The last-minute change upended travel plans for fans who had already arrived in Norman for the original kickoff. Some will miss the game entirely, while others decided to extend their stays.

"We all spent a lot of time and money to come out here and enjoy the experience," said Steve Murray, who traveled from the Boston area with friends for what has become an annual SEC trip. "It's obviously disappointing."

Murray's group had planned to fly home Sunday morning, before the new kickoff. "Most of us can't make it to the game tomorrow," he said. "We're going to miss the game, very likely."

Oklahoma athletics director Roger Denny said the university strongly objected to moving the game. In a statement, Denny said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey told OU that not playing Sunday at the directed time would result in a forfeit.

Kevin Dickerson drove about five hours from Kansas to see the Sooners. He said the schedule change was frustrating, but he and his friends planned to make the most of the extra day. One fan summed up the sentiment bluntly: "If I made my flight here, Ole Miss can make their flight here."

Others adjusted their plans to stay. Kevin Tyner, whose son graduated from Ole Miss and whose daughter attends OU, said his family would attend the rescheduled game. "We're staying. I have tickets to the game, we're going," Tyner said. "We're Ole Miss fans, we're OU fans, we're going."

Barclay Ridge, an Ole Miss fan who traveled from Houston, said his family could not stay an extra day and planned to watch from home. "As an Ole Miss fan, I'm pretty disappointed," Ridge said. "We're not going to be here tomorrow, but we'll watch it hopefully."

Even without a game Saturday, some fans kept their tailgates going. Ridge offered a lighthearted summary of the mood: "Ole Miss may lose the game, but we always win the party."

Former OU coach Bob Stoops encouraged Sooner fans to turn out for the rescheduled matchup, saying, "It's time to flip the script. Be loud."

The university said the North Oval would be open for tailgate drop-off from 7 to 8 a.m. Sunday, with normal game-day operations in place. Television information had not been announced as of Saturday.

The FAA ground stop, which affected flights nationwide on Friday, also stranded travelers at Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City and forced rerouting across the region. For Norman businesses and fans, the rescheduling meant an unexpected extra night of hotel stays, restaurant visits and tailgating — though for many, the disruption came at a cost.

The game's outcome will count the same, but for fans who saved and planned for months, the move left a bitter taste. "It's obviously disappointing," Murray repeated. "We all spent a lot of time and money to come out here and enjoy the experience."