It is More than Just a Game when Middies, Cadets Play
There are more college football games than ever being played. However, only one stands by itself on a game day as the greatest rivalry in football. The Army-Navy football game is played on a Saturday in December. And it captivates the sold-out stadium where it takes place as well as a national television audience.
Records don’t matter, though last season’s game saw teams that had combined for a 19-4 mark entering the contest. The military academies play for pride and in this case the Commander-in-Chief Trophy was at stake. The hardware goes to the school with the best record in the head-to-head meetings between Air Force, Army, and Navy.
In 2024, the Middies captured America’s Game, 31-13. A record 9.4 million people watched on CBS. The star for Navy was quarterback Blake Horvath, who rushed for 196 yards and accounted for four touchdowns. He stole the thunder from Army QB Bryson Daily, who had become a national phenomenon for his play during the season.
What Are the Key Differences Between the Army and Navy Football Teams?
These schools have played 125 times with Navy enjoying a 63-55-7 edge. The game takes on added significance – if possible – because the service academies each choose uniforms that pay homage to military and history traditions of each. The reveal of the uniforms is eagerly anticipated in the lead-up to the game.
While the schools are arch-rivals, ironically, they play similar styles of football. The players are not the behemoths you see on typical FBS teams. They are more “averaged-sized” but bring heart, drive and dedication to everything they do.
The offenses are extremely similar. It is not usual for the Army or the Navy to go long periods in any/all of their games without calling pass plays. They stick to the ground and march up and down the field through the rushing game. When a college football season is over, Army and Navy are usually near the top of team rushing statistics. In 2024, Army led the nation at better than 300 rushing yards per game while Navy was sixth at 247.5 per.
Given the intense requirements it takes to be accepted into Army or Navy, you won’t find dramatic differences in players’ size and strengths. While one is by land and the other by sea, their football paths are forged on the ground and through dynamic defensive players who give their all for each school.
How has the Army vs Navy Rivalry Evolved over the Years?
For many years, the game took place in Philadelphia. Cavernous JFK Stadium was where the game was contested from 1936-79. Before that, it was played at Franklin Field, home of the Penn Quakers.
JFK Stadium was eventually razed and that has led to the game shifting sites over time. It has been played in Philadelphia, Baltimore and East Rutherford, New Jersey. Way back, the game also found a home in the Big Apple at venues such as Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds. Hosting the Army-Navy rivalry is considered an honor and the game is always a hot ticket and sold out.
There are traditions for each school. The Cadets and Middies, who attend the schools, march on to the field in military formation before the games. “Sing Second” is another of the iconic events after the rivalry. The losing team sings its alma mater first while the winners await their turn to sing and celebrate. It’s a big piece of the broadcast and you will hear the term “SIng Second” multiple times during these games.
There are numerous other traditions that turn America’s Game into what has become memorable for what happens in it without caring what the records for either team is.
The schools no longer have players who vie for the Heisman Trophy, although Daily could have been a finalist in 2024 given his sensational play. Roger Staubach won the Heisman for Navy in 1963 while Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis each captured the coveted award in 1945 and 1946 respectively.
What Does the Future Hold?
The game has been the lone football game on a Saturday in December for years. However, after this season, some college football executives are part of the CFP system that feel playoff games need to start on the same weekend as Army-Navy because of how extended the college football season has become. This is a point that will be one of contention given the history and meaning of America’s Game to so many. It will be considered heresy by many to force the Army-Navy Game to share the spotlight with any other college football. In a sport that has ruined so many traditions and rivalries due to rampant realignment, tinkering with America’s Game is going to be received poorly by the masses.
