Tennessee slashed alcohol and concession prices by half to lure fans through the gates early ahead of President Donald Trump’s visit for Saturday’s showdown with Texas.
The No. 14 Volunteers opened Neyland Stadium at 9 a.m. For the noon kickoff against the top-ranked Longhorns, a full thirty minutes ahead of the usual schedule. Parking lots opened at 6 a.m. The unusual incentive came after Trump announced earlier in the week that he would attend the SEC clash in Knoxville, where ESPN’s “College GameDay” was also set up on campus.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian warned that the president’s presence could scramble on-field communications without warning. Sarkisian said teams were told headsets could be disrupted “anytime [Trump] enters the stadium, leaves the stadium or changes locations within the stadium.”
“They cut the headsets to coaches. They cut headsets for coach-to-player communication. So you have to have a plan for that, if and when it happens, and you get no warning. It just gets cut out,” Sarkisian added. “You have to have a plan to adjust if and when he comes in the middle of the first quarter, leaves in the fourth quarter, or decides he’s got to use the restroom.”
The communications issue was not merely hypothetical. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said during his weekly radio show this week that his headsets went dead during the College Football Playoff championship game in January, which Trump also attended. “Around the seven-minute mark, there were two or three plays we couldn’t hear at all,” Cignetti said. Trump left that game between Indiana and Miami in the fourth quarter; Indiana went on to win.
The White House pushed back on X against the idea that Trump’s departure caused any problems in January. “No, President Trump’s departure from the CFP championship in January did not cause headset or comms issues for the teams,” the X post stated.
For fans who did arrive early Saturday, Tennessee broadcast “College GameDay” on the stadium scoreboard as part of the pregame experience. The school promoted the early opening on social media with a post reading “starting things off bright and early!” alongside a link to game information.
The matchup marked a significant homecoming of sorts for Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who was playing his first NCAA game in the stadium where his uncle Peyton Manning starred for Tennessee in the 1990s.
Tennessee entered the contest undefeated at 3-0, while Texas carried its 3-0 record and No. 1 ranking following a comeback victory over former top-ranked Ohio State two weeks prior.
Trump’s attendance at college football games has become a recurring feature of his public schedule, though his presence requires substantial security coordination that can ripple through game-day operations.