Former President Donald Trump, who had planned to attend this weekend’s much-anticipated Penn State vs. Ohio State football game, is no longer expected to make an appearance.
As Penn State University confirmed to PennLive, the former president’s schedule has changed, and he won’t be joining fans at Beaver Stadium for the nationally televised faceoff between the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions.
News of Trump’s planned attendance originally broke last week, when reports surfaced that the former president would be visiting Happy Valley for the high-stakes matchup between the two teams ranked inside the top-four of the nation.
This game was viewed as an opportunity for Trump to make a notable appearance in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state. Trump, the Republican nominee, had already been actively campaigning in Pennsylvania, with recent events held at the state’s iconic Bryce Jordan Center. For Trump supporters, the game would have offered another chance to see him while cheering for their team.
Penn State University’s Director of Public Relations, Wyatt Russell, confirmed to PennLive that Trump’s team notified the University of the schedule change.
“The University has been notified that former President Donald Trump will no longer be attending the Ohio State-Penn State football game,” Russell told Penn Live.
Election Day for the U.S. Presidency and a whole host of other positions across various local, state, and national races is this coming Tuesday, November 5.
Penn State and Ohio State are set to kickoff at noon on FOX. The Nittany Lions come into the game with a perfect 7-0 record, while Ohio State is sitting at 6-1.
The winner of this game will firmly put themselves in third place of the Big Ten standings, just behind Oregon (8-0, 5-0) and Indiana (8-0, 5-0) as we head down the stretch of the season. The winner will also be set up nicely for an at-large College Football Playoff berth, but that's not to say that the loser will be out of the 12-team playoff field by any means.