President Donald Trump is planning to attend the Texas vs. Tennessee game, and Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian is already anticipating it causing problems on the field.
Trump is expected to be inside Neyland Stadium to watch the No. 1 Longhorns and No. 13 Vols clash, a White House official confirmed to USA TODAY. The matchup on Saturday, Sept. 26 is the SEC opener for both teams.
As a result of a sitting U.S. president attending, there will be extra security measured placed in the stadium, and Sarkisian said that has the potential to affect the communication with the team depending on the movement of Trump.
"One thing we have to be aware of is when the president
goes to a game, any time he enters, leaves or changes locations within the stadium, they cut all communication, so they cut your headsets to coaches and they cut headsets with coach to player communication." Sarkisian said during his Zoom availability on Thursday, Sept. 24. "So, you have to have a plan for that, if and or when it happens and you don't get any warning.
"If he comes in the middle of the first quarter and leaves in the fourth quarter or if he decides use the restroom, whatever it is, you have to be prepared for that," he added.
Sarkisian does have experience playing in front of Trump. He was at the 2019 game between LSU and Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium, when Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator of the Crimson Tide.
Trump's entering or leaving the stadium in the middle of the game is certainly plausible, as he notably did that in Super Bowl 59 in 2025, when he left Caesars Superdome in New Orleans in the third quarter of the title match between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. He also did depart early at the 2018 national championship game.
The President has frequently attended college football games, with the last one he was at was the 2026 national championship game in January.
While there is potential for disruption with Texas and even Tennessee, Sarkisian isn't using it as an excuse for his team. He also noted Trump's attendance doesn't change any logistics for the Longhorns, such as travel and gameday operations.
The matchup will be the first time Texas plays in Knoxville, Tennessee, as the previous three meetings with the Volunteers came in the Cotton Bowl (1951, 1953, 1969).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump presence at Texas-Tennessee impacts more than security, Steve Sarkisian says
