Nicholls State University football team left stranded after football game in Illinois

The football team played against Southern Illinois.

CARBONDALE, Ill. (BRPROUD) - The Nicholls State University football team has been stuck at an airport in Illinois after a playoff game on Saturday, Nov. 25. 

The football team played against Southern Illinois. Jamie Bustos, the Director of Media Relations at Nicholls, said the team was scheduled for a charter flight out of Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois around 7 p.m. central time Saturday.

"While we were going through security, we were told that the pilot flying our plane made too sharp of a turn when landing and went off the runway," Bustos said. "That incident requires a mandatory screening of drugs and alcohol for the pilot which could take up to 12 hours for the results."

They were told another flight wouldn't be able to fly to New Orleans until 1:40 a.m. Sunday. Bustos said the players and crew were locked in the waiting area later that night when security was done for the day.

Around midnight, they learned that the plane was not coming. Bustos said all the charter buses had left and no local hotels were able to accommodate them.

"Our admin made calls to the NCAA and the people in charge of our travel since it's an NCAA event and they handle all travel, but we weren't given much guidance due to the time of night," Bustos said.

"So everyone slept on the floor or in the chairs," Bustos said. "Our party was around 150 people so there was not much room to spare."

Airline workers returned and unlocked the waiting area around 6 a.m. Sunday and people were able to leave and get food.

"Southern Illinois’ football coach Nick Hill got wind of us being stranded so they kindly sent all kinds of fruit, snacks and drinks to help us out," Bustos said.

Bustos said they were told that a flight would be available around 4 p.m. Sunday.

This is a developing story.

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