Steve Sarkisian alleges Donald Trump altered 2026 CFP title game communications
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The 2026 College Football Playoff title game came down to the wire and Texas football‘s coach claims Donald Trump had a role in the outcome.
Fernando Mendoza and the Indiana Hoosiers claimed their first national championship in school history after defeating the Miami Hurricanes, 27-21. However, January’s title game may have been affected by the American president’s attendance.
Steve Sarkisian will have to deal with the logistics of Trump reportedly being present at Week 4’s college football showdown between the Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers. Outkick’s Clay Travis reported Wednesday the 80-year-old will be in Knoxville for the game on Saturday.
In the lead up to the game, Sarkisian dropped an interesting tidbit about what teams have to go through when the president is around. That includes an allegation that Trump may have altered key drives during the 2026 CFP finale.
MORE: Donald Trump creates major inconvenience for college football fans at Neyland Stadium
How did Trump affect the college football game?
Trump’s no stranger to sporting events after frequenting UFC fights and even appearing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. However, Sarkisian says he was told by Miami coach Mario Cristobal that last season’s CFP championship game had some intense moments after losing communication during the fourth quarter.
“A good friend of mine is Mario Cristobal,” Sarkisian told the Longhorn Network. “Last year, when they were playing Indiana in the national championship, they had that drive at the end of the game; they had no communications because he was leaving early before the game ended. You get no warning; it just cuts out. You have to be prepared for that.”
Several reports back up Sarkisian’s claims, including that Trump’s movement late in the game altered team communications. However, CBS Sports reveals that it was “only a play or two” and didn’t “notably impact the outcome.”
There’s been some speculation that Trump would be on College GameDay in Week 4. That rumor’s cooled since Johnny Knoxville was named guest picker for the ESPN pregame show.
MORE: Will Donald Trump be College GameDay guest picker? ESPN declines comment
Regardless, Heisman hopeful Arch Manning and Texas need to be prepared for any similar disruptions against Tennessee. It’s unclear how long Trump will be in attendance at Neyland Stadium, but it’s something to watch.
The Longhorns and Volunteers meet in Knoxville on Saturday (12 p.m. ET on ABC) with both SEC teams 3-0 entering the matchup.
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