The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division IFBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) college football. The Naval Academy completed its final season as an FBS independent school (not in a conference) in 2014, and became a single-sport member of the American Athletic Conference beginning in the 2015 season.[2] The team is currently coached by Brian Newberry, who was promoted in 2022, following his stint as the Midshipmen defensive coordinator. Navy has 19 players and three coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame and won the college football national championship in 1926 according to the Boand and Houlgate poll systems. The 1910 team also was undefeated and unscored upon (the lone tie was a 0–0 game).[3] The mascot is Bill the Goat. Attendance of home football games is required for all students. Members of the Billy the Kid Club can attend home football games for free.
Navy competes with their historic rivals Army in the Army–Navy Game, traditionally the final game of the college football regular season. The three major service academies—Army, Navy, and Air Force—compete for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
Navy's first football team gathered for a team portrait in 1879
The Naval Academy's football program is one of the nation's oldest, with its history dating back to 1879.[4] There were two separate efforts to establish a Naval Academy football team in 1879. The first was guided by first-classman J.H. Robinson, who developed it as a training regiment to help keep the school's baseball team in shape. The team played the sport under rules that made it much closer to soccer, where the players were permitted only to kick the ball in order to advance it.[5] The second effort, headed by first-classman William John Maxwell was more successful in its efforts. Maxwell met with two of his friends, Tunstall Smith and Henry Woods, who played for the Baltimore Athletic Club and officially challenged their team to a game with the Naval Academy.[6] A team was formed from academy first-classmen, which Maxwell led as a manager, trainer, and captain. The team would wake up and practice before reveille and following drill and meals. The squad received encouragement from some of the faculty, who allowed them to eat a late dinner and skip final drill for additional practicing. This was against the direct orders of the school superintendent, who had banned football and similar activities.[6][7]
The 1879 team introduced a white canvas jacket uniform (shown being tailored, c. 1892) which is believed to be the first in college football
The year's sole contest was played on December 11 against the Baltimore Athletic Club. The opposition's team was reportedly composed of players from Princeton, Yale, Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins.[6][8] The Naval Academy hosted the Baltimore team on a temporary field drawn on part of the superintendent's cow pasture. Rules decided upon between the teams established that the game was to be played under rugby rules.[6][8] The Baltimore American and Chronicle, which covered the contest, described it as such:[9]
The game, played under rugby rules, was a battle from beginning to end—a regular knock down and drag out fight. Both sides became immediately excited and the audience was aroused to the highest pitch of enthusiasm by the spirited contest. The ball oscillated backward and forward over the ground without any material result.[9]
The scrimmages were something awful to witness—living, kicking, scrambling masses of humanity surging to and fro, each individual after the leather oval. If a Baltimorean got the ball and started for a run, he was unfailingly caught by one of the brawny Cadets and dashed to earth with five or six men falling on him.[9]
The game was closely fought and was finally declared a scoreless tie by the referee about an hour after it began. Navy reportedly never gained possession of the ball. However, the Naval Academy managed to keep the Baltimore Athletic Club from ever being in a scoring position. On three separate occasions, Navy forced Baltimore back into its own end zone for a safety; these were not worth any points until 1882, however, so they offered Navy no benefit. The American and Chronicle reported that Maxwell, Craven, and Sample of Navy gave the strongest performances, but were also reckless in their play and were repeatedly penalized for jumping offside or kicking the ball out of play, a form of delay of game.[10][11]
Some time after the game, Walter Camp, known as the "Father of American Football", credited Maxwell as the inventor of the first football uniform. After he was informed that the Baltimore team he was playing outweighed his by an average of ten pounds, Maxwell looked for a way to make the teams more evenly matched. Using his knowledge of sailing, he decided to design a sleeveless canvas jacket which would make his players "difficult to grasp when they began to sweat".[9][12] He presented the design to the academy's tailor, who created the double-lined jackets which "were laced down the front and drawn tightly to fit snugly around a player's body".[9][12] The weighted suits were worn by the team, which was confused by the "strangle, heavy, newfangled getups".[12]
