Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian says President Donald Trump’s movement inside the stadium caused a brief communications disruption during last season’s College Football Playoff National Championship between Miami and Indiana.
Sarkisian discussed the issue Thursday while preparing for No. 1 Texas’ upcoming road game against No. 14 Tennessee, which President Trump is expected to attend. Sarkisian said presidential security movements can temporarily interfere with stadium communications, including the headset systems coaches rely on during games.
The comments drew attention because Sarkisian connected the issue to Miami’s 27-21 loss to Indiana in the national championship game.
Sarkisian Says Miami Lost Communication
Sarkisian said Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, a longtime friend and former colleague from their time working under Nick Saban, experienced the communications issue during the championship game.
According to Sarkisian, Miami temporarily lost headset communication while President Trump was leaving the stadium. Sarkisian initially suggested the disruption occurred during Miami’s late attempt to rally against Indiana.
That part of the story, however, is disputed.
CBS Sports reported that multiple people within Miami’s football program confirmed there was a brief communications interruption during the fourth quarter, but sources disagreed about exactly when it happened. Two Miami sources told CBS Sports the interruption did not occur during the Hurricanes’ final possession.
The Miami sources also said the outage lasted only a play or two and did not determine the outcome of the game.
Indiana Also Experienced Headset Problems
Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti separately confirmed that communication was briefly lost during the fourth quarter.
Cignetti told ESPN that the headset issue occurred around the 6:45 mark of the fourth quarter and that communication returned shortly afterward. ESPN reported that the disruption did not continue through the final minutes of the game.
That timeline supports the existence of a communications problem but differs from Sarkisian’s initial recollection that Miami was without communication during its final drive.
Miami’s Final Drive Ended With an Interception
Miami trailed Indiana 27-21 with less than two minutes remaining and drove into Hoosiers territory with a chance to take the lead.
On first-and-10 from the Indiana 41-yard line, Miami quarterback Carson Beck attempted a deep pass that defensive back Jamari Sharpe intercepted, effectively securing Indiana’s national championship victory.
Based on the accounts from Miami and Indiana officials, the headset interruption appears to have happened earlier in the fourth quarter rather than during that decisive possession.
Sarkisian Preparing Texas for Similar Issues
Sarkisian brought up the story because President Trump is expected to attend Texas’ game at Tennessee.
The Texas coach said his program plans to be prepared for possible communications interruptions associated with presidential security movements. Sarkisian previously coached in a game attended by President Trump when he was Alabama’s offensive coordinator during the 2019 Alabama-LSU matchup.
The University of Texas also listed Sarkisian’s Sept. 24 media availability as part of its official football coverage ahead of the Tennessee matchup.
The unusual situation adds another logistical concern for teams hosting a sitting president. Still, the available accounts do not support the conclusion that the communications issue decided Miami’s loss to Indiana. Miami sources described the outage as brief, while Indiana’s account indicates communication returned well before the championship game’s final possession
Source: CBS Sports Headlines
