The odd nationwide ground stop might officially be over, but the travel headaches continue.
On November 13, the FAA halted all flights after a communications issue, forcing people nationwide to stay put or find other transportation. College football was also affected, with multiple games shifting to new times on Saturday afternoon, and the Ole Miss-Oklahoma game moving to Sunday, November 15, at noon. The travel nightmare was completely unexpected, but that didn't stop a new Hawkeye's dad from making an extremely long journey to Iowa City.
Peter Everitt was not going to be stopped on his long journey to Iowa City
While college football was not the only thing affected by the ground stop, it got the most headlines. Teams were forced to either wait out the flight ban or drive, shifting times for some noteworthy games. Purdue elected to take a bus to Iowa City, a nearly five-hour drive. The Iowa-Purdue game is on track for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, November, 14, and one new Iowa fan has a legendary story to tell about his journey to Kinnick Stadium.
Father of Iowa punter Boston Everitt: pic.twitter.com/o2dNRz2tse
— Mike Hlas (@Hlas) November 14, 2026
According to former Cedar Rapids Gazette sports reporter Mike Hlas, Peter Everitt, the father of Iowa's new punter Boston Everitt, was one of the unfortunate people trapped in the air travel nightmare. On his Instagram, Peter posted that he made it as far as Denver before the ground stop, forcing him to hire a driver to take him and a few other people to their destinations. 11 hours and six Monster Energy drinks later, Peter arrived in Iowa City, completing a grueling 36-hour trip to watch his son play as the Hawkeyes battle the Boilermakers. The Everitts are from Australia, making Peter's journey even more legendary.
Boston was a major addition for the Hawkeyes in the transfer portal after losing starting punter Rhys Dakin. Everitt competed with Simpson College transfer Tanner Philpott for the starting job and won. Everitt has been a godsend for the Hawkeyes' special teams, giving Iowa a much-needed secret weapon. The offense has been inconsistent this season due to a revolving door at starting quarterback, but Everitt has been rock-solid.
Everitt has punted 39 times for 1,694 total yards, a 43.6-yard average. His 43.6-yard average punt ranks No. 10 in the Big Ten, and he was recently added to the Ray Guy Award Midseason watch list. Punting is still winning in Iowa City, and Everitt has played a key role in that philosophy. After his dad's epic 36-hour journey to Iowa City, Boston could have some extra motivation in a pivotal week 11 game against Purdue.
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