The No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide will head to Knoxville on Saturday to play No. 14 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, and a prominent member of the U.S. government will attend.
According to the U.S. Department of War website, United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth will attend the Alabama-Tennessee game.
The DOW website stated that Hegseth will speak to University of Tennessee ROTC Cadets as part of his “Send Me” tour.
“The secretary travels to Knoxville, Tennessee, as a part of the Send Me Tour. Secretary Hegseth will speak to the University of Tennessee ROTC Cadets, administer the oath of enlistment to new recruits, and attend the University of Tennessee vs. University of Alabama football game, ” the U.S. Department of War website stated.
Hegseth has served as United States Secretary of Defense for almost two years, having been sworn in on Jan. 25, 2024, after Donald Trump officially became the 47th president of the United States.
Trump Was Supposed to Attend the Alabama vs. Georgia Game
Trump has attended his fair share of college football games while serving as president or running for president. He was even supposed to attend the Week 6 Georgia vs. Alabama game but didn’t because of Hurricane Isaias.
“Based on the fact that a huge Hurricane/Storm is coming, it is important to have our wonderful First Responders, Law Enforcement, and others, focused on that Storm, and in no way be thinking about the safety, or presence, of the President of the United States, ME!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Oct. 9, via The Hill.
Trump attended the Texas vs. Tennessee game in Week 4, a matchup in which the Longhorns took down the Volunteers 20-17.
Alabama is Looking to Get Back on Track
The Crimson Tide suffered their first loss of the season last week to Georgia, and now it’s time to get back on track. Many teams respond well after a tough loss, and no opponent is better than Tennessee.
Tennessee vs. Alabama is one of college football’s oldest rivalries, and Alabama hasn’t done well against them since 2022. Alabama has lost its last two games at Neyland Stadium, once in 2022 and again in 2024. This week won’t be any easier.
Tennessee is in a similar spot to Alabama, with one loss. The loser of this game could face a difficult path to the College Football Playoffs. So this matchup could be considered a playoff play-in game.
Things won’t get any easier for Alabama over the next few weeks: the Crimson Tide host Texas A&M next week, take a bye week, and then head to Baton Rouge to play an LSU team that currently has two losses.
Why Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Will Attend Alabama vs. Tennessee SEC Showdown