Say what you will about the current state of the economy or waging foreign wars, but Donald Trump has followed through on at least one promise during his second administration. He has issued an executive order to preserve an exclusive timeslot for the Army-Navy Game.
With the impending expansion of the College Football Playoff, there have been concerns that a new schedule could impact the game’s standalone date following conference championship weekend and before the bowl season gets underway.
After attending the 2025 game, Trump said in January that he planned to issue an order that would seek to make sure that would not happen. That came to fruition on Friday as Trump signed off on the executive order.
🚨 @POTUS signs an Executive Order preserving the traditional timeslot on the second Saturday of December exclusively for the @ArmyNavyGame.
Here is the text of the Order:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of… pic.twitter.com/wbG0DcBm1d
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 20, 2026
The text of the executive order was shared on one of the administration’s social media accounts and reads in full:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. For over a century, the Army-Navy Game, known as “America’s Game,” has stood as a symbol of excellence and the American spirit. Now, the recent and potentially ongoing expansion of the College Football Playoffs (CFP) and other postseason college football games threatens to encroach upon the second Saturday in December — a date traditionally reserved exclusively for “America’s Game.” 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. Accordingly, it is the policy of the United States that no college football game, specifically college football’s CFP or other postseason games, be broadcast in a manner that directly conflicts with the Army‑Navy Game.
Sec. 2. Implementation. (a) The Secretary of Commerce and the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) shall coordinate with the CFP Committee, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, related organizations, other appropriate Government agencies, and the playoffs’ broadcast and media rights partners with the goal of establishing an exclusive window for the Army-Navy Game, during which no other college football game is broadcast. (b) The Chairman of the FCC shall consider reviewing the public interest obligations of broadcast licensees to determine whether those obligations would require that the Army-Navy Game remain a national service event.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. (d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of War.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 20, 2026.
While Trump can issue this executive order, it remains to be seen just whether or not college football schedule makers and networks truly have to abide by it when push comes to shove in a legal sense. It doesn’t even specify whether it applies to all levels of college football or just the FBS given FCS playoff games took place on the same date as Army-Navy last year. One interested party who will celebrate Trump putting his thumb on the scale will be the Ellison family. The Trump backers who own the rapidly expanding Paramount Global empire have the rights to the Army-Navy Game on CBS through 2038 and an exclusive window will ensure they continue to attract a big audience for the annual contest.
Already, Trump has talked a big game on issuing executive orders around NIL and the transfer portal after his made-for-TV college football panel accomplished very little in Washington DC just a couple weeks ago. Trump’s “Saving College Sports” executive order from last summer has done next to nothing to actually advance any kind of problem solving in college athletics.
The Army-Navy Game is a great American tradition. And it is certainly worthy of having its own timeslot and being celebrated. But will a Donald Trump proclamation actually accomplish that? Given his overall record with executive orders, the jury is certainly still out.
About Matt Yoder