League: NCAAF Sport: College Sports Country: United States Category: Match Previews

Stephen A. Smith expresses concern over Trump's attendance at Texas-Tennessee game

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 24, 2026, 8:30 PM

Last updated Sep 24, 2026

Stephen A. Smith expresses concern over Trump's attendance at Texas-Tennessee game

Summary

Stephen A. Smith voiced concerns regarding President Donald Trump's planned attendance at the Texas-Tennessee college football game in Knoxville this weekend. The White House has confirmed Trump's visit, which coincides with ESPN's College GameDay broadcast promoting the Protect College Sports Act. Critics, including Smith, fear Trump may exploit the event to advance this bipartisan bill, which affects student-athlete eligibility and compensation. Smith believes the president's involvement could be detrimental to the interests of student-athletes and opposes one-sided advocacy on the issue.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Key Details

•Trump to attend Texas-Tennessee game confirmed by White House
•GameDay promotes Protect College Sports Act at the same event
•Smith criticizes potential presidential involvement in college sports
•Concerns raised over fairness to student-athletes amidst advocacy efforts
•Smith supports more equitable rules in college athletics

Latest Updates

8:30 PMYahoo Sports — Stephen A. Smith concerned Donald Trump will use Texas-Tennessee attendance to promote Protect College Sports Act

What they're saying

"
With President Donald Trump traveling to this weekend’s premier college football matchup between Texas and Tennessee, Stephen A. Smith doesn’t like it one bit. Clay Travis recently reported that Trump is planning to attend Saturday’s Texas-Tennessee matchup in Knoxville, with the White House later confirming the news to The Athletic. Coincidentally, ESPN’s College GameDay will…
— Yahoo Sports

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