The greatest rivalry in sports will write its latest chapter on Saturday, Dec. 9 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts as Army and Navy square off in the final game of the 2023 regular season with bragging rights on the line. The pageantry of the Army-Navy Game is unmatched in sports, and CBS will have all of the action that Saturday afternoon in December.
This has become one of the most hotly contested rivalries in modern college football as Army and Navy have alternated wins over the past few years. The Black Knights walked out of 2022’s installment with a 20-17 triumph after a two-overtime thriller. Five out of the last seven Army-Navy Games have been decided by a single possession.
The recent back-and-forth has come after Army won three straight in the rivalry from 2016-18. Navy has bragging rights when it comes to dominant streaks, though. That Army win in 2016 was its first in the series in 14 years. Navy won 14 straight from 2002-15, which stands as the longest winning streak in the rivalry’s history. Navy leads the all-time series 62-54-7. The Midshipmen kicked off this historic rivalry with a 24-0 win in 1890.
What should you expect on Dec. 9? Let’s take a look.
Army vs. Navy: Need to know
Hardware on the line: For Army, this game represents an opportunity to secure the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the series of games between the three major service academies. Air Force already beat Navy, while Army shocked Air Force with a huge upset in early November. So if the Black Knights beat Navy, they’ll secure the trophy. If Navy wins, however, that sets up a three-way tie and 2022’s winner — in this case Air Force — retains the trophy. This would be Army’s 10th Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, which trails Air Force’s 21 and Navy’s 16, though Army has won it outright three times since 2017.
Navy in a new era: This will be the first time since 2007 that a new coach leads the Midshipmen into the Army-Navy Game. Brian Newberry is in his first year leading the Navy program after the academy decided to move on from longtime coach Ken Niumatalolo at the end of the 2022 season. In fact, Navy announced one day after its overtime loss to Army last December that Niumatalolo would not be retained. Niumatalolo, a crucial figure in Navy’s 14-game winning streak, didn’t lose to Army during the first nine years of his tenure.
Army riding late-season surge: Army announced an extension for coach Jeff Monken, who has been with the program since 2014, after a 2-1 start to the year and a big win against UTSA. The Black Knights proceeded to lose their next five games in a row, getting shutout twice in that span. However, it seems Army righted the caisson with its 23-3 win against Air Force on Nov. 4. The Falcons ranked No. 17 at the time, giving Army its first win against an AP Top 25-ranked opponent since 1972. Army followed that up with another win against Holy Cross. Monken’s squad now sits two games away from bowl eligibility, so Navy represents the sixth win that it needed to qualify for the postseason … so long as it can get past Coastal Carolina.
How to watch Army vs. Navy live
Date: Saturday, Dec. 9 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, Massachusetts
TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount + with Showtime, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App (Free)
