Sept. 25, 2026, 11:58 p.m. ET
All eyes will be on No. 13 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Texas on Saturday, Sept. 26, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town. It won’t be “GameDay” stealing the show in Knoxville, Tennessee, though.
President Donald Trump will be in attendance for the big-time game, although “Jackass” co-creator Johnny Knoxville will serve as the celebrity guest picker for “GameDay.”
Trump has attended multiple college football games during his presidency, including Indiana’s national championship win over Miami in 2025 and Army-Navy, to name a few. His attendance provides a logistical issue for both the Longhorns and Vols, as headset communication for both teams will be temporarily shut off when Trump enters, exits or moves locations in the stadium, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian revealed Sept. 24.
Tennessee legend Peyton Manning, the uncle of current Texas quarterback Arch Manning, will also appear on “College GameDay” for Pat McAfee’s field-goal challenge. It’ll be a who’s who of names on Tennessee’s campus Saturday morning.
With Trump making the surprising appearance at the game, is there a chance he could be on ESPN’s pregame show? It wouldn’t be the first time a politician appeared on the show, as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was on “GameDay” in Week 2 for the Longhorns’ game against Ohio State.
Here’s what to know of Trump and “College GameDay” heading to Knoxville, Tennessee, in Week 4:
Is Trump going to be on ‘College GameDay’ for Tennessee vs Texas?
Trump will likely be shown on the show in some capacity, but he won’t appear on “College GameDay” alongside the crew or as the celebrity guest picker.
“We do not anticipate the President joining College GameDay in Knoxville,” an ESPN spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports. “I would also like to add that it’s customary to acknowledge certain VIPs who are in attendance at games, especially if our cameras capture video of them on the field or in their seats. Otherwise, our coverage will be focused on the game itself.”
McAfee also said on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Sept. 25 that Trump being the guest picker was never realistic.
“Think about where we’re at,” he said. “We’re out on the field because the game is starting at noon. The amount of things – they’re cutting off radio signals whenever this guy moves in the building.”
McAfee later added:
“Could you imagine trying to figure that out? He’s sitting on the field. … Eighth-largest stadium in the world. I think that’s a lot.”
Who is the guest picker for Tennessee-Texas on ‘College GameDay’
Johnny Knoxville, a co-creator of the famed “Jackass” series, will serve as the guest picker for Tennessee-Texas.
The Knoxville native is a Vols fan and has appeared at multiple games over the years.
“This is one of the best calls I’ve ever gotten in my life from you, to be the guest picker at Tennessee,” Knoxville said during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Sept. 24. “I bleed orange. I’m rather excited to be the guest picker this weekend.”
