Donald Trump making plans to attend Penn State vs. Ohio State football game. What to know
Former President Donald Trump is already scheduled to visit Penn State’s campus Saturday for a campaign rally — but it may not be long before Trump returns to Happy Valley.
The Republican presidential candidate is also making plans to attend the Nittany Lions’ home college football game Nov. 2 against Ohio State, the university confirmed Thursday to the CDT.
“The University has been notified that a private citizen has invited former President Donald Trump to attend the Ohio State-Penn State football game as a guest in their suite,” spokesman Wyatt DuBois wrote in an email. “The U.S. Secret Service is working with University Police and Public Safety and other state and local law enforcement on safety and security measures that are put into place around the presence of presidential candidates.
“With that in mind, we encourage fans, anyone visiting campus, and all those attending the game to arrive early to the game or to their intended destinations.”
The Big Ten matchup is set to kick off noon Nov. 2 on Fox.
Rumors of Trump’s potential attendance circulated throughout the State College area this week. Earlier Thursday afternoon, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported on Trump’s Penn State plans. And on Tuesday during a State College stop on the “Team Trump Bus Tour” — which included surrogates but not Trump nor VP candidate JD Vance — one official even hinted at the possibility.
“If we’re lucky, maybe the boss will make an appearance at your game,” Kash Patel, former Defense Department chief of staff under Trump, told a crowd of at least 70 supporters when discussing the contest against the Buckeyes.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. But it hasn’t been uncommon, at least in Happy Valley, for campaign appearances and events to be officially announced just a few days before they occur.
A Trump communications official informed the CDT about the local bus tour stop two days before the event. Trump’s rally this upcoming Saturday was announced four days prior to its kickoff. And even Kamala Harris’ previous campaign event here — where U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke downtown — wasn’t initially known until 2-3 days beforehand.
Trump’s reasons for another potential visit seem clear. Pennsylvania is seen as a key battleground state in the presidential election — it holds 19 electoral votes — and Centre County is almost evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. Plus, Penn State’s Beaver Stadium is one of the largest stadiums in the world, and the Nov. 2 game against Ohio State is expected to be one of the weekend’s most-watched.
Penn State (6-0) is set to visit Wisconsin (5-2) this Saturday, while Ohio State (5-1) will host Nebraska (5-2), before the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions meet in Happy Valley on Nov. 2. Penn State is ranked No. 3 in the latest AP Top 25 College Football Poll, while Ohio State is No. 4.
Trump previously attended the Georgia vs. Alabama game on Sept. 28. Alabama, the home team, won 41-34.
This story was originally published October 24, 2024 at 4:42 PM.
