Trump’s Attendance Spurs Radio Challenges for College Football Coaches: Potential ‘Communication Breakdown’

ESPN experienced some apparent technical issues as it broadcast the big College GameDay contest between the Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Volunteers Saturday — right after a reporter explained how President Donald Trump’s attendance at such big football games can lead to communication issues.

ESPN’s Laura Rutledge reported from the sidelines, explaining headsets for coaches and players “could be affected” when Trump moves around Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, due to conflicts with the Secret Service’s radio frequency.

The schools tried to be proactive about the potential challenge, Rutledge noted, adding it’s no guarantee things will go smoothly all game long.

Both squads “worked with the Secret Service so that their radio frequencies are cleared with the Secret Service. they think that the comms should be perfectly okay coach-to-coach,” she reported. “The one concern they have is coach-to-player. But they have worked on all kinds of signaling if that does go down.”

Sources tied to Secret Service told her there is “always going to be electromagnetic deconfliction” when Trump goes to a game. She added, “If we notice there’s a communication breakdown on the field,” ESPN can always take a “TV timeout” to try and sort things out.

And speaking of breakdowns in communication, ESPN’s broadcast ran into some issues right after Rutledge finished her report.

Play-by-play announcer Chris Fowler and commentator Kirk Herbstreit both sounded really fuzzy and muffled as they spoke into their mics, leading Fowler to apologize for the audio problems.

“I don’t know if you’re hearing what we’re hearing, but it’s incredibly static-y,” Fowler said.

ESPN viewers definitely heard what he was hearing.

Rutledge’s report comes a few days after Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Trump’s attendance at the Miami-Indiana national title led to some last-minute radio issues.

“A good friend of mine is [University of Miami coach] Mario Cristobal,” Sarkisian said. “Last year, when they were playing Indiana in the national championship, they had that drive at the end of the game; they had no communications because he was leaving early before the game ended. You get no warning; it just cuts out. You have to be prepared for that.”

Watch above via ESPN.

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