In roughly three weeks, the annual college football tradition that interests even those who are not ardent college football fans will be carried out – The Army vs. Navy football game. This matchup is held after the conclusion of the regular season for most teams, and even while over the years the two squads are generally not as competitive as the top schools, it is such a tradition that it draws fan interest nationwide.
First meeting in 1890, the two military branches will be facing off for the 125th time as they have held this contest annually since 1930, and for a time, both were dominant in the game. In 1944 and 1945, the schools met as they were ranked #1 and #2 in the nation. This year sees a change, as Navy made it into the top-25 early in the year, and currently, Army is undefeated and ranked the highest it has been in 65 years, at #18 in the AP rankings.
Regardless of the teams’ positioning, people are drawn to the rich tradition and the meaningful nature of the contest; as it is said, it is the only game where all the players on the field are willing to die for the fans in the stands. For this reason, the game has rarely been held in either of the teams’ stadiums; the interest is so high that larger capacity, neutral sites are used, this year’s battle being held at Northwest stadium in Landover, Maryland.
One other tradition that has been in play involves both teams coming up with unique uniform designs for the big matchup. Both service academies traditionally alter their normal attire to pay tribute to some meaningful aspect of their history. This year’s selections are both sharp presentations and historically significant.
NAVY
For the 2024 contest, the Naval Academy is honoring The Jolly Rogers, the most lethal air squadron in Navy aviation. First formed in 1943, the Skull and Crossbones registered the most confirmed air combat kills in WW2, and have been the elite lethal winged division since. The first time The Bones were honored in this game was on the helmets in 1962, with Roger Stabach at quarterback. This year, that elite group gets a full uniform recognition.
Here’s to Victory! Here’s to the Bones☠️https://t.co/5ziKfHBeBm#JollyRogers | #BeatArmy pic.twitter.com/XrQmuF7DcW
— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) November 20, 2024
The away whites have a color scheme that matches the lines of the fighter jets. The helmet has the signature Skull & Bones flag from the tails of the jets – also shown on the shoulders – and the front replicates the pilots’ dropshield lock on the front of their headgear. Midway back, the top stripe has nine chevrons representing the nine different aircraft the Jolly Rogers have used over the generations. The rear neck cushion has “Fear The Bones” printing, while the reflective white color is the same as the helmets worn when flying the VFA-103.
For “Navy,” the font on the jersey is the same seen on the planes, as well as the uniform numbers matching the serial numbers on the fuselage. The sleeves and pants show the same angled, navy striping as the jets and more chevrons. The pants have the Marine Corps emblem on the front, while the top of the hip lists the six squadrons that have flown under the banner. (More shown here.)
ARMY
The Black Knights will be honoring the 101st Airborne Division and the valiant overmatched victory during the Battle of the Bulge, where the Screaming Eagles held the city of Bastogne, Belgium, against a massive German offensive, almost 80 years ago.
The black uniforms and helmet are dusted in white to replicate the dark, snowy conditions in which they fought for weeks. The helmet bears one of the four playing card suits, which were used to designate the paratrooper divisions employed in Europe during the war.
We will commemorate the 101st Airborne’s Rendezvous with Destiny at Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge on Dec. 14.https://t.co/YKwfvINq5u#GoArmy x #ScreamingEagles pic.twitter.com/FDeoCrNNk4
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) November 18, 2024
On the jersey, a shoulder patch has the Invasion Star, one that sports seven voids in the ring representing the seven roads leading into Bastogne that had to be defended. Beneath that is a patch reading “Bastogne,” which mimics the road sign of the town seen during the battle.
On the right shoulder is the U.S. flag but with the traditional orientation of the stars to the rear, as worn on the uniforms of the paratroopers in that era, while the left shoulder has the 101st Screaming Eagle emblem.
On the back of the jersey, in place of a player’s name, you will see A R M Y ! This signifies the response from General Anthony McAuliffe to the Germans after weeks of the siege in that key city in Belgium. When the Germans reached out with the demand of a surrender McAuliffe had the response sent back as N U T S ! which was then explained to the Germans as meaning, “Go to Hell.”
The 125th Army-Navy Game will be held on December 14 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern and broadcast on CBS.
Go ARMYNAVYARMYNAVYARMYNAVY — beat NAVYARMYNAVYARMYNAVYARMY
