Army–Navy Game

"Army Navy" redirects here. For the band, see Army Navy (band). For the annual match in British rugby, see Army Navy Match.

Army–Navy Game
Originated	1890
Most recent	2010
Continuity	81 years
Meetings	111
Series leader	Navy (55–49–7)
Army Black Knights (49) 1891 1899 1901 1902 1903 1904 1908 1913 1914 1915 1916 1922 1924 1925 1927 1930 1931 1932 1933 1935 1937 1938 1944 1945 1946 1947 1949 1953 1955 1958 1964 1966 1968 1969 1971 1972 1977 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1998 2001	Navy Midshipmen (55) 1890 1892 1893 1900 1906 1907 1910 1911 1912 1919 1920 1921 1934 1936 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1950 1951 1952 1954 1957 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1967 1970 1973 1974 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1985 1989 1991 1997 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Ties (7) 1905 1923 1926 1948 1956 1965 1981
Game not held (10) 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1909 1917 1918 1928 1929

The Army–Navy Game is an annual college football game between the teams of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York and the United States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis, Maryland. The USMA team, "Army", and the USNA team, "Navy", each represent their services' oldest officer commissioning sources. As such, the game has come to embody the spirit of the interservice rivalry of the United States Armed Forces.

It is one of the most traditional and enduring rivalries in college football.^[1][2] The game is nationally televised by CBS, having previously aired on ABC from 1992–1995. Instant replay made its debut in the 1963 Army-Navy game.^[3] The winner of the game is awarded the Thompson Cup, named after its donor, Robert M. Thompson.

The most recent game in the series was held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 11, 2010. Navy won by a score of 31-17. Navy now leads the all-time series with a record of 55 wins, 49 losses, and seven ties.^[4]

History

The Army–Navy Game, commencing in 1890, has been held at several locations throughout its history, but has most frequently been played in Philadelphia, roughly equidistant from the two academies. Historically played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the game is now played on the second Saturday in December and is traditionally the last game of the season for both teams and, until the recent advent of conference championship games, it was the last regular-season game played in Division I-A football. With the permanent expansion of the regular season to 12 games starting in 2006, many regular-season games join the Army–Navy Game on the same weekend. In 2009, the game was moved from the first Saturday in December to the second Saturday; this means that it will no longer conflict with conference championship games and once again is the last regular-season contest in college football.^[5]

This game has inter-service "bragging rights" at stake; in past decades, when both Army and Navy were often national powers, the game occasionally had national championship implications. However, as the level of play improved in college football nationally, and became fueled by prospects of playing for National Football League, the high academic entrance requirements, height and weight limits, and the military commitment required has reduced the overall competitiveness of both academies. Since 1963, only the 1996 and 2010 games have seen both teams enter with winning records.

1908 Army-Navy college football game at Franklin Field.

The tradition of the game has ensured that it remains nationally televised to this day. Arguably, one of the great appeals of this game to many fans is that since few, if any, of the participants will ever play in the NFL, they're playing solely for the love of the game. Due to commitments to serve in their respective branches of the armed services after graduation, many players are simply deemed too old to even consider playing competitively again, much less in the professional ranks. Many have other post-service ambitions that would preclude such a career or they simply don't want to pursue it. However, quarterback Roger Staubach (Navy, 1965) went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys that included being named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl VI. Wide receiver and kickoff/punt returner Phil McConkey (Navy, 1979) was a popular player on the New York Giants' squad that won Super Bowl XXI. Running back Napoleon McCallum (Navy, 1985) was able to concurrently serve his commitment to the Navy and play for the then-Los Angeles Raiders. After satisfying his Navy commitment, he joined the Raiders full time. Sadly, his career was ended by a gruesome knee injury suffered in a game against the San Francisco 49ers in 1994.

