American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti praised President Donald Trump after Trump signed an executive order to protect the exclusive broadcasting window for the annual Army-Navy football game.

Pernetti expressed the conference’s “deep gratitude” for the order.

“The American Conference is deeply grateful to President Trump for his strong leadership in issuing the historic executive order to preserve America’s Game,” Pernetti said in a statement.

“This is a meaningful step that protects a cherished national tradition and reinforces what makes the Army-Navy Game so special to our country.

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“The Army-Navy Game represents far more than football. It honors our service academies, highlights the character and commitment of our future leaders and brings Americans together around values that matter deeply, including service and sacrifice.

“This executive order is a positive step for the sport, for our service academies and for the enduring legacy of America’s Game. We are proud to be a part of the team working to protect it.”

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President Donald Trump is escorted onto the field to take part in the ceremonial coin toss before the start of a game between Army and Navy at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore Dec. 13, 2025. (Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo)

Trump signed the order Friday as he presented the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the Navy football team in the East Room of the White House. The order directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Commerce to coordinate with relevant parties, including the NCAA, the College Football Playoff (CFP) and broadcast partners, to secure an exclusive broadcast window for the standalone game.

The executive order came amid growing concerns that an expanding College Football Playoff calendar could encroach on the game’s traditional date, which since 2009 has been played exclusively on the second Saturday in December.

The classic rivalry, first played in 1890, has been played annually since 1930 and typically draws 7 million to 8 million viewers, making it one of the highest-rated regular-season games in college football. The current television agreement with CBS Sports runs through 2038.

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President Donald Trump tosses a coin before a game between the Army and Navy in Baltimore Dec. 13, 2025.  (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump, who has attended multiple Army-Navy games as president, framed the move in January as an act of patriotism, writing on social media, “Under my Administration, the second Saturday in December belongs to Army-Navy, and ONLY Army-Navy!”

As the postseason structure of college football continues to evolve, this executive order signals a significant commitment by the administration to maintain the standalone grandeur of a matchup defined by the phrase “sing second.”

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The first round of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament continues on Friday — and we’re tracking how every game was decided.

As every winner’s second-round matchup is set, ESPN’s reporters will also break down each team’s keys for advancing to the Sweet 16.

Go to: Live tracker

How Alabama won: Without their second-leading scorer and their best 3-point shooter, Aden Holloway — who was arrested Monday on felony drug charges — the Crimson Tide were forced to rely on sophomore guard Labaron Philon Jr. He responded, putting up 29 points with eight rebounds and seven assists in the 20-point victory. The Pride did not go quietly, though, with freshman guard Preston Edmead putting up 24 points and going 5-of-10 from behind the arc, with four rebounds and four assists. — Jenna Laine

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How Iowa State won: Take your pick from any number of ways that Iowa State rolled Tennessee State. The Cyclones dominated in virtually every category, though the discrepancy on the glass was particularly notable. At one point late in the second half, Iowa State had more offensive rebounds than Tennessee State had defensive rebounds. Another telling stat: Iowa State scored the game’s first 45 bench points. Looking ahead to Sunday’s game against Kentucky, that depth could be the difference given how reliant the Wildcats were on Otega Oweh in their dramatic first-round win. That depth might also be needed if Joshua Jefferson remains out with a left leg injury — he left early in the first half and eventually sat out the rest of the game with a boot. — Ben Baby

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How Virginia won: Virginia escaped a scare and advanced to the second round with a come-from-behind win. Senior guard Jacari White took over down the stretch, scoring 15 of his season-high 26 points in the second half, using his gravitational pull to create easy baskets for his teammates. Those 26 points are the most by a Virginia player in an NCAA tournament game since De’Andre Hunter had 27 in the 2019 championship game against Texas Tech, per ESPN Research. White’s six made 3-pointers also tied London Perrantes (2016 Elite Eight) for most by a Virginia player in an NCAA tournament game. — Tim McManus