The Naval Academy would not produce another football team until the 1882 season. The 1882 team would be the first with a coach, being supported by Academy officials. The 1879 season was the last time that a Navy squad would play the Baltimore Athletic Club. Navy would finish the 1880s with four winning seasons, and an overall record of 14–12–2, with one of those ties being the game against the Baltimore Athletic Club. Navy would outscore their opponents 292–231, and would finish the 19th century with an overall record of 54–19–3. The lack of a coach for the 1879 season was one of the two times the Naval Academy squad lacked one, the other time being from 1883 through 1891.[13][14]
Frank Berrien served as Navy's head football coach from 1908 to 1910, compiling a record of 21–5–3.[15] He was the thirteenth head coach of the Naval Academy's football program and, under his tutelage, the Midshipmen compiled an undefeated 8–0–1 mark in 1910.[16]
The team that won the 1926 national championship
Three undefeated teams with nearly identical records would cause a stir among fans and pollsters today, but this was the case when Navy earned its lone national championship in 1926, as the Midshipmen shared the honor with Stanford and Alabama. A 7–7 tie between Alabama and Stanford in the 1926 Rose Bowl gave Stanford a 10–0–1 mark, while the Crimson Tide and the Mids each had identical 9–0–1 records.
The Midshipmen opened the '26 season with a new coach, Bill Ingram. A Navy football standout from 1916 through 1918, Ingram took over a Navy team that had only won seven games in the previous two seasons combined. One of the keys to Navy's 1926 squad was a potent offense led by All-America tackle and team captain Frank Wickhorst, who proved to be a punishing blocker for the Navy offense. One member of the Navy offense that appreciated the blocking of Wickhorst was Tom Hamilton. The quarterback and kicker had a pair of 100-yard rushing games en route to All-America honors.
Navy's biggest win that year was against Michigan in front of 80,000 fans in Baltimore. The Mids scored 10 second half points to upset the Wolverines, 10–0. Navy's offense tallied 165 yards behind the powering attack of Hamilton and Henry Caldwell who scored Navy's lone touchdown on a one-yard plunge. Jubilation from the victory continued after the game, as the Midshipmen tore down the goal post at each end of the field and carried away all the markers that lined both sides of the field.
Navy headed into its season finale against Army with a 9–0 record. The game was to be played in Chicago at Soldier Field, which had been built as a memorial to the men killed in World War I. It was only natural Army and Navy would be invited to play the inaugural contest there. James R. Harrison of the New York Times described the game as "the greatest of its time and as a national spectacle." Over 110,000 people witnessed the Midshipmen open up a 14–0 lead on the Cadets, only to see Army fight back to take a 21–14 lead early in the third quarter. The Navy offense responded behind its strong ground game led by running back Alan Shapley. On fourth down and three yards to go, Shapley ran eight yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 21. As the final quarter concluded, Army mounted a brief threat only to miss a 25-yard field goal.
The tie gave the Midshipmen a share of the national championship based on retroactive rankings by both the William Boand and Deke Houlgate mathematical poll systems.[3]
Navy was one of the very few programs to field a football team during World War II, with John Whelchel leading the Midshipmen from 1942 to 1943 and Oscar Hagberg serving as head coach from 1944 to 1945. During those years, three of the four Navy teams finished ranked in the top 10 of the final AP poll.[17][18][19]
George Sauer left his post as Kansas head coach and took over in Annapolis from 1948 to 1949.[20] The Midshipmen struggled under Sauer's tutelage, posting a 3–13–2 record which included a winless 1948 season.[21]
Eddie Erdelatz returned to Navy, where he'd previously served as an assistant coach from 1945 to 1947, to take over a football program that had won just four games over the previous five seasons.[22]
In 1950, Erdelatz led an upset of arch-rival Army.[23] The Black Knights entered the game with an 8–0 record which had not lost in 28 contests.[23] Army also had defeated Navy five times in the last six games.[23] Although Navy had only a 2–6 record, an outstanding defensive effort resulted in a 14–2 victory for the Midshipmen.[23]
After two years at Navy, Erdelatz's record stood at 5–12–1, but he would never again have a losing season in his final seven seasons and would finish 5–3–1 in his games against Army. In 1954, the team finished 8–2, losing close games to Pittsburgh and Notre Dame.[24] Erdelatz labeled this squad, "A Team Called Desire" and then went on to shut out Ole Miss in the 1955 Sugar Bowl.[25] Three years later, the Midshipmen competed in the Cotton Bowl Classic, where they knocked off Rice University, 20–7.[26] The latter win came one year after Navy's bid to play in a bowl game was rejected despite having only one loss.
