President Trump Met With Roaring Cheers at Tennessee-Texas Football Game

President Donald Trump received a roaring welcome Saturday as he arrived at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville for the highly anticipated college football showdown between the Tennessee Volunteers and Texas Longhorns.

Air Force One flew over the stadium shortly before Trump’s arrival, drawing loud cheers from the massive crowd gathered for the noon kickoff. The president arrived in Knoxville roughly 40 minutes before the game began and made his way to the stadium amid heightened security.

Trump was shown on the stadium video board alongside Republican Tennessee Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. Fans responded with another round of cheers as the president waved to the crowd from his suite.

The matchup brought together No. 1 Texas and Tennessee in one of the biggest games on Saturday’s college football schedule. It also marked the first meeting between the two programs since the 1969 Cotton Bowl and Texas’ first-ever visit to Neyland Stadium.

The University of Tennessee had warned fans in advance to expect additional security because of Trump’s attendance. Stadium gates opened at 9 a.m., three hours before kickoff, and fans were encouraged to arrive early because of increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic around the campus.

The visit also brought extensive federal security measures to Knoxville. The Secret Service worked alongside university and local authorities as tens of thousands of fans packed into Neyland Stadium for the nationally televised SEC matchup.

Trump has made appearances at several major sporting events during his presidency, including college football games, UFC events and other high-profile competitions. His appearance Saturday placed the president in front of one of college football’s largest crowds.

Tennessee entered the game undefeated at 3-0, while Texas also arrived unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the country. The Longhorns entered Neyland Stadium two weeks after defeating Ohio State, adding even more attention to an already heavily anticipated matchup.

Trump’s arrival became a spectacle of its own before the football game began. Videos from inside the stadium showed fans reacting enthusiastically as Air Force One passed overhead and again when the president appeared before the crowd.

The president’s trip to Tennessee came during a busy stretch of public appearances as the administration moves deeper into the fall. For the thousands of fans packed into Neyland Stadium Saturday, Trump’s arrival added another major moment to one of the biggest college football games of the weekend.