Philadelphia will play host to all but one of the Army-Navy games taking place through 2022, service academy officials announced Tuesday, with the 2021 game heading to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, just outside New York City.
This year’s showdown at Lincoln Financial Field will be the 87th time Philadelphia has hosted the rivalry game. The first was in 1899 at Franklin Field; Army won, 17-5.
A news release from USAA, the game’s presenting sponsor, included details on all five sites; the Philadelphia dates were revealed in a morning news conference, while an official announcement for the 2021 site will come Tuesday afternoon, according to a Navy Athletics news release.
Multiple media reports prior to the announcements pegged the 2021 game for MetLife Stadium, home to the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets. The game would be held Dec. 11, three months after the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The teams last played in North Jersey in 2002, a 58-12 Navy victory that began a 14-game win streak. Army West Point snapped it last December in Baltimore.
Baltimore, Boston and Washington, D.C., were among the cities reportedly in the hunt to host the game in future years, with a 2018 bid placed by the Boston Red Sox ownership group garnering the most attention. Baltimore has hosted four rivalry games since 2000; the 2011 game was played at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, home of the NFL’s Washington Redskins.
“The interest level in the game and our future sites was extremely high with first-class bids coming from some of the nation's best cities, which made for extensive discussions and a difficult decision for those involved,” Army West Point athletic director Boo Corrigan said in the release.
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Navy has never lost at Lincoln Financial Field, with 10 wins over Army and two over Temple.
“This tradition in Philly is so well received and embraced by the city and community that it remains a highlight of the season for the teams, alumni, and fans,” Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said in the release.
This year’s game will kick off at 3 p.m. Dec. 9 in Philadelphia. It’ll air on CBS, which recently locked in broadcast rights through 2028.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
