President Donald Trump plans to attend Saturday’s college football showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 14 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, according to Sport & State founder Clay Travis, who cited White House officials in breaking the news.
Travis announced the planned visit on social media, writing that sources had told him the president would be in Knoxville for the game. Sport & State, the outlet Travis founded, reported the news in an article by Matt Foley.
The trip would put Trump at the center of what is already one of the most anticipated regular-season matchups in recent memory — a sold-out SEC opener for the Volunteers, the program’s annual “Checker Neyland” game, and the first regular-season meeting ever between the two programs.
It would also mark another entry on a presidential sports calendar that has grown increasingly busy. According to Sport & State, Trump has already attended the College Football Playoff National Championship between Indiana and Miami, Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, and the FIFA World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium this year. Now, the report says, he is adding one of college football’s most storied venues to that list.
A venue built for spectacle
Neyland Stadium, which holds more than 100,000 fans, is expected to be at full capacity. Saturday’s game will be Tennessee’s 30th consecutive sellout, and the crowd will participate in the program’s annual “Checker Neyland” tradition, in which fans coordinate orange and white sections throughout the bowl.
ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast from campus ahead of the noon ET kickoff on ABC, which will be handled by ESPN’s top broadcast crew. GameDay’s own social media account promoted the trip to Knoxville.
The atmosphere in Knoxville is a frequent topic among coaches and players, and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian did not downplay it this week. According to Sport & State, Sarkisian told reporters that Neyland Stadium is “the loudest stadium in the country.”
Manning, Brandon and a heavyweight matchup
The game carries plenty of on-field intrigue independent of the presidential visit. Texas enters at 3-0 and ranked No. 1, playing its first true road game of the season with Arch Manning at quarterback and expectations running high around the Longhorns.
Tennessee, also undefeated, counters with true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon, one of the most highly touted recruits in recent memory, and a rushing offense that ranks fourth nationally.
Volunteers coach Josh Heupel described Texas as a “battle-tested, very veteran group” and praised Manning’s command of the Longhorns’ offense, per Sport & State.
The Manning name adds another layer to the setting. Arch Manning, a member of football’s most famous quarterback family, will be making one of the highest-profile starts of his college career in one of the sport’s loudest environments — now with a sitting president expected in the building.
Trump’s sports-heavy schedule
Trump’s appearance in Knoxville would continue a pattern of attending marquee sporting events that has become a regular part of his public schedule. The reported stops this year span college football’s national title game, the NBA Finals, and the World Cup Final, according to Sport & State.
Travis has a prior relationship with the president in a sports setting: he interviewed Trump at halftime of the Georgia vs. Alabama college football game on Sept. 28, 2024. Travis broke the news of Saturday’s expected attendance, attributing it to White House officials.
The reported visit is not the first time a president has appeared at a major college football game, but the combination of a No. 1 vs. No. 14 matchup, a first-ever regular-season meeting between the programs, a freshman quarterback storyline, College GameDay, and a presidential appearance makes Saturday’s scene unusual even by the standards of SEC football.
Kickoff is set for noon ET on ABC. Sport & State said it will provide live coverage from Knoxville on Friday night and Saturday.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/clay-travis-president-trump-will-attend-texas-tennessee-game-at-neyland-stadium