The game is especially emotional for the seniors, called "first classmen" by both academies, since it is typically the last competitive football game they will ever play. (The games in 1996 and 2010 were aberrations, as both Army and Navy went to bowl games afterwards, and Navy has played in a bowl game in each season since 2003.) During wartime the game is even more emotional because some seniors will not return once they are deployed. For instance, in the 2004 game, at least one senior from the class of 2003 who was killed in Iraq, Navy's J. P. Blecksmith, was remembered. The players placed their comrade's pads and jerseys on chairs on the sidelines. Much of the sentiment of the game goes out to those who share the uniform and who are overseas.

At the end of the game the alma maters of the losing team and then the winning team are played and sung. The winning team stands alongside the losing team and faces the losing academy students; then the losing team accompanies the winning team, facing their students. This is done in a show of mutual respect and solidarity.

2002 Army-Navy college football game at Giants Stadium, Navy in dark and Army in white.

The rivalry between Annapolis and West Point, while friendly, is intense. Even the mascots (the Navy Goat and Army Mule) have been known to play pranks on each other. The Cadets live and breathe the phrase "Beat Navy", while Midshipmen have the opposite dinned into them. Even the weight plates in the Navy weight room are stamped with the phrase "Beat Army". They have become a symbol of competitiveness, not just in the Army–Navy Game, but in the service of their country, and are often used at the close of (informal) letters by graduates of both academies.

Occasionally, the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, awarded to each season's winner of the triangular series between Army, Navy, and Air Force, will be at stake in this game. For most of the 1970s, Navy had held the trophy. After a period of flux for most of the 1980s, Air Force dominated the competition until the early 2000s. Navy has been the dominant team in the rivalry for most of the 2000s, winning every game in the triangular rivalry starting with the 2002 Army–Navy Game and ending with a 2010 loss to Air Force. If there is a tie in the Commander-In-Chief Trophy competition, the trophy remains with the incumbent team.

The rivalries Army and Navy have with the Air Force Academy are much less intense than the Army-Navy rivalry, primarily due to the relative youth of the Air Force Academy, and the physical distance between Air Force and the other two schools, with Air Force Academy being located in Colorado Springs. The Army-Air Force and Navy-Air Force games are played at the academies' regular home fields, rather than at a neutral site, although Navy has occasionally moved its home games with Air Force to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

The 34-0 Navy victory over Army on December 6, 2008, was the first shutout in the series since 1978 and marked the second time a Navy coach defeated Army in his first year of coaching,^[4] following Wayne Hardin in 1959.

Venues

Though the game has been played 111 times, only 6 of those games were held on the campus of either academy. Traditionally, the game is played in Philadelphia, due to the historic nature of the city and the fact that it is approximately halfway between West Point and Annapolis (and that it has a venue which can hold the attendees). Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium (JFK) hosted more matchups than any other venue in the history of the series, even hosting the game years after the 1971 construction of nearby Veterans Stadium, which finally became the game's host in 1980. Franklin Field, on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania, hosted the game in the early twentieth century before it was moved to JFK. New York's Polo Grounds holds the record for most games hosted outside of Philadelphia. The city of Baltimore has hosted a number of games throughout the history of the series.

The Rose Bowl is the only site west of the Mississippi River to host the Army-Navy game; it did so in 1983. The city of Pasadena, California, paid for the travel expenses of all the students and supporters of both the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy — 9,437 in all.^[6] A substitute, however, for Bill XXII — the Navy mascot — and four rented Army mules were brought in.^[6] The attendance was 81,000.^[7][8] The game was held at the Rose Bowl that year because there are a large number of military installations and servicemen and women, along with many retired military personnel, on the West Coast.^[6]

Currently the game is played primarily at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles. Every four to five years the game is held at a site other than Philadelphia. These sites have in the past rotated between Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey (replaced in 2010 by MetLife Stadium) and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. These are still considered neutral-site games, but provide locations that are closer to one academy or the other.

