Trump orders TV networks to protect Army-Navy football game

President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order intended to block other college football games from airing at the same time as the annual Army-Navy football game, a move sought by the event’s supporters and one that Trump has acknowledged could face legal challenges.

The president signed the order as he presented the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the Navy football team at the White House. The annual competition recognizes the winner of games between the Army, Navy and Air Force service academies. The Army-Navy game is typically held on the second Saturday in December, but its closely guarded TV window is facing pressure as college sports leaders consider expanding the College Football Playoff. Some proposals have called to shift the Army-Navy game to a different day or to broadcast other games at the same time.

“Nobody’s going to play football for four hours during that very special time of the year, in December. It’s preserved forever for the Army-Navy game,” Trump said, as he prepared to sign the order. He also acknowledged that his plan would probably face legal challenges.

“Of course, we’ll probably get sued at some point,” Trump said. He also mused about having “much more power” in his second term to pursue such changes.

Dozens of Navy midshipmen surrounded Trump as he announced the executive order in the White House’s East Room, clapping and smiling. Supporters of the service academies told the president that they appreciated his order.

“Thank you for signing that executive order protecting the sanctity of the Army-Navy game,” Navy football coach Brian Newberry told the president. “It’s a game with a soul, and it deserves to be protected.”

Trump previewed the order in a January post on social media, framing the move as an act of patriotism. He has regularly attended the game since he was first elected president. The game has also been a ratings boon for CBS, which has broadcast the showdown since 1996.

The president has also become more involved in U.S. sports issues during his second term. He brought college sports leaders to the White House two weeks ago to address recent developments, such as name, image and likeness (NIL) deals that have transformed recruiting and compensation, to the frustration of many fans.

“What’s happened to sports in college?” Trump said then, lamenting recent changes and promising to address them. “It was a beautiful thing, and now it’s very ugly.”

Several telecommunications lawyers and media law experts questioned whether Trump’s new order on the Army-Navy game was legal, citing the First Amendment and other regulations. They also cautioned the administration as it eyes more changes to the college sports landscape.

The White House should bring people together to have needed conversations, Jeffrey Cole, the director of the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, wrote in an email. “But, it should not be a ‘decider.’ If change is needed at the federal level, it should come from legislation.”

Dozens of lawmakers have urged college football leaders to protect the Army-Navy game’s TV window, arguing it helps with national unity and military recruitment.

Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) spearheaded a congressional letter in December 2024 urging college football leaders to “set aside the second Saturday in December in future seasons solely for the Army vs. Navy Game,” arguing that an exclusive TV window was important for patriotism and confidence in the military.

“It is the only sporting event in America where those playing the game are willing to sacrifice their lives for those watching the game,” Sullivan posted on social media last year, as the two teams prepared to play. “It’s important to preserve this as the profit-focused NCAA looks to encroach on this special game and day.”

Sullivan, a retired Marine who chairs the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Naval Academy, joined Trump at the White House on Friday.

Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates TV broadcasts, also attended the event. He told The Washington Post that he supported the president’s order.

“It’s America’s game,” Carr said, noting its high TV ratings and its reported effect on military recruitment and morale. He said he was not worried about possible legal challenges.

“We’re on very solid grounding here,” he said, adding that the executive order called on the FCC and the Commerce Department to work with college football leaders to establish an exclusive window for the game. The order also calls on the FCC to review the public interest obligations of broadcast licensees.

“I think this will land in a really good place,” Carr said.