The quick history of presidents at college football games

President Donald Trump is expected at Saturday’s Army-Navy Game in Philadelphia.

The game, at Lincoln Financial Field, will be the third college football game Trump’s attended since his election in November 2016. He was at Army-Navy in Baltimore while president-elect and remarked on CBS that it wasn’t “necessarily the best football.” He later showed up at the Alabama-Georgia Playoff National Championship in January 2018.

This trip adds to a long history of presidential visits to college games, which dates at least back to Theodore Roosevelt and includes Richard Nixon’s declaration that 1969 Texas-Arkansas should function as the national title game.

The vast majority of presidential games are Army-Navy, which has at least one high-level executive branch member in attendance every year. That might be the president, the vice president, or the secretary of state or defense.

This unofficial list includes games attended as president-elect. It’s adapted and updated from an earlier version by historian C.J. Schnexnayder at Football Study Hall.

Dec. 8, 2018, Army vs. Navy
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Jan. 8, 2018, Alabama vs. Georgia, Playoff National Championship
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Dec. 10, 2016: Army vs. Navy
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

Dec. 10, 2011: Army vs. Navy
FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

Dec. 6, 2008: Army vs. Navy
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Dec. 4, 2004: Army vs. Navy
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Dec. 1, 2001: Army vs. Navy
Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia

Sept. 27, 1997: Arkansas vs. Louisiana Tech
War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas

Dec. 7, 1996: Army vs. Navy
Veteran’s Stadium, Philadelphia

Jan. 1, 1981: Georgia vs. Notre Dame, Sugar Bowl
Superdome, New Orleans

Nov. 12, 1977: Navy vs. Georgia Tech
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland

Oct. 23, 1976, South Carolina vs. Notre Dame
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.

Oct. 9, 1976, Texas vs. Oklahoma
Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas

Nov. 11, 1974: Army vs. Navy
John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia

Dec. 6, 1969: Texas vs. Arkansas
Razorback Stadium, Fayetteville, Arkansas

Jan. 1, 1963: Alabama vs.. Oklahoma, Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl Stadium, Miami

Dec. 1, 1962: Army vs. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Dec. 2, 1961: Army vs. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Nov. 30, 1957, Army vs. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Nov. 29, 1952, Army vs.. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Dec. 2, 1950, Army vs. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Nov. 26, 1949, Army vs. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Nov. 27, 1948, Army vs. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Nov. 29, 1947, Army vs. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Nov. 30, 1946, Army vs. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Dec. 1, 1945, Army vs. Navy
Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia

Nov. 27, 1926, Army vs. Navy
Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.

Nov. 29, 1913, Army vs. Navy
The Polo Grounds, New York

Nov. 16, 1909, Tulane vs. Ole Miss
New Orleans

Oct. 30, 1909, LSU vs. Sewanee
New Orleans

Dec. 2, 1905, Army vs. Navy
Osborne Field, Princeton, N.J.

Nov. 29, 1902, Army vs. Navy
Franklin Field, Philadelphia

Nov. 30, 1901, Army vs. Navy
Franklin Field, Philadelphia