Delaware State was aiming for a direct flight to Hawaii for both teams' college football opener, scheduled for Saturday. But it didn't work out that way.
Instead, because of a delay with the shuttle bus service, the Hornets missed their flight. So they had to make a bunch of stops. And yes, they went viral because of it.
Fortunately, the game, scheduled for 6 p.m. Hawaii time, will go on. Delaware State made it — finally. It's just that the Hornets were hoping to avoid connections. Instead, they got three. But hey, not all was lost.
"As the team garnered national news coverage for its travel issues, players appeared to take advantage and keep the mood light, posting videos to their social media accounts,' wrote Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today.
So, what happened?
"Because the trip to Honolulu, from Philadelphia or Baltimore, is nearly 5,000 miles, Delaware State preferred to take a direct flight," Reyes wrote. "The closest options were from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, requiring shuttle buses. The company contracted to shuttle the Hornets contingent, Wertz Motor Coaches, said Tuesday in a statement to HBCU GameDay that it had 'an internal scheduling malfunction' in its reservation system, which led to a delay in picking up the Delaware State traveling party.
Anyway, at least the Hornets will stay fairly close to home for the remainder of their 2024 schedule. And when we say "close" to home, we mean on the East Coast. After visiting Hawaii, they pay a visit to Sacred Heart in Connecticut. They open the home season on September 14 vs. Wagner.
But not before receiving a pretty penny first.
"According to an athletic event agreement contract obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the University of Hawaii is obligated to pay Delaware State $180,000 to participate in the game," Reyes wrote.
