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UConn men’s basketball head coach Dan Hurley floated the idea of the team playing a game at the White House given the success of the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn.
Hurley was in Washington, DC, and was contacted by TMZ, who asked him if he would like to see a Huskies basketball game played on the White House lawn next.
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Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley stands with forward Alex Karaban and guard Solo Ball before playing the Michigan Wolverines in the men’s NCAA Tournament national championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 6, 2026. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)
“That would be good,” Hurley said. “I think UConn should definitely be in, UConn-Duke. … Yeah, that would be pretty cool. I’m definitely down.”
The UFC fights coincided with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
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Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley talks to an official during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines in the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament national championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., April 6, 2026. (Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images)
The estimated 4,300 in attendance, which included about 1,200 active-duty service members, greeted the president with loud cheers as occasional shouts of “Happy Birthday” came from the crowd.
The event started with the Marine Band’s performance of the national anthem, sung by Zac Brown, and concluded with a flyover by the Navy’s Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds.
“It was beyond anything anyone has ever seen in sports,” the president briefly remarked to reporters as he left the White House ahead of Monday’s G7 summit in France.
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 4, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
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Many of the fighters thanked Trump for having the “courage” to take on the spectacle, while the majority of the victors jogged ringside to shake his hand or say a word after their respective bouts. The patriotic atmosphere set the tone for the remaining America 250 festivities coming to Washington, DC, later this summer.
