Donald Trump is attending the college football championship final in Miami on Monday night, where the Hurricanes meet the Indiana Hoosiers at the Hard Rock Stadium.
Sport has been a central pillar of Trump’s second term as president and he will be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a Miami native who is friends with Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal, for the game, Axios reported.
Trump might be supporting the Hurricanes too as his teenage granddaughter, Kai, is on a golf scholarship in Miami.
But the Hoosiers are strong favorites to win and have Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, the man widely expected to be the No. 1 pick in the draft at the end of April, which is held by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Trump became the first sitting president in history to attend a Super Bowl in February, when he headed to New Orleans to watch the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs, who were on the verge of a three-peat.Â
But he has attended college football’s showpiece game before. In 2018, he watched the first half between Alabama and Georgia at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.Â
Donald Trump and Marco Rubio will be attending Monday’s college football final in Miami
The game sees Miami Hurricanes face Indiana Hoosiers, led by star QB Fernando Mendoza
Trump’s teenage granddaughter Kai is on a golf scholarship with Miami Hurricanes
Trump left at halftime, before Kendrick Lamar – a Trump critic – played the halftime show. This time around, Pitbull is performing in Miami.
As well as attending the Super Bowl, Trump has also made high-profile appearances at the Ryder Cup, NASCAR’s Daytona 500, a Yankees game on the anniversary of 9/11 and UFC 316 since returning to the Oval Office.
It’s a trend that is set to continue in 2026 far beyond the college final. The United States is hosting the World Cup, starting in June where Gianni Infantino, who leads soccer’s governing body FIFA, has gone to to great lengths to forge a friendship with Trump.
The President has also scheduled a UFC event to be held at the White House on June 14, which coincides with his 80th birthday. Trump is close friends with Dana White, the CEO of UFC.
Furthermore, the next Super Bowl is held on February 8 in Santa Clara, just outside of San Francisco. There is no word yet on if Trump will attend but it is possible, given previous form.
As for Monday’s game itself, a Hoosiers victory would complete one of the biggest turnarounds in the history of college football.
When Curt Cignetti was appointed as the team’s head coach in November 2023, they had a miserable 9-26 record since 2020 in three consecutive losing seasons.
Now, lead by Mendoza, the team are on the brink of glory and are 15-0 going into Monday night’s game.
Trump pictured at the Super Bowl back in February, alongside his daughter IvankaÂ
Mendoza grew up in Miami and is now looking to beat his hometown team in the final
Mendoza himself grew up only a mile away from the University of Miami but was remarkably not offered a scholarship by his hometown team.Â
He now stands on the brink of closing his college career with a historic win before entering the NFL.
The Raiders, who are part-owned by Tom Brady, are in desperate need of a franchise-altering quarterback and are nailed on to take Mendoza with their top pick.Â
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Donald Trump to attend Miami Hurricanes vs Indiana Hoosiers college football final on Monday