Army Black Knights football

The Army Black Knights football team, previously known as the Army Cadets, represents the United States Military Academy in college football. Army is a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member of the NCAA. The Black Knights play home games in Michie Stadium with a capacity of 38,000 at West Point, New York. The Black Knights are coached by Jeff Monken, who has held the position since 2014. Army claims three national championships from 1944 to 1946. In addition, major selectors have awarded Army championships in 1914 and 1916.[2] Army has produced 24 players and four coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame, 37 consensus All-Americans, and three Heisman Trophy winners.

Army Black Knights football
2023 Army Black Knights football team
First season1890
Athletic directorMike Buddie
Head coachJeff Monken
10th season, 66–54 (.550)
StadiumMichie Stadium
(capacity: 38,000)
Year built1924
Field surfaceFieldTurf
LocationWest Point, New York
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceIndependent
The American (beginning 2024)
Past conferencesConference USA (1998−2004)
All-time record723–544–51 (.568)
Bowl record7–3 (.700)
Claimed national titles3 (1944, 1945, 1946)
Unclaimed national titles2 (1914, 1916)
RivalriesAir Force (CiCT)
Navy (rivalry, CiCT)
Notre Dame (rivalry)
Heisman winnersDoc Blanchard – 1945
Glenn Davis – 1946
Pete Dawkins – 1958
Consensus All-Americans37
Current uniform
ColorsBlack, gold, and gray[1]
     
Fight songOn, Brave Old Army Team
MascotArmy Mules
Marching bandUnited States Military Academy Band
OutfitterNike
WebsiteGoArmyWestPoint.com

With the exception of seven seasons (1998–2004) where the team was a member of Conference USA, Army has competed as an independent, meaning that they have no affiliation with any conference. As of the 2022 college football season, Army is one of four FBS schools whose football teams do not belong to any conference, the others being the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the UConn Huskies, and the UMass Minutemen. However, they will join the American Athletic Conference starting in 2024. For all other sports Army is primarily a member of the Patriot League.

Three players from Army have won the Heisman Trophy: Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946), and Pete Dawkins (1958).[3]

The three major service academies—Army, Air Force and Navy—compete for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, which is awarded to the academy that defeats the others in football that year (or retained by the previous year's winner in the event of a three-way tie). Army has won nine CIC Trophies, most recently in 2020.

History
See also: List of Army Black Knights football seasons and 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game

Army's football program began on November 29, 1890, when Navy challenged the cadets to a game of the relatively new sport. Navy defeated Army at West Point that year, but Army avenged the loss in Annapolis the following year.[4] The academies still clash every December in what is traditionally the last regular-season Division I college-football game. The 2016 Army–Navy Game marked Army's first recent win after fourteen consecutive losses to Navy. From 1944 to 1950, the Cadets had 57 wins, 3 losses and 4 ties. During this time span, Army won three national championships.[5]

Army's football team reached its pinnacle of success during the Second World War under coach Earl Blaik when Army won three consecutive national championships in 1944, 1945 and 1946, and produced three Heisman trophy winners: Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946) and Pete Dawkins (1958).[6] Past NFL coaches Vince Lombardi[7] and Bill Parcells[8] were Army assistant coaches early in their careers.

The football team plays its home games at Michie Stadium, where the playing field is named after Earl Blaik. Cadets attendance is mandatory at football games and the Corps stands for the duration of the game. At all home games, one of the four regiments marches onto the field in formation before the team takes the field and leads the crowd in traditional Army cheers.[9]

For many years, Army teams were known as the "Cadets." In the 1940s, several papers called the football team "the Black Knights of the Hudson." From then on, "Cadets" and "Black Knights" were used interchangeably until 1999, when the team was officially nicknamed the Black Knights.

Between the 1998 and 2004 seasons, Army's football program was a member of Conference USA, but starting with the 2005 season Army reverted to its former independent status.[10] Army competes with Navy and Air Force for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

National championships

Army has won five national championships from NCAA-designated major selectors.[11]: 108–115  Army claims the 1944, 1945, and 1946 titles.[12] In addition, Army was selected by four major selectors in 1914 and one major selector in 1916. Charles Daly was the head coach of both teams.

