Why rivalry games are in Maryland

On December 14, 2024By Littum

The Army-Navy Game is back in the Washington, DC area.

In the lone FBS college football game in Week 15, no. 18 army (11-1 overall) will clash with arch-rival the Navy (9-3) in the 125th edition of the Army-Navy Game at 15 ET Saturday.

Historically played in Philadelphia for much of the series’ history, Saturday’s Army-Navy Game will once again be played in another NFL stadium on the East Coast this year in the Washington Commanders’ Northwest Stadium.

The black knights will wear their “Screaming Eagles” uniform on Saturday to honor the 101st Airborne Division during World War II at the 1944 Battle of the Bulge. The Midshipmen will honor the “Jolly Rogers”, the most lethal and storied squadron in Naval Aviation, with their uniforms.

Saturday’s meeting between both military academies will be the first time since 2017 that the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is up for grabs in a winner-take-all game. Both Army and Navy beat Air Force in the regular season Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series.

Here’s what you need to know about why Saturday’s Army-Navy game is being played at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, plus future sites for the rivalry game:

Where is the 2024 Army-Navy game?

Stadium: Northwest Stadium
Location: Landover, Maryland

The 2024 Army vs Navy Game will be held at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.

Army vs Navy stadium details

Stadium: Northwest Stadium
Capacity: 67,617
Opening date: 1997

According to The athletic, Northwest Stadium has a capacity of 67,617 and opened in 1997. It is home to the NFL’s Washington’s commandersthat competes in the NFC East division.

Northwest Stadium is a little more than a 30-minute drive west of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Why is the Army-Navy Game being played at Washington Commanders’ Northwest Stadium?

Army and Navy selected the stadium as the host site for the 2024 version of “America’s Game” as part of the ongoing tour of neutral sites.

It was announced on June 15, 2022 that the Army-Navy Game would be played in Landover.

“We look forward to hosting one of our nation’s most exciting sports rivalries and using the experience to honor the more than 350,000 service members and veterans who live in the region, here in the Sports Capital,” said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser in a statement in 2022.

“There is no better place to welcome fans and families from across the country than right here in Washington, DC. Our region is proudly home to 34 military bases and countless monuments, memorials and museums that honor our nation’s military and the men and women , defending our freedoms See you in DC in 2024 for a week of football, fun and tradition – all leading up to the 125th Army-Navy game.”

Has the Army-Navy Game been played at Northwest Stadium before?

Yes. Saturday’s Army-Navy Game will be its second trip to Landover in the series’ rich history. The last time the Army-Navy Game was played just outside the nation’s capital was in 2011 at what was then called FedEx Field.

Since the game is close to the White House, then President Barack Obama took the match at FedEx Field with then-Vice President Joe Biden and Jill Biden, the current president and first lady.

IN that game from 2011, Navy beat Army 27-21 thanks to two fourth-quarter field goals by Midshipmen kicker Jon Teague. Of the six touchdowns scored in the game, five were rushing — which isn’t surprising considering both teams rely heavily on the triple option.

“Few events can capture the splendor, servant leadership and values of our proud military like the Army-Navy game, and we are especially proud, as the Washington Commanders, to host and stage a world-class experience for the academies, their players and fans and our entire sports region,” Commanders President Jason Wright said in a 2022 statement. “We are also grateful for this opportunity to stand with the strong military and alumni community throughout the DMV, as well as partners in the District and Maryland, to welcome this great rivalry to FedExField in 2024.”

Future Army vs Navy game sites

Here’s a look at where the Army-Navy Game will be played through 2027:

13 December 2025: M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore, Maryland)
December 12, 2026: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
11 December 2027: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)