(USA TODAY Sports Images)

Fifty Thanksgiving weekend travelers were bumped from a commercial Delta airlines flight on Sunday so that the University of Florida basketball team could travel to Storrs, Conn. for a Monday game against UConn.

Ahh, amateur athletics.

The Gainesville Sun reports that the Gators Sunday charter was grounded because of mechanical issues, so the team was placed on another Delta plane that was supposed to fly from Gainesville to Atlanta. That decision displaced 50 passengers, who had to scramble to arrive at their destinations on one of the busiest traveling days of the year. Some didn’t leave Gainesville until Monday.

Denver Parler, the team’s spokesman, told the newspaper that the school had been unaware of the airline’s decision.

Delta said the passengers were put on other flights and given vouchers for future travel, because that totally makes up for getting bumped on Thanksgiving Sunday.

The icing on that bitter-tasting cake? Florida ended up losing UConn on a last-second shot.