Ryan Day Confirms CFP Champion Ohio State Will Visit White House in April

In President Donald Trump's first term, it was chic for sports champions to turn down White House invitations.

Not anymore.

Ohio State, which won college football's national championship in January, became the latest to accept one of the biggest honors you can receive in sports.

Head coach Ryan Day confirmed in a press conference on Monday that his Buckeyes would visit Trump at the White House on April 14.

Like Trump, 2024 represented quite a comeback for Day. In December, the Buckeyes were reeling after losing a fourth straight game to Michigan. Many called for Day to be fired, saying only a national title could save his job.

Day put the talk to rest by doing just that.

The Buckeyes went on a roll after their loss to the Wolverines, finishing the regular season with a resounding win over Tennessee, then beating Oregon and Texas by a combined score of 111-52 in the College Football Playoff before withstanding a ferocious second-half comeback by Notre Dame to win their eighth national championship.

"Yeah, it's an honor to be invited. We were formally invited," Day said. "I remember growing up and watching the national championship teams go to the White House. I always looked at that, like, 'Man, what an honor that would be.' So, it's part of the celebration of our team. ... Looking forward to getting that all planned out."

It used to be popular to deny invitations to the White House during Trump’s first term. Those days seem to be over.

The Philadelphia Eagles are scheduled to visit the White House on April 28 to honor their Super Bowl LIX victory. And Trump told OutKick founder Clay Travis on Saturday that he would invite the Kansas City Chiefs to the White House to commemorate their win in Super Bowl LIV. 

The Buckeyes' visit will take place just two days after they host their "Spring Showcase" game.