After the bowl victory over Rice, Erdelatz was courted by other schools and nearly accepted the task of replacing Bear Bryant at Texas A&M University.[27] After the 1958 season, he was also seen as a candidate for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers head coaching job, but began spring practice the following year at Navy.[28] On April 8, 1959, Erdelatz resigned as head coach of the Midshipmen, citing a number of factors, including the desire for an easier schedule.[29]
Wayne Hardin era (1959–1964)
QB Roger Staubach (#12) won the Heisman Trophy in 1963. His number was retired by the Midshipmen
From 1959 to 1964, Wayne Hardin was the head coach at Navy, where he compiled a 38–22–2 record.[30] His Navy teams posted five consecutive wins against archrival Army, a feat not surpassed until 2007 when Paul Johnson's Navy squad won their sixth consecutive contest in the Army–Navy Game.[31] Hardin coached Navy's two winners of the Heisman Trophy, Joe Bellino, who received the award in 1960,[32] and Roger Staubach, who did so in 1963.[33] Hardin was the first to coach an African-American player at Navy when Calvin Huey earned a letter in 1964.[34]
Hardin resigned as Navy's head coach following a 3–6–1 record in 1964.[35]
Bill Elias era (1965–1968)
Virginia head coach Bill Elias replaced Hardin, and the Midshipmen struggled mightily under Elias' leadership. Elias' Midshipmen posted a 15–22–3 record in his four seasons,[36] which included three non-winning seasons. Elias was fired following a 2–8 season in 1968.[37]
Rick Forzano era (1969–1972)
Former UConn head coach Rick Forzano was hired as Elias' replacement in 1969.[38][39] However, the Midshipmen's struggles continued, with Navy failing to post a single winning season, something that hadn't occurred in Annapolis in decades. Forzano's teams posted yearly records of 1–9,[40] 2–9,[41] 3–8[42] and 4–7.[43] Forzano resigned after the 1972 season.[44]
George Welsh era (1973–1981)
Penn State assistant coach and Navy alum George Welsh succeeded Forzano as Navy's head coach.[45] He inherited a Navy Midshipmen football program that had only had one winning season since the days of Roger Staubach. He led the Midshipmen to three bowl game appearances and their first nine-win season in 16 years.[46][47] In nine seasons, Welsh compiled a record of 55–46–1,[46] making him the service academy's most successful coach.[48]
In 1982, Welsh left Navy to become the head coach at Virginia.[49]
Gary Tranquill era (1982–1986)
West Virginia offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill was hired as Welsh's replacement in 1982.[50] Tranquill's Midshipmen compiled a 6–5 record in 1982,[51] but it was downhill from there. 1983 saw a 3–8 record[52] followed by back-to-back four-win seasons in 1984 and 1985.[53][54] A 3–8 campaign in 1986 ended Tranquill's tenure at Navy as the school declined to renew his contract.[55]
One notable assistant coach during this time was Nick Saban, the former head coach at Alabama.