Year Coach Selectors Record Final AP Final Coaches
1944Earl BlaikAP, Berryman, Billingsley, Boand, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, Helms, Houlgate, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Poling, Sagarin, Williamson[11]: 111 9–0No. 1–
1945AP, Berryman, Billingsley MOV, Boand, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, Helms, Houlgate, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, Poling, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELOChess), Williamson[11]: 112 9–0–
1946Billingsley, Boand, Football Research, Helms, Houlgate, Poling[11]: 112 9–0–1No. 2–

Lambert Trophy

The Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy (known as the Lambert Trophy), established in 1936, is an annual award given to the best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football and is presented by the Metropolitan New York Football Writers. Army has won the Lambert Trophy nine times; seven times under head coach Earl "Red" Blaik in the 1940s and 1950s, and twice under head coach Jeff Monken in 2018 and 2020.[13][14]

Year Coach Record Final AP rank
1944Earl Blaik9–0#1
1945Earl Blaik9–0#1
1946Earl Blaik9–0–1#2
1948Earl Blaik8–0–1#6
1949Earl Blaik9–0#4
1953Earl Blaik7–1–1#14
1958Earl Blaik8–0–1#3
2018Jeff Monken11–2#19
2020Jeff Monken9–3NR

Bowl games

Army has played in ten bowl games. They have a record of 7–3.

Season Coach Bowl Date Opponent Result
1984Jim YoungCherry BowlDecember 22, 1984Michigan StateW 10–6
1985Peach BowlDecember 31, 1985IllinoisW 31–29
1988Sun BowlDecember 24, 1988AlabamaL 28–29
1996Bob SuttonIndependence BowlDecember 31, 1996AuburnL 29–32
2010Rich EllersonArmed Forces BowlDecember 30, 2010SMUW 16–14
2016Jeff MonkenHeart of Dallas BowlDecember 27, 2016North TexasW 38–31 OT
2017Armed Forces BowlDecember 23, 2017San Diego StateW 42–35
2018Armed Forces BowlDecember 22, 2018HoustonW 70–14
2020Liberty BowlDecember 31, 2020West VirginiaL 21–24
2021Armed Forces BowlDecember 22, 2021MissouriW 24–22

Future bowl tie-ins

The NCAA's football oversight committee determined the number of primary bowl tie-ins for each FBS conference and FBS independent for the 2020–2025 bowl cycle using eligibility data from the 2014–2017 seasons.[15] The Black Knights received one guaranteed tie-in per year. On October 24, 2019, the West Point Athletic Department announced that they had agreed to a contract that placed their team, if eligible, in the Independence Bowl for three of the six years, with the remaining years being contracted to an ESPN Events-owned bowl.[16][17]

The contract includes a clause that allows Army the ability to accept a bid from a different bowl game once during the three-year agreement with the Independence Bowl and once during the three-year agreement with ESPN Events. Aligning with this, on November 5 Army announced that it had agreed to a secondary contractual tie-in with the Duke's Mayo Bowl.[18] It agreed that it would serve as the primary backup for the bowl and would have the opportunity to accept an invitation to the game twice during the six-year cycle. The Duke's Mayo Bowl's primary tie-ins for the 2020–2025 cycle are the ACC (all years), the SEC (odd years), and the Big Ten (even years); if any of those conferences were unable to place a team into the bowl during any of those years, Army would be extended an invitation to fill their place. The opponent conferences for the Independence Bowl were announced to be the Pac-12 and the American on January 30, 2020.[19][20]

Season Bowl Opponent
2020Independence BowlPac-12
2021ESPN Owned and Operated Bowl–
2022Independence BowlAmerican
2023ESPN Owned and Operated Bowl–
2024Independence BowlPac-12
2025ESPN Owned and Operated Bowl–

The Duke's Mayo Bowl can extend an invitation to Army once during the even years (2020, 2022, 2026) and once during the odd years (2021, 2023, 2025) to fill a vacancy as part of a secondary tie-in.