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How Arizona won: Arizona’s first-round matchup against 16-seeded Long Island proved to be a tepid warmup for the Wildcats, who dominated every facet of the game on their way to a commanding victory. It’s striking how big they are in person, and they used every bit of their size to their advantage, outrebounding the Sharks 52-31 and scoring 50 points in the paint while adding 10 blocks to boot. Ivan Kharchenkov waltzed his way to a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double while on the perimeter. And freshman Brayden Burries brought the firepower, leading all scorers with 18 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3. It was the ideal start for a team with hopes (and expectations) for a deep tournament run. — Paolo Uggetti

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How Texas Tech won: Akron closed the gap to four points midway through the second half, but Texas Tech — playing without All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin — shot better than 75% in the second half to run away with it. (Forward LeJuan Watts, who led with six rebounds, also fouled out with under 10 minutes to go.) Freshman guard Jaylen Petty put up a career-best 24 points (5-of-7 from 3), and the Raiders held the Zips’ top-10 scoring offense that had averaged 88.4 points per game during the regular season to just 71 points. — Jenna Laine

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How Kentucky won: Add what Otega Oweh did to the list of great performances in Kentucky’s tournament history. Oweh scored a career-high 35 points to send the 7-seed Wildcats to the next round. Oweh’s midcourt prayer that banked through the net at the buzzer sent the game into overtime and helped the Wildcats avoid the upset. Oweh fueled Kentucky’s offense and held off a balanced Santa Clara attack that was led by Elijah Mahi and Allen Graves. Graves thought he had the game winner with two seconds left. But Oweh made sure he and the Wildcats had the last word. — Ben Baby

GREENVILLE, S.C. — After nearly three weeks on the sideline with a foot injury, Duke big man Patrick Ngongba II could be back in the lineup for the Blue Devils’ second-round game against TCU on Saturday.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer said he’s “hopeful” Ngongba will play, although he said the sophomore still had some hurdles to clear during Friday’s practice and overnight recovery.

“He needs to practice,” Scheyer said. “He needs to just be on the floor and move the way that he needs to be successful. He’s been ramping up and doing a really good job. We just want to make sure he’s feeling right to play at a high level — not just to be out there, but to be him.”

Assuming Ngongba is fit to return, Scheyer said he is eager to get his center on the court as much as possible.

With Ngongba and guard Caleb Foster out with injuries the past few weeks, Duke has managed with a seven-man rotation, playing several key players — including Cameron Boozer — out of position to fill gaps. Ngongba, who is averaging 10.7 points, six rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, would free Boozer to be less of a rim protector as Duke looks to advance to the Sweet 16.

Ngongba hasn’t played since March 2 against NC State.

“We want Pat to be out there as much as he can,” Scheyer said. “He’s a game changer for our team. He’s one of the most impactful players in the country. … I’m sure there will be some plays that he hasn’t played in a little while. I hate to call it rust, but I’m sure some things that he has to work through. But at the end of the day, he just changes the dynamic of our team where other guys aren’t playing out of position as much. We’re able to get a better rotation. And you have a guy who’s a big-time rim threat. His passing, his pick-and-roll defense, his rim protection, he does a lot for our team that changes the dynamic of who we are.”

“Again, we’ve done a great job of managing without him, stepping up. We have had seven really good players that have managed, but we need to become complete. That’s the thing that we want to do.

Getting back to something approaching full health is one key for the Blue Devils’ title run, but simply playing with the right energy and emotion is another, players said Friday after watching film of a narrow opening-round escape against 16-seed Siena.

Several Duke players lamented a lack of energy and a poor approach early in the game against the Saints — a game the Blue Devils trailed by 11 at the half.

That won’t happen again, Scheyer said.

“You have to go into this thing as the aggressors,” Scheyer said. “That’s why we’ve been really good and we’ve had the year that we’ve had. For us it’s all about getting back to ourselves, nothing other than doing what we’ve done, defending, rebounding, the whole thing. Our talk and energy, I can tell you it will be back tomorrow. I know these guys, and it will be back the way it needs to be.”