Elliot Uzelac era (1987–1989)
Former Western Michigan head coach Elliot Uzelac was hired by Navy to serve as the school's 34th head football coach in 1987.[56] Navy's struggles continued, with the Midshipmen posting records of 2–9 in 1987[57] followed by back-to-back 3–8 seasons in 1988 and 1989.[58][59] Uzelac was fired following the 1989 season.[60]
George Chaump era (1990–1994)
Marshall head coach George Chaump was hired as Uzelac's replacement in 1990.[61] Chaump was unable to revive the Midshipmen football program, compiling a record of 14–41 in five seasons.[62] Chaump's Midshipmen posted back-to-back 1–10 records in 1991 and 1992.[63][64] Navy fired Chaump after the 1994 season in which the Midshipmen finished 3–8.[65][66]
Charlie Weatherbie era (1995–2001)
Utah State head coach Charlie Weatherbie was hired to replace Chaump in 1995.[67] Under Weatherbie, Navy did have a couple of winning seasons, the first coming in 1996 with a record of 9–3 with a win in the Aloha Bowl.[68][69] That was followed with a 7–4 campaign the following year.[70] After that, however, Navy struggled, failing to post a record better than a 5–7 record. After a 1–10 season in 2000[71] followed by an 0–7 start to the 2001 season,[72] Weatherbie was fired.[73]
Paul Johnson era (2002–2007)
Coach Paul Johnson instructs a player during a game against Duke in 2004
In 2002, Paul Johnson departed Georgia Southern and was hired as the 37th Navy head football coach.[74] Johnson's initial season saw the Midshipmen win only two of 12 games,[75] though the season ended on a high note with his first victory over Army,[76] which would not beat Navy again until 2016.[77] Subsequently, Johnson's teams enjoyed a high degree of success.
The 2003 team completed the regular season with an 8–4 mark,[78] including wins over both Air Force and Army, and earned a berth in the Houston Bowl, Navy's first bowl game since 1996. However, the Midshipmen lost to Texas Tech, 38–14.[79]
In 2004, Johnson's team posted the program's best record since 1957, finishing the regular season at 9–2[80] and once again earning a bowl berth, this time in the Emerald Bowl. There Johnson coached the Midshipmen to a win over New Mexico, 34–19, the fifth bowl win in the school's history.[81] The win gave Navy 10 wins on the season, tying a school record that had stood since 1905. For his efforts, Johnson received the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.[82]
In 2007, Johnson coached the Midshipmen to their first win over rival Notre Dame since 1963, winning 46–44 in triple-overtime.[84] Navy finished the season with an 8–5 record.[85]
Johnson dominated the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy competition, going 11–1 (.917) in his six years, with the only loss against another service academy coming at the hands of Air Force in his first season. He was the first coach in Navy's history to go 6–0 in his first six seasons against Army (Ken Niumatalolo, who followed Johnson at Navy, went 8–0 against Army in his first eight seasons), and his 2006 senior class was the first in Navy history to win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy all four of their years.
Much of Johnson's success at Navy was predicated on his triple optionflexbone offense, a run-oriented attack that led NCAA Division I-A/FBS football in rushing yards three of his last four years at Navy. Johnson departed Navy for the head coaching position at Georgia Tech after the end of the 2007 regular season.[86]
Ken Niumatalolo era (2008–2022)
Ken Niumatalolo (here pictured in 2008) is the most winning coach in the history of the Midshipmen
Ken Niumatalolo was promoted from offensive line coach to head football coach of the Naval Academy football team on December 8, 2007, after Johnson's departure for Georgia Tech.[87][88] Niumatalolo was the 38th head football coach in Naval Academy history. On January 7, 2009, Niumatalolo was given a contract extension, although terms and length of the extension were not released.[89]
With Niumatalolo as Navy's head coach, beginning with the 2008 season, the Mids continued their run of success. Highlights in 2008 included an upset in Winston-Salem over No. 16 Wake Forest, 24–17, the Mids' first victory over a ranked team in 23 years,[90] and a 34–0 shutout victory of Army.[91] In 2016, the Midshipmen upset 6th-ranked Houston at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium 46-40 for their first win over a team ranked in the top 10 since defeating South Carolina in 1984.[92]