ESPN Events operates the following 16 bowls that Army could be invited to during odd years of the cycle:

Head coaches
Coach Years Seasons Games Record Pct. Bowl Games
Dennis Michie†1890, 1892163–2–1.583
Henry L. Williams1891175–1–1.786
Laurie Bliss1893194–5.444
Harmon S. Graves1894–189521410–4.714
George P. Dyer1896163–2–1.583
Herman Koehler1897–190043319–11–3.621
Leon Kromer1901185–1–2.750
Dennis E. Nolan1902186–1–1.813
Edward Leonard King1903196–2–1.722
Robert Boyers1904–190521811–6–1.639
Henry Smither1906–19072107–2–1.750
Ernest Graves, Sr.1906, 19122167–8–1.469
Harry Nelly1908–191032215–5–2.727
Joseph Beacham1911186–1–1.813
Charles Dudley Daly1913–1916, 1919–192287458–13–3.804
Geoffrey Keyes1917187–1.875
Hugh Mitchell1918111–01.000
John McEwan1923–192532618–5–3.750
Biff Jones1926–192944030–8–2.775
Ralph Sasse1930–193233225–5–2.813
Garrison H. Davidson1933–193754735–11–1.755
William H. Wood1938–194032812–13–1.481
Earl Blaik1941–195818164121–33–10.768
Dale Hall1959–196132916–11–2.586
Paul Dietzel1962–196544021–18–1.538
Tom Cahill1966–197388140–39–2.506
Homer Smith1974–197855521–33–1.391
Lou Saban19791112–8–1.227
Ed Cavanaugh1980–198233310–21–2.333
Jim Young1983–199089151–39–1.5663
Bob Sutton1991–1999910044–55–1.4451
Todd Berry2000–20034415–36.122
John Mumford2003160–6.000
Bobby Ross2004–20063349–25.265
Stan Brock2007–20082246–18.250
Rich Ellerson2009–201356120–41.3281
Jeff Monken2014–present1012066–54.5505

† Dennis Michie coached 1 game in 1890, and then coached a full season in 1892.

Rivalries

Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
Main article: Commander-in-Chief's Trophy

Air Force, Army, and Navy have played each other every year since 1972 for the Commander-in Chief's Trophy. Air Force leads the FBS service academies with 21 victories, Navy has 16 victories, and Army has 9 victories, with the trophy being shared 4 times. Air Force is the current holder of the trophy.

Air Force

Air Force and Army meet annually and vie for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Air Force leads Army 37–18–1 through the 2021 season.[21]

After the Navy–Notre Dame game was canceled in 2020, the Army–Air Force game became the longest uninterrupted intersectional rivalry in college football.

Main article: Army–Navy Game

Army and Navy play each other annually in the Army–Navy game, which is also a part of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. This series is one of the oldest and traditional rivalries in the NCAA. They first met in 1890, and have played each other annually since 1930. The games are generally played at a neutral site. Navy leads the series 62–53–7 through the 2021 season.[22]

Notre Dame
Main article: Army–Notre Dame football rivalry
See also: 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game

Notre Dame is a rivalry which some feel has fallen into obscurity. In much of the early 20th century, Army and Notre Dame were considered football powerhouses, and met 34 times between 1913 and 1947. Though the rivalry has slowed down, they last met in 2016. Many media members considered the 1946 contest to be the "Game of the Century".[23] Notre Dame leads the series 39–8–4 through the 2018 season.[24]

Michie Stadium
Main article: Michie Stadium

Michie Stadium, which opened in 1924, is the home stadium of the Army Black Knights in West Point, New York. The stadium is named after the first Army football head coach, Dennis Michie. In 1999, the field was renamed Blaik Field at Michie Stadium in honor of former coach Earl Blaik.

In 1999, Sports Illustrated ranked Michie Stadium the third-best sports venue of the 20th century.[25]

Traditions

Songs

Main article: On, Brave Old Army Team

Alma Mater is the Army's school song. Army's fight song is "On, Brave Old Army Team". Army also plays other organized cheers; Army Rocket Yell, Black, Gold, and Gray, and USMA Cheer.[26]

Mascot

Main article: Army Mules

Army's mascots are the Army Mules. While dating back to 1899, they were officially adopted as mascots by USMA in 1936.[27]

College Football Hall of Fame
Main article: College Football Hall of Fame

The following 4 individuals have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as coaches.

Name Position Years at Army Inducted
Biff JonesHC1926–19291954
Earl "Red" BlaikHC1941–19581964
Jim YoungHC1983–19991999
Henry L. WilliamsHC18911951

The following 24 individuals have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as players. Daly and McEwan also served as Army's head coach.

