Fans may be used to the logistical headaches that come with the President of the United States attending a sporting event, but University of Texas head football coach Steve Sarkisian has revealed that it also impacts the players and coaches.
“The one thing that you have to be aware of when the president goes to any game is that any time he enters the stadium or leaves the stadium, or changes locations within the stadium, they cut all communication,” Sarkisian, 52, said during a press conference on Thursday, September 24. “They cut headsets to coaches. They cut headsets to coach-to-player communication. So you have to have a plan for that …and you get no warning. So that just gets cut out.”
President Donald Trump will attend the Longhorns’ game at the University of Tennessee on Saturday, September 26. Sarkisian said he has heard first-hand accounts of what Trump’s movements in the stadium mean for his fellow coaches.
“In the fourth quarter, if he decides to leave early, your communication gets cut off and shuts down,” he continued. “So, a good friend of mine is [University of Miami head coach] Mario Cristobal. Last year when they’re playing Indiana in the national championship, they had that drive at the end of that game, they had no communications because he was leaving early before the game ended. And so you get no warning. It just cuts out. And so you’ve got to be prepared for that. That is definitely something that is unique that could come up in this ball game.”
Texas enters the game ranked No. 1 in the country, two weeks removed from knocking off previous No. 1 Ohio State in a 24-23 thriller. Tennessee is off to a blistering start as well with a 3-0 record and a No. 14 ranking. The Volunteers are averaging more than 47 points per game and are winning by an average of 33 points.
Since re-entering office in 2025, Trump, 80, has made frequent trips to sporting events. In addition to the 2025-26 College Football Playoff championship game, he also attended the FIFA World Cup final over the summer.
Just weeks after taking the oath of office, he became the first sitting president to ever attend the Super Bowl, watching live as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs.
Before the game, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce reflected on the honor of playing in front of the Commander in Chief.
“That’s awesome. It’s a great honor,” he told reporters. “I think you know, no matter who the president is, I know I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life, you know, and having the president there — it’s the best country in the world — and that’s pretty cool.”
Tennessee and Texas will kick off at noon Saturday on ABC.
