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Commander-in-Chief's Trophy Explained: Series Record, History, More

Posted on by Vanessa
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy Explained: Series Record, History, More

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College football has a lot of rivalry games, and with that comes the distribution of bragging rights and trophies.

That's what makes college football, well, college football. And one of the best in the sport is the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

The search for the 2024 Commander-in-Chief's Trophy begins Saturday in Week 6 of the college football season when Navy (4-0, 3-0 in AAC play) travels to Colorado to face Air Force ( 1-3, 0-2 Mountain West) at noon ET.

Required reading: College Football Week 5 Overreactions: Is Georgia in Playoff Problems? Jalen Milroe won Heisman?

Saturday's contest at Falcon Stadium is the first leg of the Commander in Chief's Trophy race for both teams, as both teams face Army later this season.

Learn more about the Commander in Chief Trophy here:

What is the Commander in Chief Trophy?

The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is the annual trophy awarded to the winner of each college football season from the three military academies: Army, Navy and Air Force.

The trophy stands on a round base, stands 2 1/2 feet tall and weighs over 170 pounds. At the top it is adorned with three silver footballs, each with arched cutouts for each of the academies. Each cutout features not only the years in which the trophy was won by that team, but also figures of each school's animal mascot: a hawk for the Air Force, a ram for the Navy and a mule for the Army.

The trophy is named after the President of the United States, whose nickname is “Commander in Chief.” It was first awarded in 1972 by President Richard Nixon and was chaired by General George B. Simler, who served as Air Force athletic director from 1957 to 1960.

The trophy was originally intended to create an annual series for the Air Force between the Army and Navy, as prior to 1972 the Falcons played Navy in even years and Army in odd years. The Air Force Academy, founded in 1954, did not play the Black Knights until 1959 and the Midshipmen in 1960. Before the round-robin series began in 1972, the Falcons played Army six times and Navy four times.

Who has the Commander in Chief trophy?

The trophy currently rests with Army at West Point, New York, after the Black Knights went 2-0 against the other military academies in 2023, defeating Air Force 23-3 and Navy 17-11.

The winner of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy will visit the White House in the spring, according to Navy game notes for this week. However, if all teams finish 1-1 against each other, the trophy remains with the military academy currently in possession of the trophy, and no one visits the White House.

This means that if the Navy had won the Army-Navy game in 2023, the Commander in Chief's Trophy would have remained with the Air Force as all teams finished 1-1 against each other (and the Falcons emerged victorious). 2022).

Winner of the Commander in Chief's Trophy

The Air Force has awarded the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy the most, with 21, of the three military academies. Navy is second in the series and has lifted the trophy 16 times. The army has 10.

Here's a look at the winners of every Commander-in-Chief's Trophy since it was first awarded in 1972.

  • Army: 10 (1972, 1977, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1996, 2017-18, 2020, 1923)
  • Marine: 16 (1973, 1975, 1978-79, 1981, 2003-09, 2012-13, 2015, 2019)
  • Air force: 21 (1982-83, 1985, 1987, 1989-92, 1994-95, 1997-2002, 2010-11, 2014, 2016, 2022)

Here are the years in which no one won the cup (along with the team that remained in possession of the cup):

  • 1974: Retained by the Navy
  • 1976: Retained by the Navy
  • 1980: Retained by the Navy
  • 1993: Retained by the Air Force
  • 2021: Retained by the Navy

Commander-in-Chief's Trophy games 2024

Saturday's contest between Navy and Air Force is the first of three games played between the military academies for the 2024 college football season. Here is the full 2024 schedule:

  • Saturday, October 5th: Marine at the Air Force | Noon ET | CBS
  • Saturday, November 2nd: Air Force at the Army | Noon ET | CBS
  • Saturday, December 14th: Army-Navy Game | 3pm ET | CBS

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