Name Position Years at Army Inducted
Charlie DalyQB1901–19021951
Chris CagleHB1926–19291954
Ed GarbischC/OG1921–19241954
Elmer OliphantFB1916–19171955
Glenn DavisHB1943–19461961
John McEwanC1913–19161962
Doc BlanchardFB1944–19461964
Paul BunkerHB/OT1901–19021969
Harry WilsonHB19241973
Barney PooleTE/DE1944–19461974
Alex WeyandOT1914–19151974
Pete DawkinsHB1956–19581975
Harvey JablonskyOG1931–19331978
Bud SpragueOT1926–19271979
Bill CarpenterTE1957–19591982
Arnold GaliffaQB1947–19491983
Doug KennaQB1942–19441984
Don HollederEnd/QB1953–19551985
Robin OldsT1941–19421985
Joe SteffyOG1945–19471987
John GreenOG1943–19451989
Frank MerrittOT1942–19431996
Bob AndersonHB1957–19592004
Arnold TuckerQB1945–19462008

Other notable players
Main article: Army Black Knights football statistical leaders

President of the United States and General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower and General of the Army Omar Bradley were on the 1912 Army football team. Eisenhower was injured and his football career was over by 1913, when the two future generals were juniors. Bradley, a star of the Army baseball team for four years, was on the field in 1913 when Notre Dame upset Army in a historic college football game in which the forward pass was used for the first time. Bradley played end opposite the legendary Knute Rockne, the Notre Dame end who later coached the Irish to national championships before dying in a plane crash near Bazaar, Kansas, on Easter Friday in 1931.

Retired numbers
See also: List of NCAA football retired numbers
Pete Dawkins (left) and Doc Blanchard, two of the players who have their numbers retired by Army
Army Black Knights retired numbers
No. Player Pos. Tenure No. ret. Ref.
24Pete DawkinsHB1956–19582008[28][29]
35Doc BlanchardFB1944–19462009[29][28]
41Glenn DavisHB1943–19462005[28][29]
61Joe SteffyG1945–19472009[28][29]

Award winners
Doc Blanchard – 1945
Glenn Davis – 1946
Pete Dawkins – 1958
Earl Blaik – 1946
Tom Cahill – 1966
Tom Cahill – 1966
Bob Sutton – 1996
Jeff Monken – 2018[30]
  • Vince Lombardi College Football Coach of the Year
Jeff Monken – 2018[31]
Jeff Monken – 2018[32]
  • ECAC Division I FBS Football Coach of the Year
Jeff Monken – 2021[33]
Glenn Davis – 1944
Doc Blanchard – 1945
Pete Dawkins – 1958
Joe Steffy – 1947
Andrew Rodriguez – 2011[34]
Doc Blanchard 1945
Arnold Tucker 1946
Andrew Rodriguez – 2011[35]
Andrew King – 2016[36]
Arik Smith – 2021[37][38]

Future schedules

Schedules as of September 21, 2023.[39]

Week 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034
Week 1 at Ball State at Marshall at Rice at Texas State at Old Dominion at Old Dominion
Week 2 at UConn at Kansas State Buffalo at Buffalo Old Dominion South Alabama Old Dominion Buffalo
Week 3 Marist (FCS) at Tulsa at North Texas
Week 4 Syracuse Liberty Syracuse at Boston College Texas State at South Alabama
Week 5 Dartmouth (FCS) at Syracuse North Texas
Week 6 at Rice Marshall UNLV The Citadel (FCS) at Georgia Southern Cincinnati
Week 7 UConn at Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina UConn at Missouri at Missouri Troy
Week 8 at UNLV Lafayette (FCS) at Tulsa Troy UTSA at Troy
Week 9
Week 10 Air Force at Air Force Air Force at Air Force Air Force at Air Force Air Force at Air Force Air Force at Air Force Air Force
Week 11 at UMass Rice Wake Forest Tulsa at UConn Georgia Southern
Week 12 Wake Forest at Wake Forest at UMass UMass at UMass The Citadel (FCS)
Week 13 UMass at Liberty at UConn at Troy at UConn
Week 14
Week 15 vs. Navy3 vs. Navy4 vs. Navy5 vs. Navy5 vs. Navy5 vs. Navy5 vs. Navy5
Week 16 vs. Navy1 vs. Navy2 vs. Navy5 vs. Navy5
  1. At FedExField, Landover, MD
  2. At M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
  3. At MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  4. At Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
  5. At TBD

Army has games against Tulsa in 2025 and BYU in 2032 with dates yet to be announced.