Other highlights of Niumatalolo's years as head coach at Navy include: Navy defeated Army in each of Niumatalolo's first eight seasons as head coach, not losing to Army until 2016. The 2016 loss ended a streak of 14 Midshipmen wins in the Army–Navy Game,[93] the longest winning streak for either side in the rivalry. The Midshipmen captured the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy in 2008, 2009 and 2012. They went on to capture the trophy outright in 2013, with a 34–7 win against Army, and recaptured it outright in 2015 with wins over Army and Air Force. The Midshipmen have nine winning seasons during Niumatalolo's 11 full years as head coach. The Mids have played in nine bowl games during Niumatalolo's tenure, winning the 2009 Texas Bowl,[94]2013 Armed Forces Bowl,[95]2014 Poinsettia Bowl, and 2015 Military Bowl. Navy defeated longtime rival Notre Dame in consecutive years, 2009 and 2010, for the first time since the early 1960s.[96][97] The Midshipmen also defeated Notre Dame in 2016, when the Midshipmen went on to finish with a 9–5 record.[98][99]
Niumatalolo led Navy into the American Athletic Conference after 134 years as an independent in 2015, the first time Navy joined a conference in the school's history.[100]
Following the 2022 campaign, Niumatalolo was fired following a loss to Army.[101]
Brian Newberry era (2023–present)
Brian Newberry, who had served as defensive coordinator since 2019, was hired as the head coach on December 19, 2022.[102]
Three undefeated teams with nearly identical records would cause a stir among fans and pollsters today, but this was the case when Navy earned its lone national championship in 1926, as the Midshipmen shared the honor with Stanford and Alabama. A 7–7 tie between Alabama and Stanford in the 1927 Rose Bowl gave Stanford a 10–0–1 mark, while the Crimson Tide and the Mids each had identical 9–0–1 records.
The Midshipmen opened the '26 season with a new coach, Bill Ingram. A Navy football standout from 1916 through 1918, Ingram took over a Navy team that had only won seven games in the previous two seasons combined. One of the keys to Navy's 1926 squad was a potent offense led by All-America tackle and team captain Frank Wickhorst, who proved to be a punishing blocker for the Navy offense. One member of the Navy offense that appreciated the blocking of Wickhorst was Tom Hamilton. The quarterback and kicker had a pair of 100-yard rushing games en route to All-America honors.
Navy's biggest win that year was against Michigan in front of 80,000 fans in Baltimore. The Mids scored 10 second half points to upset the Wolverines, 10–0. Navy's offense tallied 165 yards behind the powering attack of Hamilton and Henry Caldwell who scored Navy's lone touchdown on a one-yard plunge. Jubilation from the victory continued after the game, as the Midshipmen tore down the goal post at each end of the field and carried away all the markers that lined both sides of the field.
Navy headed into its season finale against Army with a 9–0 record. The game was to be played in Chicago at Soldier Field, which had been built as a memorial to the men killed in World War I. It was only natural Army and Navy would be invited to play the inaugural contest there. James R. Harrison of the New York Times described the game as "the greatest of its time and as a national spectacle." Over 110,000 people witnessed the Midshipmen open up a 14–0 lead on the Cadets, only to see Army fight back to take a 21–14 lead early in the third quarter. The Navy offense responded behind its strong ground game led by running back Alan Shapley. On fourth down and three yards to go, Shapley ran eight yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 21. As the final quarter concluded, Army mounted a brief threat only to miss a 25-yard field goal.
The tie gave the Midshipmen a share of the national championship based on retroactive rankings by both the William Boand and Deke Houlgate mathematical poll systems.[3]
The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the triangular college football series among the United States Military Academy (Army), the United States Naval Academy (Navy), and the United States Air Force Academy (Air Force).[104] Navy controlled the trophy from 2003 to 2009, marking one of the longest times any academy has had possession of the prestigious trophy.
Typically, the Navy–Air Force game is played in early October[104] followed by Army-Navy in early December.
When Navy has possession of the trophy, it is displayed in a glass case in Bancroft Hall, the Midshipmen's dormitory. Navy has won 16 Commander-in-Chief's Trophies (1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019).
