Jan 17, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish arrive at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for the 2025 CFP National Championship game. Credit: Matt Stamey/CFP Images via Imagn Images

Everyone has an Atlanta airport story.

And now media members covering the College Football Playoff National Championship Game will also have one to tell.

We all like to complain about air travel; it’s a pastime as American as eating a hot dog while watching baseball. And while travel issues are not strictly American, certain airports in the United States stand tall when talking about sheer incompetence.

Charlotte is one. Atlanta is another.

This week, Atlanta — the site of Ohio State’s thrilling victory over Notre Dame to clinch its first national title since 2014 — cemented its status as a traveler’s nightmare. Media members, fans, and everyday travelers found themselves scrambling in what can only be described as a perfect storm of post-holiday madness, championship aftermath and impending winter weather.

Security lines stretched endlessly, stranding thousands in frustration.

Even TSA PreCheck, typically the golden ticket through security, failed to deliver relief.

Adding to the chaos, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger shared that the TSA PreCheck line had grown so long it spilled outdoors into freezing temperatures.

Similar anecdotes poured in as plenty of people captured the sheer chaos.

Note to media members: the next time you cover a championship game in Atlanta, pack your patience. And maybe a sleeping bag for the TSA line.

Or, better yet, leave for the airport immediately after you file your story.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.