Radio

Radio rights are held by Learfield through Army West Point Sports Properties, a joint venture with the USMA, and are branded on-air as the "Army Sports Network from Learfield". Pamal Broadcasting-owned WGHQ in Kingston, New York serves as the network's flagship station.

Current broadcast team
Army Sports Network
  • Rich DeMarco (play-by-play)
  • Dean Darling (color analyst)
  • Tony Morino (sideline reporter)
  • Joe Beckerle (pre and post-game)

See also

References
  1. Army Brand Guidelines (PDF). April 13, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  2. "2021 Army Black Knights Media Guide" (PDF). Army West Point. pp. 89–91. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  3. "Heisman Winners". The Heisman Trophy. Archived from the original on December 9, 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
  4. Ambrose (1966), pp. 305–06.
  5. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p. 135, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, NY, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  6. "Trophy Winners". The Heisman Trophy. Archived from the original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
  7. "Biography". Official Website of Vince Lombardi. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
  8. Biggane, Brian (15 November 2008). "Bill Parcells is Dolphins' Godfather". Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
  9. Palka (2008), p. 197.
  10. "Army Football to Leave Conference USA After 2004 Season". The Official Website of Conference USA. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  11. 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). The National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  12. "2018 Army West Point Football Media Guide" (PDF). Army Athletics. pp. 73–75. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  13. "ECAC Announces 2018 Football Teams of the Year and Lambert Awards". ECACsports.com. January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  14. "ECAC Announces 2020 and 2019 Lambert Awards". ECACsports.com. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  15. "SEC, ACC lead NCAA's bowl tie-in list with 11 out of 79 total". ESPN. June 13, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  16. "Army Announces Agreements with ESPN Events and Independence Bowl for Next Bowl Cycle". USMA Athletic Department. October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  17. "Army West Point to be Featured in Independence Bowl's Next Bowl Cycle". Independence Bowl. October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  18. "Army Reaches Deal with Belk Bowl from 2020–25". USMA Athletic Department. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
  19. "Independence Bowl Conference Affiliations Announced". USMA Athletic Department. January 30, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  20. "Independence Bowl Ushers in New Era with 2020–2025 Bowl Agreements". Independence Bowl. January 30, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  21. "Winsipedia – Army Black Knights vs. Air Force Falcons football series history". Winsipedia.
  22. "Winsipedia – Army Black Knights vs. Navy Midshipmen football series history". Winsipedia.
  23. Boston College Even with Irish in Yardage, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 13, 1946.
  24. "Winsipedia – Army Black Knights vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish football series history". Winsipedia.
  25. "Century's Best – SI's Top 20 Venues of the 20th Century". Sports Illustrated. 1999-06-07. Archived from the original on 2007-05-12. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
  26. "> Alma Mater & Fight Songs". Army West Point website.
  27. "Army Mules". USMA Athletic Department. Retrieved 10 Feb 2020.
  28. Uniform numbers have special meaning for Army football players by SAL INTERDONATO. 18 Oct 2012
  29. Army Retired Jerseys at Goarmy.com
  30. "Maxwell Football Club Announces Army West Point's Jeff Monken as George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year" (Press release). Maxwell Football Club. January 3, 2019. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved January 3, 2019.
  31. "Monken Recognized as the Lombardi Coach of Year". USMA Athletic Department. January 8, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  32. "Army Head Coach Jeff Monken Wins 2018 President's Award". Touchdown Club of Columbus. January 4, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  33. "ECAC Announces 2021 Division I FBS Football All-ECAC and Major Awards". ECACsports.com. December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  34. "Rodriguez Wins 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy". USMA Athletic Department. December 6, 2011. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  35. "Andrew Rodriguez Wins Sullivan Award". USMA Athletic Department. March 20, 2012. Archived from the original on January 9, 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  36. "King Honored with Defender of the Nation Award". USMA Athletic Department. November 8, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  37. "Army Linebacker Arik Smith Named as the 2021 Defender of the Nation". USMA Athletic Department. November 4, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  38. "Army West Point's Arik Smith to be honored at December 6th Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet". Charlotte Touchdown Club. November 4, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  39. "Army Black Knights Future Football Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved September 21, 2023.

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