The University of Tennessee Police Department is urging all students and fans to arrive to Saturday’s football game far earlier than normal and expect delays due to President Trump’s scheduled attendance.
According to WVLT TV, the University of Tennessee will match up against the University of Texas on Saturday, and the president’s attendance has all eyes on Neyland Stadium. In preparation for the visit, UTPD has implemented stricter security protocols, including enhanced security screenings at every entrance, limiting re-entry, and enforcing a clear bag policy.
The gates will open at 9 a.m. for the noon kickoff, and UTPD urged fans to arrive early as the entry process will take much longer than normal.
UTPD also expects heavy traffic and several roads will be closed in preparation for the president’s arrival.
The Tennessee-Texas game is not the first time President Trump has attended a college football game. He also attended the College Football National Championship between Indiana University and Miami in January.
However, fans aren’t the only ones who might experience changes to the gameday experience due to the president’s attendance. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told ESPN he also expects the team’s headsets and communication to be temporarily cut.
"The one thing that you have to be aware of when the president goes to any game is that anytime he enters the stadium, leaves the stadium or changes locations within the stadium, they cut all communication," Sarkisian said. "So they cut your headsets. 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."
That same cut in communication occurred at the National Championship Game as well as the last time President Trump attended a college football game with Sarkisian on the sideline, between LSU and Alabama in 2019.
