# NFL Official Set to Referee Two Games in Two Different States on the Same Day After FAA Ground Stop

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10 outlets covering · First listed: EssentiallySports, Nov 14, 2026, 9:07 PM · Read it: <https://www.essentiallysports.com/nfl-active-news-nfl-official-set-to-referee-two-games-in-two-different-states-on-the-same-day-after-faa-ground-stop/>

An FAA ground stop just forced the NFL into an unprecedented move: assigning one official to referee two games in two different states on the same day. With thousands of flights canceled nationwide, the league tapped Don Willard to pull rare double duty on Sunday, something no NFL official is known to have done before.

## Who's covering it

In the order they published:

- Nov 13, 2026, 3:23 PM: [FAA orders nationwide ground stop](<https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/6219722-faa-issues-us-flight-ground-stop/>) — The Hill (Newspaper, United States, rated Center)
  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. flights, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed Friday. “The @FAANews \[FAA\] issued a nationwide ground stop for all U.S. airports following a communication issue impacting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers,” Duffy wrote on the social platform X. “FAA technicians are investigating the…
- Nov 13, 2026, 4:42 PM: [All US flights grounded by FAA](<https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/2026/11/13/all-us-flights-grounded-by-faa/5309912>) — The Register (Digital news, United Kingdom)
  Safety reasons and unspecified communications issue cited
- Nov 13, 2026, 4:54 PM: [A Nationwide Ground Stop](<https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/13/briefing/a-nationwide-ground-stop.html>) — New York Times (Newspaper, United States, rated Lean left)
  Also, Russia lays out its hard-line demands. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
- Nov 13, 2026, 7:14 PM: [College football games could be derailed by the FAA ground stop](<https://www.businessinsider.com/college-football-games-canceled-postponed-faa-ground-stop-2026-11>) — Business Insider (Digital news, United States, rated Lean left)
  Some college football games are up in the air this weekend after the FAA's nationwide ground stop prevented teams from flying.
- Nov 13, 2026, 7:32 PM: [FAA nationwide ground stop: Why it happened, according to officials](<https://mashable.com/tech/faa-nationwide-ground-stop-why>) — Mashable (Digital news, United States)
  Communication outage cause by outdated systems and network updates, not the FAA's new SMART AI tool.
- Nov 13, 2026, 7:46 PM: [The FAA Nationwide Ground Stop Is Over](<https://www.wired.com/story/the-faa-nationwide-ground-stop-is-over/>) — Wired (Magazine, United States)
  The five-hour ordeal ended Friday evening. Planes will be allowed to fly again, but the effects of the stoppage will be felt throughout the weekend.
- Nov 14, 2026, 1:04 PM: [NFL official Don Willard will referee two games in one day after FAA ground stop disrupts travel, league says](<https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/nfl-official-don-willard-referee-two-games-one-day-faa-ground-stop-disrupts-travel-league-says>) — Fox News (TV network, United States, rated Right)
  NFL official Don Willard will referee two games in one day, driving 110 miles from Indianapolis to Cincinnati after the FAA ground stop hit Week 10.
- Nov 14, 2026, 1:56 PM: [NFL official Don Willard to referee two games in Week 10](<https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nfl-official-don-willard-referee-195612403.html>) — Yahoo Sports (Sports, United States)
  NFL official Don Willard will referee two games on Sunday after FAA ground stops forced a schedule shuffle.
- Nov 14, 2026, 7:13 PM: [FAA ground stop disrupts college football](<https://www.npr.org/2026/11/14/nx-s1-6041115/faa-ground-stop-college-football-delays>) — NPR (Public broadcaster, United States, rated Lean left)
  Some college football games were delayed a few hours on Saturday or postponed to Sunday. And in Oklahoma at least, there will be perks for fans to make up for the inconvenience, including cheap beers.
- Nov 14, 2026, 9:07 PM: [NFL Official Set to Referee Two Games in Two Different States on the Same Day After FAA Ground Stop](<https://www.essentiallysports.com/nfl-active-news-nfl-official-set-to-referee-two-games-in-two-different-states-on-the-same-day-after-faa-ground-stop/>) — EssentiallySports (Sports)
  An FAA ground stop just forced the NFL into an unprecedented move: assigning one official to referee two games in two different states on the same day. With thousands of flights canceled nationwide, the league tapped Don Willard to pull rare double duty on Sunday, something no NFL official is known to have done before.