Trump signs order telling TV networks to protect Army-Navy football game

WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that aims to block other college football games from airing during the annual Army-Navy football game.

Trump signed the order as he presented the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy to the Navy football team at the White House. The award honors the winner of round-robin competition between the Army, Navy and Air Force service academies.

The Army-Navy game is typically held on the second Saturday in December, a TV window at threat of being encroached on by the expanding College Football Playoff and other postseason games.

“Such scheduling conflicts weaken the national focus on our Military Service Academies and detract from a morale-building event of vital interest to the Department of War,” the order says.

Trump has regularly attended the game since his first term in office, including this year’s game where he stood on the field with service members during the national anthem and participated in the coin toss. Navy won the most recent game 17-16 over Army at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore this year.

The president had signaled he would sign the order after attending last year’s game, saying it was at risk of being pushed aside by “Big TV Money.”

“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 on Friday ahead of the signing.

The order is likely to face legal challenges under First Amendment grounds, which the president acknowledged in his remarks. Dozens of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have pushed for college football leadership to honor the exclusive TV window, which they argue helps with national unity and military recruitment.

Navy coach Brian Newberry thanked the president for signing the order.

“It’s a game with a soul, and it deserves to be protected,” Newman said.