Commander-in-Chief's Trophy

Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
Teams:	Air Force Falcons Army Black Knights Navy Midshipmen
Originated:	1972
Trophy Series:	Air Force leads with 18 wins.
Current Holder:	Air Force
Air Force (18) 1982 1983 1985 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2010 2011	Navy (12) 1973 1975 1978 1979 1981 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009	Army (6) 1972 1977 1984 1986 1988 1996
Shared Awards (4) 1974 1976 1980 1993

The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the triangular college football series among the United States Military Academy (Army Black Knights), the United States Naval Academy (Navy Midshipmen), and United States Air Force Academy (Air Force Falcons). The Navy–Air Force game is traditionally played on the first Saturday in October, the Army–Air Force game on the first Saturday in November, and the Army–Navy Game on the second Saturday in December. In the event of a tie, the award is shared, but the previous winner retains possession of the trophy.

History of the trophy

Prior to 1972, Air Force did not play an annual series with Army and Navy. Living in the shadow of the Army-Navy game, Air Force needed a ploy to get on equal footing with her long established Service Academy brethren. The Commander-in-Chief's trophy was the brainchild of Air Force General George B. Simler, former Air Force Academy athletic director. It was first awarded in 1972, when Richard M. Nixon was Commander-in-Chief. The trophy itself is jointly sponsored by the alumni associations of the three academies.

The trophy is named for the President of the United States, who is, under the US Constitution, the Commander-in-Chief of all US military services. The President has personally awarded the trophy on a number of occasions. During the 1980s, for instance, President Ronald Reagan presented the award in a White House ceremony. After years of Air Force dominance, in 1996, President Bill Clinton presented the trophy at Veterans Stadium after the Army–Navy Game. From 2003 to 2007, President George W. Bush presented the trophy at a White House ceremony.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the winner of the trophy, if bowl eligible, was granted an invitation to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN.^[1]

The other two federal service academies — the United States Coast Guard Academy and United States Merchant Marine Academy — do not participate in the Commander-in-Chief's trophy competition. As these two academies are approximately one-quarter the size of the three Department of Defense academies, they compete in NCAA Division III athletics, and do not compete against the other military academies in most sports. The two smaller academies do share a rivalry, however, as their football teams square off in the Secretaries Cup each year.

The trophy

The trophy itself stands 2.5 feet (0.76 m) high and weighs 170 lb (77.1 kg). The design consists of three silver footballs in a pyramid like arrangement, set on a circular base, with three arc-shaped sections cut out — one for each academy. In each of the cut-out areas stands a silver figurine of the mascot of one of the academies, in front of small, engraved plates denoting which years the respective academy has won the trophy. Beneath each of the three silver footballs is the crest of one of the three academies.

When Army possesses the trophy, it is housed in a glass case in Eisenhower Hall, the academy's theater and ballroom. When Navy has possession of the trophy, it is displayed in a glass case in Bancroft Hall, the Midshipmen's dormitory. When Air Force has possession of the trophy, it is displayed in a glass case in the Cadet Fieldhouse, the indoor sports complex at the Air Force Academy.

Winners of the trophy

Air Force victories are shown in ██ blue, Army victories in ██ black, Navy victories in ██ gold. Tied games, shared awards and future events are shown in ██ silver. In the event of a shared award, the previous year's winner retains custody of the trophy.

Season	Trophy Winner	Air Force – Navy score	Air Force – Army score	Army – Navy score
1972	Army	21–17	17–14	23–15
1973	Navy	42–6	43–10	51–0
1974	Shared (Navy retained trophy)	19–16	17–16	19–0
1975	Navy	17–0	33–3	30–6
1976	Shared (Navy retained trophy)	13–3	24–7	38–10
1977	Army	10–7	31–6	17–14
1978	Navy	37–8	28–14	28–0
1979	Navy	13–9	28–7	31–7
1980	Shared (Navy retained trophy)	21–20	47–24	33–6
1981	Navy	30–13	7–3	3–3
1982	Air Force	24–21	27–9	24–7
1983	Air Force	44–17	41–20	42–13
1984	Army	29–22	24–12	28–11
1985	Air Force	24–7	45–7	17–7
1986	Army	40–6	21–11	27–7
1987	Air Force	23–13	27–10	17–3
1988	Army	34–24	28–15	20–15
1989	Air Force	35–7	29–3	19–17
1990	Air Force	24–7	15–3	30–20
1991	Air Force	46–6	25–0	24–3
1992	Air Force	18–16	7–3	25–24
1993	Shared (AF retained trophy)	28–24	25–6	16–14
1994	Air Force	43–21	10–6	22–20
1995	Air Force	30–20	38–20	14–13
1996	Army	20–17	23–7	28–24
1997	Air Force	10–7	24–0	39–7
1998	Air Force	49–7	35–7	34–30
1999	Air Force	19–14	28–0	19–9
2000	Air Force	27–13	41–27	30–28
2001	Air Force	24–18	34–24	26–17
2002	Air Force	48–7	49–30	58–12
2003	Navy	28–25	31–3	34–6
2004	Navy	24–21	31–22	42–13
2005	Navy	27–24	27–24	42–23
2006	Navy	24–17	43–7	26–14
2007	Navy	31–20	30–10	38–3
2008	Navy	33–27	16–7	34–0
2009	Navy	16–13	35–7	17–3
2010	Air Force	14–6	42–22	31–17
2011	Air Force	35–34	24–14	Dec. 10, 2011 at Landover, MD (FedEx Field)
2012	TBD	Oct. 6, 2012 at Air Force	Nov. 3, 2012 at Bronx, NY (Yankee Stadium)	Dec. 8, 2012 at Philadelphia, PA (Lincoln Financial Field)
2013	TBD	Oct. 5, 2013 at Navy	Nov. 2, 2013 at Air Force	Dec. 14, 2013 at Philadelphia, PA (Lincoln Financial Field)
2014	TBD	Oct. 4, 2014 at Air Force	Nov. 1, 2014 at Army	Dec. 13, 2014 at Baltimore, MD (M&T Bank Stadium)
2015	TBD	TBD	TBD	Dec. 12, 2015 at Philadelphia, PA (Lincoln Financial Field)
2016	TBD	TBD	TBD	Dec. 10, 2016 at Baltimore, MD (M&T Bank Stadium)
2017	TBD	TBD	TBD	Dec. 9, 2017 at Philadelphia, PA (Lincoln Financial Field)
2018	TBD	TBD	TBD	Dec. 8, 2018
Season	Trophy Winner	Air Force – Navy score	Air Force – Army score	Army – Navy score

See also

• Army–Navy Game
• Secretaries Cup annual college football game between the United States Coast Guard Academy and the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Both academies compete in NCAA Division III athletics.

References

1. ^ COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Boston College Surprises Army - New York Times

External links

• CinC Trophy Fact Sheet
• President Bush's remarks at the White House presentation of the 2005 CinC's Trophy to Navy