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POTUS Heads To Texas-Tennessee Showdown — But GameDay Has Other Plans

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Photo Credit: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Donald Trump is bound for the Texas-Tennessee showdown Saturday, but the chatter about a surprise “College GameDay” cameo appears headed for disappointment.

The White House confirmed Wednesday that Trump will be in Knoxville for the University of Texas vs. University of Tennessee game, a noon ET matchup between the No. 1 Longhorns and No. 14 Volunteers.

ESPN’s “College GameDay” will also set up in Knoxville for the first regular-season meeting between the two programs.

Trump’s ties to Pat McAfee and Nick Saban had fans guessing that he might join the pregame show as a guest picker or appear on the broadcast before kickoff.

Front Office Sports reported that Trump is not expected to appear on the pregame show. ESPN instead plans to treat him like other major figures at big games, with broadcast shots from a suite during game action, sources told the outlet.

The Knoxville trip brings Trump back to college football for the first time since January’s College Football Playoff National Championship, when Indiana University defeated the University of Miami.

Trump has watched other title games from the stands, including Alabama’s 2018 win over Georgia and LSU’s 2020 victory over Clemson.

He has also gone to multiple Army-Navy games and, earlier this year, signed an executive order titled “Preserving America’s Game.”

The football stop is part of a packed sports stretch for Trump.

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He attended the FIFA World Cup Finals in July, the Daytona 500 in 2020 and 2025 and the Super Bowl in 2025.

Earlier this month, he went to the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg, Ireland.

Trump is also scheduled to serve Sunday as honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago.

He accepted the PGA Tour’s invitation for the role, continuing the tradition of American and other world leaders hosting the biennial team-golf event between the U.S. and players from Asia, Africa, South America and Australia.

Trump also held the honorary chairman title at the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, where he became the second sitting president to attend the event.

Team USA golfers have sounded welcoming about Trump’s expected visit to Medinah, including Wyndham Clark, who described the moment as almost surreal.

“Being an American, having the President of the United States come and watch you play golf is something, as a kid, you don’t ever imagine or fathom happening,” Clark told OutKick on Wednesday. “I just think it’s pretty amazing.”

Clark also told OutKick that Trump called him after he won the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, where he beat Rory McIlroy by one shot.

Trump was out of office at the time, but Clark still remembered the call as “one of the coolest calls of my life.”

“He was so complimentary, just saying how good I played. And honestly, it was amazing. He knew every shot,” Clark said. “He was like, ‘This up-and-down on this hole, this up-and-down on this hole was amazing.’ And he really said a bunch of nice things.”

Sam Burns, who has played golf with Trump a few times, told OutKick his respect is tied to the presidency itself.

“Being an American, I think it’s very important that we do support our president, regardless of your political views,” Burns said. “I think if you look at our country now, it seems more divided than ever, and hopefully we can get back to the point where all Americans come together, and we’re all trying to kind of reach the same goal.”

Burns said he respects anyone who holds the office.

“Anyone who’s the president of this country, I respect that position, obviously,” he said.

For Burns, the Presidents Cup is also about representing the country, teammates, captains and families during weeks that can pass quickly in a career.

“All of us guys that are on this squad, there’s nothing more we want to do than to go out and win and represent our country well,” Burns said. “And that’s the plan this week.”

Trump’s expected sports weekend follows other recent collisions between politics and college football.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) appeared on “College GameDay” earlier this month to promote the Protect College Sports Act before Texas faced No. 1 Ohio State in Austin.

The Longhorns crowd gave Cruz a rough welcome. Students and fans booed as the Texas Republican tried to explain the bill.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) also drew attention from the stands at South Carolina’s Week 3 game at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Mace posted a photo from the packed stadium with the caption “Go COCKS,” wearing black lace, giving a thumbs-up and later adding another post tagged “IYKYK.”

The posts drew memes, comments and questions about her dress, and Mace answered the next day with a roughly 43-second video mocking the criticism after one stadium photo drew millions of views.

“I’ve had some time to reflect on my attendance at a college football game last night and then had the nerve to tweet about it,” Mace said.

Mace directed the video at “all the liberals, libtards, socialists, leftists, and trolls that don’t think women should attend football games or cheer for their team with their college football chant.”

“I want you to know that I’ve unpacked your lived experiences and I’ve centered your truth and your feelings. Your feelings are valid,” Mace said.

“But despite all of that, I’m unburdened by what has been. And so I’m going to attend; I’ve decided I’m going to attend the next football game and enjoy the hell out of it.”

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