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Spirit Airlines used to serve as a go-to choice for ferrying college sports recruits in and out of\u00a0Texas. As of Saturday, that’s no longer an option.<\/p>\n
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A certain segment of America saw its travel plans, even those already in progress, come to a screeching halt this past weekend.<\/p>\n
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On Saturday, Spirit Airlines ceased all flight operations, causing upheaval across the airline industry and affecting thousands of passengers and airline employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cTo our Guests: all flights have been canceled, and customer service is no longer available,\u201d the company said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n The death of the budget airline operator is another signal of rapidly changing times in travel and the economy in America. Southwest Airlines, another former budget airline operator, recently pivoted to keep up with the likes of Delta, United and American Airlines. Southwest\u2019s changes include eliminating its biggest brand markers\u2014free checked bags and open seating\u2014in hopes of increasing customer spend and elevating the brand\u2019s prestige.<\/p>\n Add to oil prices’ wartime high of more than $120 a barrel, driving up fuel costs for both planes and automobiles, and travel has likely never felt so painful on the wallet, especially for many college athletics programs in the state of Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOil doesn\u2019t show up as an ESPN headline, but it quietly changes how football programs move,\u201d Prairie View football general manager Christopher \u201cCruize\u201d Williams told Chron.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Chron spoke to six spokespeople\u2014athletic directors, general managers and head coaches\u2014across the state to better understand how shifts in the airline industry affect their programs.<\/p>\n “Those costs add up quickly.”<\/p>\n Many athletic programs tapped Spirit or Southwest to ferry potential recruits to and from campus and get teams to away games across the country. Spirit\u2019s one-way flights routinely cost less than $100, making the now-defunct airline an attractive option for smaller sports programs looking to nab a recruit.<\/p>\n \u201cIn football, those costs add up quickly because you are moving a large roster, staff and equipment while also managing recruiting travel and other program responsibilities,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt forces administrators and coaches to be more strategic with budgeting, scheduling, and resource allocation.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Prairie View A&M Panthers are one of the most successful college football programs in the state, but rising fuel costs for airline and ground travel make balancing the budget more difficult. \u00a0<\/p>\n Justin Ford\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Moving luggage and equipment is nearly as vital as getting the players and coaches to their final destination for teams. Southwest\u2019s radical shift put many schools\u2019 brand loyalty to the test.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe used to do Southwest almost exclusively for team travel due to the free baggage, but now that they have changed their stuff, we have utilized the other airlines more often this year,\u201d said Ben Rikard, Sam Houston\u2019s Director of Athletics Media. The Bearkats compete in Conference USA.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe use Southwest, American or Frontier,\u201d said Vincent D. Robinson, Huston-Tillotson\u2019s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, which competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cFor baseball, we primarily use Southwest or United with the occasional American when we have no other option,\u201d said Rice\u2019s head of athletic communications, Chuck Pool.<\/p>\n Many of the top programs in the state, most notably Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, are so well-funded that dealing with the likes of Spirit or Southwest is never even in consideration. According to Sportico, the Aggies spends nearly $1 million in charter flights<\/a> just for their football team each season.\u00a0<\/p>\n A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX flies over the stadium with the landing gear down and flaps extended in preparation for landing at a nearby airport during the college football game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Louisville Cardinals in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n Icon Sportswire\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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