Navy celebrates after winning the 2005 Army–Navy Game on December 3, 2005.
The Army-Navy Game, played annually on the last weekend of the college football regular season in early December,[105] pits the football teams of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York (Army) against the Navy Midshipmen. It is one of the most traditional and enduring rivalries in college football, and is televised every year by CBS.[106] It was in the 1963 Army–Navy game that instant replay made its television debut.[107]
This game has always had 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.[108] However, as top-level college football had developed and grown, the high academic entrance requirements, height and weight limits, and the military commitment required of West Point and Annapolis graduates has reduced the overall competitiveness of both academies in comparison with other football programs.[108]
The tradition of the game has ensured that it remains nationally televised to this day. One of the great appeals of this game to many fans is that its players are largely playing for the love of the game, since almost none will ever play in the NFL. The game is especially emotional for the seniors, called "first classmen" or "firsties" by both academies, since it is typically the last competitive football game they will ever play.
During wartime, the game is even more emotional because some seniors may 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.[109] 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.
It is widely believed by football researchers that the playing of intercollegiate football began in November 1869, when a player at Rutgers University challenged another player at the nearby College of New Jersey (now Princeton). The contest more closely resembled soccer, with teams scoring by kicking the ball into the opponent's net, and lacked a uniform rules structure.[112][113] The game developed slowly; the first rules were drafted in October 1873, and only consisted of twelve guidelines.[114] Even though the number of teams participating in the sport increased, the game was still effectively controlled by the College of New Jersey, who claimed eight national championships in ten years. Only Yale presented any form of challenge, claiming four national championships in the same time period.[115]
The official portrait of the 1879 Navy team
According to biographer C. Douglas Kroll, the first evidence of football at the United States Naval Academy came in 1857, but the school's cadets lost interest in the game shortly afterward.[116] The first occurrence of serious interest in the sport came in 1879, when a squad of twelve cadets challenged men from the Baltimore Athletic Club to a contest. The team was captained by William John Maxwell, lacking "official" support from all academy supervisors. The team was student operated, and supported by the friends of the players.[117] The 1879 game with Baltimore ended in a 0–0 tie, where the Naval Academy apparently never gained control of the ball. The team was credited with creating the first football uniform, worn during the game.[118][119] Following the 1879 season, football at the Naval Academy went on a two-year hiatus, returning in 1882 under the leadership of Vaulx Carter.[116][118]
Johns Hopkins University, located north of the Naval Academy, in Baltimore, started their football program a couple of years after Navy. Hopkins' first team was assembled in 1881, and spent an entire year training and learning a version of the game. Their sport, which was closer to rugby, was played in Druid Hill Park. After the training, the team planned a two-game 1882 season. The squad had to play the season under the title of the Clifton Athletic Club, due to the school's policy on the sport of football. The first was a practice game with the Baltimore Athletic Club, played on October 7. The Hopkins team lost the contest 4–0. The following game was their first true game, to be played against the Naval Academy.[120][121]
The intrastate rivalry between Maryland and Navy is referred to as the "Crab Bowl Classic."[122] Starting in 1905, the two teams have played sporadically over the years. Many of the early games were lopsided and Navy leads the series 14–7. In 2005, the teams renewed their rivalry and Maryland won, 23–20. The teams met again on Labor Day 2010 and Maryland won again, 17–14, after the Terps' goal-line stand with under a minute remaining. As of 2010, the winner of the Crab Bowl Classic is awarded the Crab Bowl Trophy, created by the Touchdown Club of Annapolis with underwriting from the D'Camera Group. [123]
Navy has played Notre Dame in 95 annual games without interruption since 1927 and trails in the series 13–81–1 through the 2022 season.[124] Notre Dame plays this game to repay Navy for helping to keep Notre Dame financially afloat during World War II.[125][126][127] This series is scheduled to continue indefinitely.[128]
From 1963, when Navy beat Notre Dame 35–14, to 2006, Notre Dame won 43 consecutive games against Navy, the longest such streak in Division I-A football.[129] This streak ended on November 3, 2007, when Navy beat Notre Dame 46–44 in triple overtime.[84] Navy also bested Notre Dame in 2009 and 2010, which made the class of 2011 only the third class in Navy history to have beaten Notre Dame three times. Navy won 28–27 in 2016, making Coach Niumatalolo only the second coach in Navy history to defeat Notre Dame three times.