Future venues

In 2008, a bidding process began for the game site, as well as a search for a corporate sponsor.^[9] In 2009, the Army–Navy Game was moved to the second Saturday of December. The move means the game will not be played simultaneously with any conference championships and will make it the final game of the Division I FBS regular season.^[5]

The 2009 game was held on December 12 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. CBS recently continued television coverage of the Army–Navy Game with a contract extending through 2018.^[10]

On June 9, 2009, Navy announced sites for all Army–Navy Games through 2017. The 2011 game will be held at FedEx Field; the 2014 and 2016 games will be at M&T Bank Stadium; and all other games during that period will be at Lincoln Financial Field.^[11]

Total games per city

Location	Games
Philadelphia, PA	83
New York, NY	11[n 1]
Baltimore, MD	4
East Rutherford, NJ	4
Annapolis, MD	3
West Point, NY	3
Chicago, IL	1
Pasadena, CA	1
Princeton, NJ	1

1. ^ Nine games were held at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan and two at the original Yankee Stadium in The Bronx.

Year-by-year results

Army victories are shown in ██ black, Navy victories in ██ blue, and tie games in ██ silver.

Year	Winner	Score	Location	City	Series
1890	Navy	24–0	"The Plain" U.S. Military Academy	West Point, NY	Navy 1-0
1891	Army	32–16	Thompson Stadium U.S. Naval Academy	Annapolis, MD	Tied 1-1
1892	Navy	12–4	"The Plain" U.S. Military Academy	West Point, NY	Navy 2-1
1893	Navy	6–4	Thompson Stadium U.S. Naval Academy	Annapolis, MD	Navy 3-1
1894			No game played
1895			No game played
1896			No game played
1897			No game played
1898			No game played
1899	Army	17–5	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 3-2
1900	Navy	11–7	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 4-2
1901	Army	11–5	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 4-3
1902	Army	22–8	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 4-4
1903	Army	40–5	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Army 5-4
1904	Army	11–0	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Army 6-4
1905	Tie	6–6	Osborne Field	Princeton, NJ	Army 6-4-1
1906	Navy	10–0	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Army 6-5-1
1907	Navy	6–0	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 6-6-1
1908	Army	6–4	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Army 7-6-1
1909			No game played
1910	Navy	3–0	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 7-7-1
1911	Navy	3–0	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 8-7-1
1912	Navy	6–0	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 9-7-1
1913	Army	22–9	Polo Grounds	New York, NY	Navy 9-8-1
1914	Army	20–0	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 9-9-1
1915	Army	14–0	Polo Grounds	New York, NY	Army 10-9-1
1916	Army	15–7	Polo Grounds	New York, NY	Army 11-9-1
1917			No game played
1918			No game played
1919	Navy	6–0	Polo Grounds	New York, NY	Army 11-10-1
1920	Navy	7–0	Polo Grounds	New York, NY	Tied 11-11-1
1921	Navy	7–0	Polo Grounds	New York, NY	Navy 12-11-1
1922	Army	17–14	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 12-12-1
1923	Tie	0–0	Polo Grounds	New York, NY	Tied 12-12-2
1924	Army	12–0	Municipal Stadium	Baltimore, MD	Army 13-12-2
1925	Army	10–3	Polo Grounds	New York, NY	Army 14-12-2
1926	Tie	21–21	Soldier Field	Chicago, IL	Army 14-12-3
1927	Army	14–9	Polo Grounds	New York, NY	Army 15-12-3
1928			No game played
1929			No game played
1930	Army	6–0	Yankee Stadium	Bronx, NY	Army 16-12-3
1931	Army	17–7	Yankee Stadium	Bronx, NY	Army 17-12-3
1932	Army	20–0	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Army 18-12-3
1933	Army	12–7	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Army 19-12-3
1934	Navy	3–0	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Army 19-13-3
1935	Army	28–6	Franklin Field	Philadelphia, PA	Army 20-13-3
1936	Navy	7–0	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 20-14-3
1937	Army	6–0	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 21-14-3
1938	Army	14–7	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 22-14-3
1939	Navy	10–0	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 22-15-3
1940	Navy	14–0	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 22-16-3
1941	Navy	14–6	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 22-17-3
1942	Navy	14–0	Thompson Stadium	Annapolis, MD	Army 22-18-3
1943	Navy	13–0	Michie Stadium	West Point, NY	Army 22-19-3
1944	Army	23–7	Municipal Stadium	Baltimore, MD	Army 23-19-3
1945	Army	32–13	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 24-19-3
1946	Army	21–18	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 25-19-3
1947	Army	21–0	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 26-19-3
1948	Tie	21–21	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 26-19-4
1949	Army	38–0	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 27-19-4
1950	Navy	14–2	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 27-20-4
