President Donald Trump will attend the college football game between Texas and Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday. He will not have an impact on either team unless he arrives late, decides to use the bathroom or leave his suite to get a hot dog during play, or leaves the stadium before the clock hits zero.
The Volunteers and Longhorns won’t be able to communicate.
This unusual wrinkle happens every time a sitting president attends a college football game or sporting event. It has not been discussed in a larger capacity until this week.
President Trump is going to be in Knoxville for the college football game on Saturday.
College Gameday will be in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday. As will President Trump. It is unclear as to whether the latter is going to appear on the pregame broadcast. That is up to ESPN but seems unlikely at this point.
However, barring an unforeseen change of schedule, President Trump is going to be there for the top-15 matchup. The No. 14-ranked Volunteers host the No. 1-ranked Longhorns as 5.5-point underdogs. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
Security will be heightened because of the expected guest. Tennessee told fans to arrive to the stadium “significantly earlier than they would for a typical game” to avoid any potential slowdowns caused by the presence of Secret Service Police. I would expect that a good amount of people won’t get into the stadium in time for kickoff because of the entrance protocols. I would also expect a mixed reaction among the crowd when President Trump is showed on the video board.
Other than that, its is business as usual. The fan experience won’t be impacted by the President’s visit.
However, the same cannot be said for the players and coaches. They could be impacted at any moment without a warning.
Texas and Tennessee won’t be able to communicate if he uses the bathroom.
Steve Sarkisian is not new to this kind of visit. He called the offense at Alabama when President Trump visited Tuscaloosa to watch the Crimson Tide play the Tigers of LSU during his first term in office on Nov. 9, 2019.
Nothing changes about his approach to the game… unless…
Sarkisian revealed a unique in-game side effect to the visit. The communication will go silent — without any warning — if and when President Trump changes location. That could refer to a late arrival, an early exit, a trip to the bathroom or a stop to buy a hot dog from the concession stand. Everything goes dark.
“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.”
Coaches cannot talk to players. Coaches cannot talk to coaches. Nothing. And you don’t know when it might happen.
“So, you have to have a plan for that, if and or when it happens and you don’t get any warning. It just cuts out. So, you have to have a plan for that and adjust. 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.”
Both teams will be impacted by the sudden interruption but it has a greater impact on the offense than the defense. If President Trump decides to leave his suite for any reason (although I’m sure it has a private bathroom), the coaches’ headsets will drop.