Tradition Part of Army-Navy Game held at Gillette Stadium

By Grace Allen

The 124th edition of the iconic Army-Navy football game took place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on December 9. In front of more than 65,000 fans, the Army Black Knights defeated the Navy Midshipmen 17-11. Although they dropped this year’s game, the Midshipmen still lead the series, 62-55-7.

Gillette became only the third stadium outside of the mid-Atlantic region to host the game, and the first since 1930. Lying roughly half-way between Annapolis and West Point, Philadelphia has been the most common site for the game, hosting it a total of 90 times. But Philadelphia’s next chance to play host won’t come until 2027, as the next three years the game will be played in the mid-Atlantic cities of Baltimore, Washington, and then East Rutherford.

The contest is traditionally held in early December and has become the culminating event of the college football season. Its importance in sports lies in the spirit of camaraderie and mutual respect between the two groups, reflecting the shared commitment to serve the nation and symbolizing the unity and solidarity of the United States armed forces.

The series, which started in 1890, has a rich history. The Army-Navy game was cancelled from 1894 through 1898, supposedly due to an argument between an Army brigadier general and a Navy rear admiral that got so heated they almost dueled. The series was also cancelled during WWI but played through WWII. In the mid-1900s, the rivalry had a great impact on college football as both academies were national powers. Army claimed three consecutive national titles from 1944-1946.

Wrentham got to experience one of the traditions of the Army-Navy game first-hand last month. Every year since 1981, the Navy marathon team has run the game ball to the site of the game. The 460-mile trek from Annapolis to Foxboro was the longest run they have had, and their course took them through Wrentham center early on game day. With a police escort and hundreds of town residents turning out to cheer them on, the team rolled through around 4:30 a.m. As they passed through, a mob of local runners joined in to accompany them on their last few miles to Gillette Stadium.