Aircraft charters are big business for U.S. airlines, especially for sports teams. The NFL regularly charters widebody aircraft for its teams, and the NBA uses a Delta-operated fleet of Boeing 757s.
But college football can be a whole different story. Often – at least during the regular season – these teams charter multiple narrowbody aircraft to move teams and staff around the country.
Airlines and charter operators alike seek out these contracts. Sun Country went as far as unveiling a special aircraft livery dedicated to the University of Minnesota’s sports teams, for which the carrier has operated nearly 500 charters.
Going Big
On the college football side, it isn’t common to see these universities charter widebody aircraft. During the playoffs, some teams may use larger aircraft.
As the old adage goes, everything is bigger in Texas. And the University of Texas Longhorns are no exception in their transportation preferences.
Earlier in the season, the team used an American Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner for an away game with the University of Michigan.
On Wednesday, the Longhorns used an American Boeing 777-200ER for a roughly 200-mile intrastate trip from Austin to Dallas/Fort Worth. According to FlightAware, the flight was just 40 minutes.
American’s 777-200 aircraft can seat up to 273 passengers.
Texas is playing Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Friday evening. For their trip from Columbus to Dallas/Fort Worth, the Buckeyes flew on a chartered United Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner.
