Football
Andy Katz, ESPN Senior Writer 17y

Ice storm postpones Big 12 matchup

For the first time in the 10-year Big 12 history, a conference game was postponed when No. 9 Oklahoma State couldn't get out of Oklahoma City on Saturday for an evening game at Nebraska.

An ice storm changed the Cowboys' travel plans multiple times Saturday and in the end the charter pilots didn't feel safe enough to take off during the day. Even if they did, Oklahoma State wasn't going to fly in ice and sleet, nearly six years after a tragic plane crash claimed the lives of 10 members of the extended Oklahoma State family on a flight back from a game at Colorado.

Oklahoma State coach Sean Sutton said there was a natural trepidation from him and the players.

"They're well aware of what happened and they walk by the memorial every day in front of Gallagher-Iba (Arena)," Sutton said Saturday en route back to Stillwater. "Safety comes first and there is no way I'm going to chance that and put them in that situation."

Sutton said Nebraska wants to play the game Sunday but the conditions aren't expected to be better. "We'll play when they tell us too," Sutton said. "If it's during that window and we play three straight road games then it's part of it."

The Cowboys rode back on the bus to Stillwater and were expected to practice Saturday. The Big 12 wasn't ready to release a makeup date but Oklahoma State officials said they expected the game to be on Feb. 1 in Lincoln, one of the only open dates for the two teams. If that does happen, then the Cowboys would play three straight road games at Nebraska Feb. 1, at Colorado Feb. 3 and at Oklahoma Feb. 7. Nebraska plays host to Kansas on Big Monday on Jan. 29 and then would play at home against the Cowboys Feb. 1 before going to Missouri Feb. 3.

Oklahoma State expected to get out of Oklahoma State Friday from Stillwater but the flight plans changed to Oklahoma City. The team boarded the flight twice on Friday, only to have the pilots nix the flight plan when they saw the plane wasn't de-icing properly.

"It was sleeting again and it wasn't great conditions," Sutton said. "We were out there for six hours Friday, they de-iced the plane and then the de-ice truck hit the plane and then the sleet kept coming."

Oklahoma State is coming off an 87-57 loss at Kansas, its worst of the season. The Cowboys play host to Texas Tuesday, assuming the Longhorns can get into Oklahoma by Monday night.

"We need to get that taste out of our mouths," Sutton said. "But they're over that. They played terrible. We've thrown some clunkers in the past and the game got away from us early we lost our poise and they started to win the game on their own and panicked and tried to get the lead back and game back under double digits and didn't guard. But I'm not too concerned. It will be good to get back on the court. If we don't play until Tuesday we'll be ready."

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

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