Navy and Pittsburgh recently renewed their rivalry, which began in 1912, and was played 26 times in 29 years between 1961 and 1989.[131] The contest was then played consecutively between 2007 and 2009 and again in 2013.[132] After a 44–28 victory for Navy in the 2015 Military Bowl in Annapolis,[133] the series now stands with Pitt leading 22–15–3.[134] Of historic interest, it was during the Pitt-Navy game at Annapolis on October 23, 1976, that Pitt running back Tony Dorsett broke the NCAA career rushing record.[135]
Rutgers
This rivalry stems from Navy and Rutgers being two of the only three programs (the third is Army) to come out of the original, informal "Ivy League" that are still members of the top tier of NCAA college football (Division I-FBS).[136] Although the two teams only began a regular series relatively recently in 1995, the games between the two schools are often close and sometimes have controversy as in the 2004 and 2007 editions of the series. The rivalry dates to 1891, making the two schools each other's oldest active football rivals.[137] The schools have met 25 times, with Rutgers leading the series at 13–11–1 all-time after the 2014 Navy loss. Navy and Rutgers have played most years since 1995, but do not have additional games scheduled at this time with Rutgers' move to the Big Ten and Navy's move from independents to the American.[138]
The Gansz Trophy was created in 2009 through a collaboration between the athletic departments of the Naval Academy and Southern Methodist University.[139] The trophy is named for Frank Gansz who played linebacker at the Naval Academy from 1957 through 1959. Gansz later served on the coaching staffs at numerous colleges, including all three service academies and Southern Methodist, as well as several professional teams. The two teams have met 18 times with Navy leading the all-time series 11–7, and the trophy series 5–0.[140]
Ricketts Hall – This building contains the locker room for the varsity football team and offices for football, basketball, and lacrosse.[147] It also contains the Jack Lengyel Sports Conditioning Facility, which is one of three "strength and conditioning facilities" at the academy. The weight-room facility serves football, men's lacrosse, baseball and wrestling.[148]
Rip Miller Field – Named for Edgar Miller, who was the Navy head football coach for three seasons (1931–1933). The field is used by both lacrosse and sprint football.[148]
The Army–Navy Game is an American college football rivalry game between the Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, and the Navy Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis, Maryland. The Black Knights, or Cadets, and Midshipmen each represent their service's oldest officer commissioning sources. As such, the game has come to embody the spirit of the interservice rivalry of the United States Armed Forces. The game marks the end of the college football regular season and the third and final game of the season's Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series, which also includes the Air Force Falcons of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The series has been uninterrupted since 1930. Through the 2024 meeting, Navy leads the series 63–55–7.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the college football team representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, north of the city of South Bend, Indiana. The team plays its home games at the campus's Notre Dame Stadium, which has a capacity of 77,622. Notre Dame is one of three schools that competes as an Independent at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level; however, they play five games a year against opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), of which Notre Dame is a member in all other sports except ice hockey.
Paul Clayton Johnson is a former American college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001, the United States Naval Academy from 2002 to 2007, and Georgia Tech, from 2008 to 2018, compiling a career college football coaching record of 189–100. Johnson's Georgia Southern Eagles won consecutive NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1999 and 2000. Noted for his use of the flexbone spread option offense, Johnson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
The Army Black Knights football team, historically known as the Army Cadets, represents the United States Military Academy in college football. The Black Knights team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the American Athletic Conference. The Black Knights play home games in Michie Stadium with a capacity of 36,000 at West Point, New York. The Black Knights are coached by Jeff Monken, who has held the position since 2014.
