Army-Navy Game Could Shift Dates to Accommodate 24-Team CFP

Despite potential scheduling complications with a 24-team College Football Playoff, the Army-Navy Game likely isn’t going anywhere.

If the expanded field is confirmed, the game could take place on the first Saturday in December, when the conference championships would have been, sources tell Front Office Sports. The game’s final scheduling date, however, likely won’t be decided until after the CFP expansion decision becomes finalized. 

Army athletic director Tom Theodorakis declined to comment on the prospect of the game being played during the first weekend of December. But he told FOS, “I view these conversations as a win for the academies and ‘America’s Game.’ If we can preserve Army-Navy while giving our Cadet athletes the opportunity to be in the College Football Playoff, that’s the best of both worlds.” 

Every year, Army-Navy enjoys being the only FBS football game during the Saturday between conference championship games and the start of the College Football Playoff. This year, the game will take place on Dec. 12. 

The annual matchup is more than just a tradition and a recruiting tool for the service academies. It rakes in millions of dollars each year for both athletic departments through sponsorship dollars, ticket sales, and an exclusive television contract with CBS (in 2024, the network extended the contract through 2038). 

But as conversations progress toward a 24-team Playoff, questions have arisen about whether the expanded bracket—and extra weeks—would jeopardize the game’s longstanding scheduling. The first round of the 24-team bracket would reportedly be played the second weekend of December—currently the exclusive window for Army-Navy. 

The conundrum also drew the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump, who announced last December he would sign an executive order requiring media networks and the CFP to secure an exclusive broadcast window for the game. While the enforceability of the order remains unclear, the move put an additional spotlight on the game’s future. (The subsequent order, which he signed in March, did not specify which weekend the White House preferred.) 

Over the past several months, various options have been presented. Army coach Jeff Monken floated the idea of playing the game on Thanksgiving weekend, for example. Navy athletic director Michael Kelly told FOS in February that he had concerns about that concept. He was worried about competing with Thanksgiving Day NFL games, and brought up the fact that service academy members would likely not be available to attend the game, given they’d be home for the holiday. 

American commissioner Tim Pernetti, whose conference is the home for both service academies, has not taken a public stance on his preference for the game’s future scheduling. But in February, he reiterated the conference’s commitment to ensuring the vitality of Army-Navy no matter what the future CFP brings. “The Army-Navy game is a national treasure where the true commitment of our future leaders is on display,” he told The Capital Gazette. “We will do whatever it takes to protect and defend it.”

Though the 24-team bracket could swallow up the traditional weekend for Army-Navy, it would open up another window that could satisfy all parties. With the expanded bracket, conference championship games would be eliminated, leaving the first weekend of December open. 

In this scenario, the matchup would receive exclusive Saturday without any other FBS football games (or NFL games). Plus, both teams would have an open schedule later in the month to participate in the 24-team bracket if they secure bids.