'Unofficial history' of U.S. Presidents attending college football games

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Presidents of the United States attending college football games has become a tradition.

For the second time as president, President Donald Trump will attend the College Football Playoff national championship. The 45th and 47th U.S. president will be in attendance for the national title game between No. 1 Indiana (15-0) and No. 10 Miami (13-2) at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday, Jan. 19, in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Trump also attended the 2018 National Championship game between SEC rivals Alabama and Georgia on Jan. 8, 2009, from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Trump attended six games during his first stint in office, from 2016 to 2020, and this will mark his second game during his second term. While former President Joe Biden did not attend a college football game during his four years, U.S. Presidents at college football games has been a norm since Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency.

Here’s a look at the “unofficial history” of the U.S. Presidents at college football games, including the history of presidents at the annual Navy-Army game:

Donald Trump, 45th president (2017-2021)

The 2026 national championship game will be the seventh game Trump will attend while he has been in office over his two terms. It will also be his second national title game, as he attended the Alabama-Georgia game in 2018 in Atlanta.

Trump is also the first president-elect on record to attend games in 2016 and 2024.

Jan. 19, 2026: Indiana vs. Miami, Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami Gardens, Florida
Dec. 13, 2025: Army vs. Navy at M&T Bank Stadium, in Baltimore, Maryland
Dec. 14, 2024: Army vs. Navy at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland*
Sept. 28, 2024: Alabama vs. Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama**
Sept. 11, 2023: Iowa vs. Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa**
Dec. 12, 2020: Army vs. Navy at Michie Stadium, U.S. Military Academy in Highland Falls, New York
Jan. 13, 2020: Clemson vs. LSU at New Orleans at Superdome, New Orleans
Dec. 14, 2019: Army vs. Navy at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Nov. 9, 2019: Alabama vs. LSU at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Dec. 8, 2018: Army vs. Navy at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Jan. 8, 2018: Alabama vs. Georgia, Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Dec. 10, 2016: Army vs. Navy at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore*

*Trump was the president-elect while at the game

**Trump was a presidential candidate when at the game

Barack Obama, 44th president (2009-2017)

Obama attended just one game during his eight years in the Oval Office:

Dec. 10, 2011: Army vs. Navy at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

George W. Bush, 43rd president (2001-10)

Bush attended three Army-Navy games while he served in office:

Dec. 6, 2008: Army vs. Navy at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Dec. 4, 2004: Army vs. Navy at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Dec. 1, 2001: Army vs. Navy at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia

Bill Clinton, 42nd president (1993-2001)

In addition to attending an Army-Navy game in 1996, Clinton also took in an Arkansas game in 1997. Clinton served as the Arkansas governor for 12 years before becoming president.

Sept. 27, 1997: Arkansas vs. Louisiana Tech at War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas
Dec. 7, 1996: Army vs. Navy at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia

Jimmy Carter, 39th president (1977-81)

Carter ― a Georgia native ― attended two different Georgia school games as president.

Jan. 1, 1981: Georgia vs. Notre Dame, Sugar Bowl at Superdome, New Orleans
Nov. 12, 1977: Navy vs. Georgia Tech at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland

Gerald Ford, 38th president (1974-77)

While Ford attended the Army-Navy game in 1974, he also attended two other games that did not feature the two programs:

Oct. 23, 1976: South Carolina vs. Notre Dame at Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.
Oct. 9, 1976: Texas vs. Oklahoma at Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas
Nov. 11, 1974: Army vs. Navy at John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia

Richard Nixon, 37th president (1969-74)

Nixon attended what was then deemed the “Game of the Century” between Texas and Arkansas.

Dec. 6, 1969: Texas vs. Arkansas at Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas

John F. Kennedy, 35th president (1961-63)

Kennedy was the first president to attend an Alabama football game. He also became the first president since Truman to attend Army-Navy games in back-to-back years.

Jan. 1, 1963: Alabama vs. Oklahoma, Orange Bowl at Orange Bowl Stadium, Miami
Dec. 1, 1962: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia
Dec. 2, 1961: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Dwight Eisenhower, 34th president (1953-61)

Eisenhower attended one game when in office:

Nov. 30, 1957: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Harry S. Truman, 33rd president (1945-53)

Truman attended seven Navy-Army games. He missed the 1951 matchup because he was on vacation, according to The Washington Post and New York Times. Supreme Court Justice Fred M. Vinson and four Cabinet members attended the game in his place.

Nov. 29, 1952: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia
Dec. 2, 1950: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia
Nov. 26, 1949: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia
Nov. 27, 1948: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia
Nov. 29, 1947: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia
Nov. 30, 1946: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia
Dec. 1, 1945: Army vs. Navy at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Calvin Coolidge, 30th president (1923-29)

Coolidge attended one college football games as president:

Nov. 27, 1926: Army vs. Navy at Soldier Field, Chicago

Woodrow Wilson, 28th president (1913-21)

Wilson attended one college football game:

Nov. 29, 1913: Army vs. Navy at The Polo Grounds, New York

William Howard Taft, 27th president (1909-13)

According to historians, Taft appeared at a pair of games in New Orleans during his presidency.

Nov. 16, 1909: Tulane vs. Ole Miss in New Orleans
Oct. 30, 1909: LSU vs. Sewanee in New Orleans

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president (1901-09)

Roosevelt was the first sitting president to attend a college football game. He attended three during his presidency:

Dec. 2, 1905: Army vs. Navy at Osborne Field in Princeton, New Jersey
Nov. 29, 1902: Army vs. Navy at Franklin Field in Philadelphia
Nov. 30, 1901: Army vs. Navy at Franklin Field in Philadelphia

Army-Navy Presidential attendance history

Roosevelt began the tradition of a sitting U.S. president attending the annual matchup between Army and Navy. According to the Washington Post, the 26th president of the country arrived right before kickoff for the Army-Navy game in 1901. Since then, nine presidents ― including Trump ― have attended the game.

Eisenhower is the only president who has appeared in the game as a player, playing for Army in 1912. Meanwhile, Truman ― a former Army major and reserve colonel ― holds the record for having attended seven Army-Navy games. He alternated which cheering section he sat with each season.

Trump himself has been to six Army-Navy games, including an appearance on Dec. 13, 2025. He has attended four of them as the president, two as the president-elect.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Unofficial history’ of U.S. Presidents attending college football games

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