NFL
When and where is the 2021 Army vs Navy football game?
After more than a century, the prestigious game comes to the MetLife stadium for the first time.
The Army vs Navy game is more than just a football game, it's a tradition
The history of the Army-Navy game
In it's 122nd edition, the Army-Navy game is almost upon us. A game steeped in history and often attended by sitting U.S. presidents, it has been a fixture in American for more than a century. First staged in 1890, but later held consistently from 1930 onward, the game is played 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. Together the Black Knights and Midshipmen represent their service's oldest officer commissioning sources. Understandably the game become the very embodiment of inter service rivalry in the United States Armed Forces.
Where and when will the game be held in 2021?
In a historic first for the storied game, the MetLife Stadium will play host to the 2021 edition of the Army-Navy game. Wtih kickoff set for 3 p.m. on December 11th, 2021, it will mark the first time that the game will be played at MetLife Stadium.
Speaking on the momentous event, Metlife Stadium pesident & CEO Ron VanDeVeen was clear, "MetLife Stadium hosts the world’s biggest events on the world’s biggest stage and we are honored to bring the iconic Army-Navy Game to MetLife Stadium for the first time in 2021. We thank the Academies for their partnership and look forward to bringing America’s Game back to New Jersey.”
For more from the NFL
Remembering 9/11
In this year's game one of the major themes is the remembrance of the military response to 9/11. The game of course is set to take place close to where attacks happened in New York City. Army has chosen to recognize the soldiers from the U.S. Army Special Forces Command who were the initial group to deploy to nightstand in the wake of the attacks.
Speaking on the motivation for the theme, Army head coach Jeff Monken said, “I think part of that is honoring the 9/11 attacks and each of the sites where we were attacked on our own soil and how we stood together as a nation at that moment at that time in our history and how it’s important that we continue to stand together, united as a country, but even more so I guess with a greater sense of community and recognizing the division that we still have in our country that remains. So I think that probably speaks to the spirit of our team and hopefully the spirit of this Academy, our United States Army, and our nation as a whole.’’