Kentucky High School Football Game Postponed Over Government Shutdown

Senator Mitch McConnell trying to get Department of Defense to reverse course

Sen. Mitch McConnell made remarks about “issues of importance to the Commonwealth and the nation” as he spoke to the Rotary Club of Louisville at the University Club of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. on Sept. 25, 2025. / Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A Kentucky high school football team has been benched due to the government shutdown affecting the entire country.

Fort Campbell High School was scheduled to play host to Trigg County Friday night. They are 3-3 on the year and coming off a 49-12 loss to Caldwell County.

Earlier this week, the school posted that, “In the event of a lapse in appropriations after September 30, 2025, leading to a ‘government shutdown,’ DoDEA schools will remain open for normal operations, except for sports (including practices) and extracurricular activities, which will pause during a shutdown.”

Senator Seeking Exemption for Kentucky School to Play

Senator Mitch McConnell sent a letter to the United States Secretary of War, Peter Hegseth, asking for an exemption for the school. 

“Student dependents of American servicemembers have been left in the lurch and cannot participate in interscholastic athletics,” McConnell wrote in the letter. “Not only does this threaten the standing of high school teams relative to their non-DoD peers, it also risks disrupting individual student-athletes’ aspirations of competing at the college level, as the fall season is a major athletic recruiting opportunity for institutions of higher education.

“We should not force the children of our servicemembers to pay the price for Washington’s failure to appropriate funds on time.”

The game between Fort Campbell and Trigg County, though, has been postponed until October 30. The Falcons have games scheduled with White Station, Crittenden County and Mayfield over the next three weeks.

North Carolina High School Hit by Government Shutdown

Lejeune High School in North Carolina has been put on a pause as far as athletics, including its elite cross country program. 

The school is located on the base at Camp Lejeune, resulting in the government shutdown sending them to the sidelines.

Regular season action in girls tennis, boys soccer, cross country and football wrap up over the next several weeks.