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Becoming the first Big Ten team to play at Jordan-Hare Stadium does not come without its hiccups.
No. 22 Penn State will travel to Auburn on Saturday for a matchup with the Tigers, but getting to the team hotel is becoming a logistical nightmare for the Nittany Lions.
General view of Jordan-Hare Stadium during the Auburn Tigers-Tennessee Volunteers game on Oct. 13, 2018, in Auburn, Alabama.
(Michael Chang/Getty Images)
Due to construction at the local airport – Montgomery Regional – Penn State will not be able to land its chartered flight as planned on Friday afternoon, according to a report by The Athletic.
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“We really were working on flying into there but that wasn’t able to get done. So, flights are challenging. Hotels are challenging,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said Tuesday during his press conference.
“There are some things that we’re going to talk to the team about today just to be prepared for, but we got a plan for it. It is a little bit different than the way we normally operate.”
There are two options at play for Penn State, both with their own set of complications.
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The first option is to fly to the airport in Columbus, Georgia, then take a bus over 90 miles to the team’s hotel in Montgomery, Alabama.
Head coach James Franklin leads the Penn State Nittany Lions onto the field before the Ohio Bobcats game at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 10, 2022, in State College, Pennsylvania.
(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Option number two includes significantly less travel but assuredly is not as simple as flying into Columbus. Auburn is looking into the possibility of flying to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, which is near the team’s hotel.
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“I guess federal government work doesn’t stop for football season, contrary to what the world thinks,” Auburn associate athletic director for operations Jeremy Roberts said, according to The Athletic. “Everybody thinks college football is king, but in Montgomery, Alabama, getting the airport fixed for F-16s and F-35s is more important, right?”
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However, Penn State’s travel plans play out, one thing is for sure – Jordan-Hare Stadium will be rocking Saturday afternoon.
Penn State head coach James Franklin before the Ohio Bobcats game on Sept. 10, 2022, in State College, Pennsylvania.
(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
“I think it’s going to be similar to some of the better environments in the country,” Franklin said Tuesday. “There’s no doubt about it. Obviously, they take a ton of pride in their program, their university, and their community. And obviously, football is really important there and in that region of the country.”
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Penn State has been practicing with a silent count at practice with the “music as loud as possible.”
Penn State and Auburn kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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