A rivalry between the military academies that is sometimes overshadowed by the history of the Navy and Army, the Midshipmen vs. Air Force series is one to watch.
The history between the two football programs dates back to 1960, which is more recent than you probably would have guessed. Navy won that day in Baltimore, 35-3.
In 1972, the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy was born, permanently establishing an annual Army, Navy and Air Force tournament on the calendar.
The winner of Navy vs. Air Force has won the CIC trophy in 41 of the first 54 seasons, or 75.9 percent of the time – Air Force has 21 of them.
𝗤𝗕𝟭 with 𝗧𝗗𝟮 🔥#FlyFightWin | @Toyota pic.twitter.com/5VlOJl0N9k
– Air Force Football (@AF_Football) October 3, 2026
The Falcons lead the series 34-24, winning 11 straight games from 1982 to 1992 – the longest winning streak for either side in the rivalry.
However, Navy turned things around in the early 2000s, winning the rivalry and the CIC Trophy for seven consecutive seasons, from 2003 to 2009.
Since then, the teams have gone back and forth, but Navy holds the current two-game winning streak and the CIC Trophy.
TO THE END ZONE ‼️#GoNavy | #RollGoats | @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/87GZ4bfNU2
— Navy Football (@NavyFB) October 3, 2026
In the 2025 game, the teams combined for 977 yards of offense. Yes, you read that right – 977 yards.
Navy’s Blake Horvath threw for 339 yards through the air with three passing touchdowns. On the ground, he totaled 130 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Falcons quarterback Liam Szarka also scored four touchdowns – two on the ground and two through the air – for 364 yards of offense.
As for this year’s game, Air Force leads 14-9 early in the fourth quarter with both teams relying heavily on the running game. Szarka had both rushing touchdowns for the Falcons.
Gn sports