1951	Navy	42–7	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 27-21-4
1952	Navy	7–0	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 27-22-4
1953	Army	20–7	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 28-22-4
1954	Navy	27–20	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 28-23-4
1955	Army	14–6	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 29-23-4
1956	Tie	7–7	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 29-23-5
1957	Navy	14–0	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 29-24-5
1958	Army	22–6	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 30-24-5
1959	Navy	43–12	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 30-25-5
1960	Navy	17–12	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 30-26-5
1961	Navy	13–7	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 30-27-5
1962	Navy	34–14	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 30-28-5
1963	Navy	21–15	Municipal Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 30-29-5
1964	Army	11–8	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 31-29-5
1965	Tie	7–7	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 31-29-6
1966	Army	20–7	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 32-29-6
1967	Navy	19–14	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 32-30-6
1968	Army	21–14	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 33-30-6
1969	Army	27–0	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 34-30-6
1970	Navy	11–7	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 34-31-6
1971	Army	24–23	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 35-31-6
1972	Army	23–15	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 36-31-6
1973	Navy	51–0	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 36-32-6
1974	Navy	19–0	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 36-33-6
1975	Navy	30–6	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 36-34-6
1976	Navy	38–10	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 36-35-6
1977	Army	17–14	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 37-35-6
1978	Navy	28–0	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 37-36-6
1979	Navy	31–7	John F. Kennedy Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 37-37-6
1980	Navy	33–6	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 38-37-6
1981	Tie	3–3	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 38-37-7
1982	Navy	24–7	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 39-37-7
1983	Navy	42–13	Rose Bowl	Pasadena, CA	Navy 40-37-7
1984	Army	28–11	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 40-38-7
1985	Navy	17–7	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 41-38-7
1986	Army	27–7	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 41-39-7
1987	Army	17–3	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 41-40-7
1988	Army	20–15	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 41-41-7
1989	Navy	19–17	Giants Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	Navy 42-41-7
1990	Army	30–20	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 42-42-7
1991	Navy	24–3	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 43-42-7
1992	Army	25–24	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 43-43-7
1993	Army	16–14	Giants Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	Army 44-43-7
1994	Army	22–20	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 45-43-7
1995	Army	14–13	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 46-43-7
1996	Army	28–24	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 47-43-7
1997	Navy	39–7	Giants Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	Army 47-44-7
1998	Army	34–30	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 48-44-7
1999	Navy	19–9	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 48-45-7
2000	Navy	30–28	PSINet Stadium	Baltimore, MD	Army 48-46-7
2001	Army	26–17	Veterans Stadium	Philadelphia, PA	Army 49-46-7
2002	Navy	58–12	Giants Stadium	East Rutherford, NJ	Army 49-47-7
2003	Navy	34–6	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia, PA	Army 49-48-7
2004	Navy	42–13	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia, PA	Tied 49-49-7
2005	Navy	42–23	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 50-49-7
2006	Navy	26–14	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 51-49-7
2007	Navy	38–3	M&T Bank Stadium	Baltimore, MD	Navy 52-49-7
2008	Navy	34–0	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 53-49-7
2009	Navy	17–3	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 54-49-7
2010	Navy	31–17	Lincoln Financial Field	Philadelphia, PA	Navy 55-49-7

Notable games

Navy Midshipman (and later Admiral) Joseph Mason Reeves wore what is widely regarded as the first football helmet in the 1893 Army–Navy Game. He had been advised by a Navy doctor that another kick to his head would result in "instant insanity" or even death, so he commissioned an Annapolis shoemaker to make him a helmet out of leather.^[12]

