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President Donald Trump congratulated Indiana and Miami ahead of their College Football Playoff championship game in Florida on Monday night, which he is expected to attend with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In a statement released by the White House, the president said college football reflects “our timeless American values of family, freedom, unity and hard work,” calling it a symbol of the nation’s “spirit.”
President Donald Trump attends the 126th Army-Navy game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on December 13, 2025. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
“For more than 150 years, college football has been a cherished fixture in American culture. Every fall and winter, massive crowds flock to stadiums in college towns across our nation to witness the epic display of loyalty, rivalry, tradition and regional identity erupt in the stands and on the field below. From the very first collegiate match-up in our country, 1869, a ritual love story has gone down Saturday in 1869. Generation to the next and endured as an iconic American institution,” his message read.
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“At its best, college football reflects our timeless American values of family, freedom, unity and hard work and represents the pinnacle of our national spirit.”
Trump, who has become an expected fixture at sporting events in both his first and second terms, wished both teams well as Indiana makes its first appearance in the national title game under second-year coach Curt Cignetti and Miami seeks its sixth title and first in over 25 years.
“Melania and I congratulate the Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes on making it to the College Football Playoff National Championship. God bless the talented players and dedicated coaches, the families who love and support them, and the loyal fans who cheer them on. May the best team win!”
Trump has made sports a priority in his second term, both as a matter of policy and personal interest.
President Donald Trump walks onto the field with Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland, superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, left, and Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte, superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, right, unseen, before the start of the 126th Army-Navy NCAA college football game at M&T Bank Stadium, 2015, Saturday, De Balc Stadium, 2015, Saturday. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
TRUMP ATTENDS COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP GAME IN MIAMI WITH RUBIO
In February, he signed the executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”, which got NCAA to update its policy the following day to limit women’s competition to biological women.
Soon, other sports governing bodies followed suit, but a handful of Democrat-controlled states, notably Maine, California and Minnesota, refused to comply. Legal battles followed, including two heard before the Supreme Court this month — Little v. Hecox and West Virginia v. BPJ
Trump has also spoken at length about the state of college athletics in the world of name, image and likeness (NIL). It was reported in May after a meeting with former Alabama head coach Nick Saban that he was considering an executive order to regulate NIL agreements in college athletics. He then signed the “Saving College Sports” executive order in July, which set new limits on payments to college athletes and implemented requirements that schools stand to preserve resources for non-revenue sports.
Outside of politics, Trump has attended several sporting events in his first year.
President Donald Trump before a game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Army West Point Black Knights at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on December 13, 2025. (Roger Wimmer/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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In April, Trump sat with UFC president Dana White outside the octagon at UFC 314 in Miami and again two months later at UFC 316 in New Jersey. He also attended several events in September, including the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York and a New York Yankees game on September 11, 24 years after the 9/11 attacks. He was also in attendance at the US Open men’s final earlier this month.
Trump attended the Washington Commanders game in November, becoming the first sitting president to attend an NFL regular-season game since 1978, when former President Jimmy Carter was in office.
Top-seeded Indiana, led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, will face Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Monday at 7 p.m. 7:45 PM ET.