The 2007 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy (USNA) as an independent during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Paul Johnson until he accepted the head coaching position at Georgia Tech prior to the team's final game of the season. Offensive line coach Ken Niumatalolo was first promoted to interim head coach and then named as the team's permanent head coach.
Kenneth Va'a Niumatalolo is an American college football coach and former player who is the head coach of San Jose State. He was the head coach of the Naval Academy from 2007 to 2022, accumulating the most wins in program history. Niumatalolo played college football at the University of Hawaii. As a quarterback he led Hawaii to their first postseason bowl game in 1989. Niumatalolo is the second person of Polynesian descent to be named head coach of an NCAA Division I FBS college football program and the first ethnic Samoan collegiate head coach on any level. Niumatalolo was inducted into the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame on January 23, 2014.
The 1955 Sugar Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on January 1, 1955 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. The game featured the fifth-ranked Navy Midshipmen and the sixth-ranked Ole Miss Rebels.
The 1963 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy as an independent in the 1963 NCAA University Division football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Wayne Hardin, the Midshipmen finished the year with an overall record of 9–2 and a loss against Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
The 2008 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy (USNA) as an independent during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by first-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo. He was promoted from the offensive line coach before the season, after his predecessor, Paul Johnson, accepted the head coaching position at Georgia Tech.
The 2009 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy as an independent in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen, led by second-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo, played their home games at the Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The 2010 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy as an independent during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen, led by third-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo, played their home games at the Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The Navy–Notre Dame football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Navy Midshipmen football team of the United States Naval Academy and Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame. It was played annually from 1927 to 2019, which made it the longest uninterrupted intersectional rivalry in college football, the third-longest uninterrupted college football rivalry overall, as well as the second-longest never-interrupted rivalry in Division I college football (FBS). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 game was canceled, ending these lengthy streaks, even though both schools still played a fall season schedule in 2020.
The 2004 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy (USNA) as an independent during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was led by third-year head coach Paul Johnson. The Midshipmen finished the regular season with a 9–2 record, the first time since the 1963 season that Navy had won nine or more games in a season. Wins over Army and the Air Force Falcons secured Navy's second consecutive Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Navy secured a berth in the 2004 Emerald Bowl when the Pacific-10 Conference did not have enough teams to fill its bowl obligations. The other tie-in was with the Mountain West Conference (MWC), and the Midshipmen ended up playing the New Mexico Lobos. They won the game with a score of 34–19, finishing with a 14-minute, 26-play drive that set the record for the longest drive in a college football game. The win gave the Midshipmen a final record of 10–2, the first time since the 1905 season that the Midshipmen finished with ten or more wins.
The 2016 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen were led by ninth-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo and played their home games at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Midshipmen competed as a member of the West Division of the American Athletic Conference, and were second year members of the conference. They finished the season 9–5 overall and 7–1 in American Athletic play to be champions of the West Division. They represented the West Division in The American Athletic Championship Game where they lost to Temple. They were invited to the Armed Forces Bowl where they lost to Louisiana Tech.
Zach Abey is an American football quarterback who attended the United States Naval Academy. He played quarterback and wide receiver for the Navy Midshipmen football team.
The 2017 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen were led by tenth-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo and played their home games at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Midshipmen competed as a member of the West Division of the American Athletic Conference and were third-year members of the conference. They finished the season 7–6 overall and 4–4 in AAC play to tie for third place in the West Division. They were invited to the Military Bowl, where they defeated Virginia, 49–7.
The 2019 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen were led by 12th-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo and played their home games at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy competed as a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in the West Division.
The 2020 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen were led by thirteenth-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo and played their home games at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy competed as a member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
The 2022 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen played their home games at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, as members of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by fifteen-year head coach Ken Niumatalolo. They finished the season 4–8, 4–4 in AAC play to finish in a tie for seventh place.
↑ Naval Academy Athletic Association (2005). "Navy: Football History"(PDF). 2005 Navy Midshipmen Football Media Guide. United States Naval Academy Athletics. p.154. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
↑ Castle, K.J. (January 5, 2011). "History of Navy Football". Livestrong.com. Early Years. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
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