On November 27, 1926, the Army–Navy Game traveled to Chicago for the National Dedication of Soldier Field as a monument to American servicemen who had fought in World War I. Navy came to the game undefeated, while West Point had only lost to Notre Dame, so the game would decide the National Championship. Played before a crowd of over 100,000, the teams fought to a 21-21 tie, but Navy was awarded the national championship.^[13]

In both the 1944 and 1945 contests, Army and Navy entered the game ranked #1 and #2 respectively.^[14] The 1945 game was labeled the "game of the century" before it was played. Army defeated a 7-0-1 Navy team 32-13. Navy's lone tie was against Notre Dame.^[15]

See also

• List of Army-Navy Game broadcasters
• Bill the Goat
• Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
• Most-played rivalries in NCAA Division I FBS

References

• ^{[clarification needed]}Feinstein, John (1996). A Civil War: Army Vs. Navy — A Year Inside College Football's Purest Rivalry. Diane Books Publishing. ISBN 9780788157776.

1. ^ Staff writer (November 18, 2008). "President Bush Will Attend Army-Navy Game for First Time since 2004". The Associated Press (via ESPN). Accessed December 24, 2009.
2. ^ Simonich, Milan (December 19, 2008). "City Passes on Army-Navy Football Game", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Accessed December 24, 2009.
3. ^ Gelston, Dan (undated). "Army-Navy, Instant Replay, Tony Verna, 45 Years Later ...". The Associated Press (via blog (dated December 5, 2009) by Tom Hoffarth at the Los Angeles Daily News. http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/archives/2008/12/army-navy-insta.html. Retrieved December 24, 2009. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Staff writer (Undated). "Victory at Sea: Navy Routs Army in 109th Meeting". The Associated Press (via ESPN). http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=283410349&confId=80. Retrieved December 24, 2009. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Staff writer (October 23, 2008). "Army-Navy Will Move to Second Saturday in December". The Associated Press (via ESPN). http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3659722. Retrieved December 24, 2009. 
6. ^ ^{a b c} Clark, N. Brooks (December 5, 1983). "The Week". Sports Illustrated. Accessed December 24, 2009.
7. ^^{[verification needed]}Staff writer (undated). "No. 1 Rivalry — Army-Navy". Athlon Sports. Accessed December 24, 2009.
8. ^ "1983 — Score: Navy 42 - Army 13 | Game played at the Rose Bowl". United States Naval Academy exhibits. Accessed December 24, 2009.
9. ^ Amos, Chris (July 14, 2008). Army-Navy Game Could Move, Get Sponsor". Navy Times. Accessed December 24, 2009.
10. ^ Staff writer (October 23, 2008). "CBS Sports Agrees to 10 Year Contract Extension to Broadcast Army-Navy Game through 2018 — Annual Classic Moved to Second Week in December Starting in 2009". NavySports.com ("the official website of Naval Academy varsity athletes"). Accessed December 24, 2009.
11. ^ Staff writer (June 9, 2009). "Philly to Continue Hosting Army–Navy". The Associated Press (via ESPN). http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4246238. Retrieved December 24, 2009. 
12. ^ "History of the Football Helmet" from Past Time Sports. Accessed Jan 1,2010
13. ^ Nimitz Library | U. S. Naval Academy Archival Images: Army Navy Football: 1926. Accessed Dec 31, 2009^{[dead link]}
14. ^^{[verification needed]}Unknown writer (undated). "Games Where #1 Faced #2" kiko13.com (fansite). Accessed December 24, 2009.
15. ^ "Middies All Hepped Up to Knock Over Cadets". Los Angeles Times, November 27, 1945. "Navy, far from conceding next Saturday's football 'game of the century' to Army, will field a spirited, offense-minded team determined to win and 'not merely hold down the score,' Public Relations Chief Lt. William Sullivan said today."

External links

• Philadelphia's official Army-Navy web site
• All Games 1890-