defensive lineman Yahya Black (94). | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Saturday's game between Purdue and Iowa will be the first time the two teams have met since the 2023 season. The Hawkeyes defeated the Boilermakers 20-14 at Kinnick Stadium.

These two teams played every year when they both members of the Big Ten West. Iowa has won the last two matchups, but the last 10 games have been relatively even. The Hawkeyes still own a 6-4 advantage, but multiple games were competitive.

In the all-time series, Purdue has a 50-41-3 lead.

Purdue went through a major change last week, with Barry Odom moving on from defensive coordinator Kevin Kane. How will that impact the Boilermakers on the defensive side of the football? Will there be any new wrinkles?

We'll find out soon enough.