History of the Army vs. Navy Game

November 18, 2023 - Posted By Andrew Jones

Coming up on December 9th, is one of the most deep-seated rivalries in college football, the Army vs. Navy game. The game is one of the longest running rivalries in sports dating back to 1890. It all began when Cadet Dennis Mahan Michie, who was also the coach of the Army football team, accepted a challenge from the Naval Academy. The game has been played nearly every year since then with only a few years missed due to war or a dispute between the two academies.

This years 133rd edition will be played in Gillette Stadium, coming to New England for the first time in 124 years. After an impressive 14 game win streak that ended in 2016, Navy has now been on the defensive, losing five of the last seven games. The Series record now stands at 62-54-7 with Navy winning 64 games, Army winning 54 games, and 7 ties.

The game holds a particularly important spot in college football marking the end of the regular season. It was originally played on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, which was the end of most college regular season games, but it has been moved to the weekend following the conference championship games. It marks the final game of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy which is awarded to the winner of the triangular series between the Military Academy, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy. The winner of the Army v. Navy game also receives the Thompson Cup.