The highly anticipated Texas-Tennessee showdown came with an added dose of ceremony.
As President Donald Trump traveled to Knoxville for the meeting between the top-ranked Longhorns and No. 14 Volunteers, Air Force One performed a flyover of Neyland Stadium shortly before 11:30 a.m. ET.
Trump landed at 11:28 a.m., just over 30 minutes before the scheduled noon kickoff. A pool report said he reached the stadium at 11:59 a.m.
About halfway through the opening quarter, ESPN showed the president watching the game from his suite.
Trump has regularly attended high-profile sporting events during his two presidential terms. His appearances have included Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs at Madison Square Garden, as well as this summer’s World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium.
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He was also in attendance for the College Football Playoff championship game in January, when Indiana capped an unbeaten season by defeating Miami.
Even without the president’s planned visit, the matchup had no shortage of intrigue. Texas entered the game with a strong record, while quarterback Arch Manning, considered a likely top-five NFL draft selection, looked to continue his impressive start.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday that both programs needed backup plans in case normal communication systems were disrupted.
“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 said.
“They cut headsets to coaches. They cut headsets to coach-to-player communication. So you have to have a plan for that if and/or when, and you get no warning. So that just gets cut out.”