President Donald Trump and the four major U.S. sports leagues’ commissioners are in conversations to meet at the Oval Office next week, according to a report, as he shares his latest ideas to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
As the parties continue to assess their schedules for an eventual meeting, no exact date has been set.
USA TODAY reached out to the four major leagues and the White House for comment, but did not receive a response prior to publication.
Trump announced in December that part of his plans to honor the United States and its 250th anniversary was to host the very first Patriot Games, which is said to be ‘an unprecedented four-day athletic event’ that will feature high school athletes across the country.
‘I pledge to give America the most spectacular birthday party the world has ever seen for America’s 250th anniversary on July 4, [2026],’ Trump said in December. ‘In the fall we will host the first ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes, one young man and one young woman from each state and territory.’
Trump added: ‘But I promise, there will be no men playing in women’s sports. You’re not going to see that. You’ll see everything but that.’
America 250 from UFC to the NFL
Trump also announced that he plans to host a UFC Fight Night on the lawn in front of the White House in June, featuring eight or nine championship fighters. Coinciding with America 250 is the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which has 11 featured U.S. game sites including New York, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle and Santa Clara of the San Francisco Bay Area.
The NFL announced in November that the league will participate in the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Additionally, ‘America 250’ will be stenciled on the sidelines and officials will use American 250-branded coins for the pregame and overtime coin toss. The coins will be later auctioned off for charity, a league news release said.
‘The NFL is proud to participate in celebrating America’s 250th anniversary,’ Goodell said in a news release. ‘The story of the NFL reflects the story of America, and the American spirit of resilience, innovation and teamwork has helped football grow into a cultural pastime that unites us all. We are excited to honor our country’s history and celebrate our collective future.’
Coaches and staff will receive special commemorative sideline apparel for playoff games, and fans may participate in the celebration through the forthcoming launch of club-specific America 250 fan apparel.
Trump has enjoyed a handful of major sporting events, making appearances at the U.S. Open, the Ryder Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup final, and last year’s Super Bowl.
Most recently, he was in-person for the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship game where the Indiana Hoosiers won by beating the Miami Hurricanes, 27-21, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Jan. 19.
