Austin, September 24 — Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday that college football coaches can lose headset communication whenever President Donald Trump enters a stadium, leaves a stadium or changes locations within a stadium, a logistical wrinkle the Longhorns will have to prepare for when they face Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. Sarkisian made the comments during a Zoom call, according to reporting updated September 25.
“The one thing that you have to be aware of when the president goes to any game is that any time he enters the stadium, leaves the stadium or changes locations within the stadium, they cut all communication,” Sarkisian said. “So they cut your headsets.
They cut the headsets to coaches. They cut headsets for coach-to-player communication. So you have to have a plan for that, if and when it happens, and you get no warning.
It just gets cut out.”
Two Staffs, One Problem
The disruption could affect both Texas staffs. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp calls the defense’s plays from the sideline, while Sarkisian communicates the offense’s plays directly to quarterback Arch Manning. Sarkisian said he texted Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, a good friend, for guidance on how Cristobal managed Trump attending the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
“Last year, when they were playing Indiana in the national championship, they had that drive at the end of the game; they had no communication because he was leaving early before the game ended,” Sarkisian said. “You get no warning; it just cuts out.
You have to be prepared for that.”
What Was Said About the Title Game
Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti pushed back Thursday against claims that a loss of communication decided the result, saying Trump’s departure caused a brief communication issue earlier in the fourth quarter. “President Trump left the game around the seven-minute mark in the fourth quarter, there were two or three plays we couldn’t hear at all,” Cignetti said.
“The second play was when they gave the ball to (Malachi) Toney, pitched it to him, for the touchdown with 6:37 to go.” Cignetti added that claims the communication device went down on Miami’s final offensive drive were not accurate: “What’s floating around on social media is, the communication device went down on Miami’s last drive of the game on offense. ‘Oh really?’ So I had to dispel that.” The White House Rapid Response account also disputed that Trump’s departure affected Miami’s headset communication on the final drive, posting: “No, President Trump’s departure from the CFP championship in January did not cause headset or comms issues for the team.”
The Plan Sarkisian Wants
Sarkisian said the key is simply being ready for the possibility the headsets go silent. “You have to have a plan to adjust if and when he comes in the middle of the first quarter, leaves in the fourth quarter, or decides he’s got to use the restroom, whatever that looks like,” Sarkisian said. “You’ve got to be prepared to have no communication for a short amount of time.” Texas and Tennessee meet Saturday at Neyland Stadium, where Sarkisian’s staff will find out whether the plan holds.
