EO-14396
Preserving America's Game
- Signed
- Mar 20, 2026
- Published
- Mar 25, 2026
Federal Register: 2026-05867
Source: Federal Register.
Directs federal agencies to protect Army-Navy Game broadcast window
What it does
This order directs the Secretary of Commerce and the FCC Chairman to coordinate with college football organizations and broadcast partners to establish an exclusive broadcast window for the Army-Navy Game, during which no other college football game would air. It also directs the FCC Chairman to consider whether broadcast licensees' existing public interest obligations require treating the Army-Navy Game as a national service event. The order does not impose binding rules on private parties but sets a policy goal and initiates a coordination process.
Who benefits
Military service members, veterans, and their families who follow the Army-Navy Game. Cadets and midshipmen at the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) and U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis). Military morale and recruitment programs. Broadcasters holding exclusive Army-Navy Game rights, who would face less scheduling competition. Advertisers and sponsors of the Army-Navy Game broadcast.
Who is affected
College Football Playoff (CFP) organizers and participating schools whose scheduling flexibility would be constrained. Broadcasters and media rights holders for CFP and other postseason games, who could lose prime scheduling slots. Fans of non-military college football programs who prefer to watch CFP games on the second Saturday in December. Schools and athletes in CFP games that might be rescheduled or receive reduced viewership. The NCAA and related organizations, which would face pressure to restructure postseason scheduling.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that the Army-Navy Game is a century-old tradition with unique national significance, and that the president's authority over the executive branch — including the FCC and Commerce Department — allows him to direct agencies to use their existing public interest and coordination tools to protect it. They contend that military morale and the visibility of the service academies are legitimate national interests, and that the order merely initiates a voluntary coordination process rather than imposing mandates on private parties.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that scheduling private college football games is a matter for private organizations and the market, not presidential directive, and that directing the FCC to pressure broadcasters over programming choices raises First Amendment concerns about government interference with editorial and scheduling decisions. They contend that the order's invocation of military morale does not supply a clear statutory or constitutional basis for regulating private broadcast scheduling, and that using the FCC's public interest authority in this manner stretches that authority beyond its intended scope.
Constitutional basis
Executive orders rest on constitutional authority or statutory delegation. This summary describes the legal grounding cited or implied by the order.
The order cites the general vesting clause of Article II and "the laws of the United States" without identifying a specific statute. The FCC's involvement would draw on its public interest authority under the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. §309), which requires broadcast licensees to serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity. The Secretary of Commerce's role would draw on general executive coordination authority. No emergency statute (e.g., IEEPA, NEA) is invoked. The order is reversible by a future president.