Since 1890, the Army-Navy game is an annual college football tradition. The matchup pairs the Army Black Knights vs Navy Midshipmen together in a friendly rivalry between members of the United States Armed Forces.
Army-Navy Game History
The two NCAAF football programs went head-to-head for the first time in 1890 and have met yearly since 1930. The matchup is scheduled in December and typically closes out the regular season of Division 1 football.
The overall competitiveness has lacked, Army and Navy have only held winning records ahead of the meeting on four occasions since 1963. So, it's not like the national championship is on the line. However, the bragging rights at stake keep the rivalry alive.
Due to the game honoring the services of U.S. Military, it is regularly attended by the President and deemed a must-watch by active and retired military members. The game is abundant in United States pride, typically referred to as "America's Game", with the national anthem sung by the Military and Naval Academy choirs.
December 2, 1961, 1:30 - 3:35 pm
— JFKonThisDay (@JFKonThisDay) December 2, 2021
President Kennedy attends the Army-Navy football game at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia. 📷: https://t.co/ajVOETdDup#otd #tdih #JFKonThisDay pic.twitter.com/1lVmtdyB9t
However, there's plenty of fun traditions upheld between the schools, too. The annual rivalry will showcase a prisoner exchange before kick-off, which is when cadets who have spent the season studying at a sister academy are reunited with companions for the game.
Army-Navy Game 2022
The 2022 meeting between the Black Knights and Midshipmen went down in history as the first overtime in rivalry history. Across four quarters, each squad had only scraped up 10-points each.
The meeting eventually spilled into a double-overtime after Black Knight's Markel Johnson's 25-yard rushing touchdown was responded by Midshipmen's Maquel Haywood's reception in the endzone.
In the end, it was Army kicker Quinn Maretzki who saved the day. It was his 37-yard punt that sent the game into extra time to keep his team afloat with less than two minutes on the clock. Then, it was Maretzki again who booted the pigskin 39-yards between the uprights. The field goal lifted his team to a coveted 20-17 victory.
#ICYMI | Punahou alum Quinn Maretzki hit the game winning field goal for #Army in 2OT 🔥
— Ku'ulei (@KuuleiAgbayani) December 11, 2022
pic.twitter.com/7QZPSuY7U9
The hard-earned win by the Black Knights inflated their bragging rights. Army has now won five of the last seven series of the Army-Navy game.
Secretary’s Trophy
The winner of the Army-Navy game is awared the Secretary's Trophy. It is classified as the third leg of the series for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, which is the ultimate title battled between Army, Navy and Air Force.
Army-Navy Game Series History
| Year | Winner | Final Score |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Army | 20-17 |
| 2021 | Navy | 17-13 |
| 2020 | Army | 15-0 |
| 2019 | Navy | 31-7 |
| 2018 | Army | 17-10 |
| 2017 | Army | 14-13 |
| 2016 | Army | 21-17 |
| 2015 | Navy | 21-17 |
| 2014 | Navy | 17-10 |
| 2013 | Navy | 34-7 |
Based on the chart above, you can see this rivalry is typically low-scoring. So, if you're looking at how to bet on this contest, hammering the UNDER is the notable trend. Offensive capabilities isn't what these two programs are known for, with both Army and Navy's 2023 win totals listed at 6.5 wins. In the last 10 years, Army has taken control, winning five of the most seven recent meetings. However, between 2002 to 2015, the Midshipmen went undefeated.
