Commander in Chief's Trophy

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 first Saturday in December. In the event of a tie, the award is shared, but the previous winner retains possession of the trophy. Unlike many other intense college football rivalries, the competitiveness between the academies is tempered by the knowledge that the teams are playing against the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that will serve beside them after graduation.

History of the trophy

First awarded in 1972, the Commander-in-Chief's trophy was the idea of Air Force General George B. Simler, the commander of Air Training Command and former Air Force Academy athletic director who felt the need for such a trophy as a means to ensure the Air Force games played against traditional rivals Army and Navy were given some meaning at least slightly more significant than all other normal collegiate opponents that those two storied programs were to play on any given Saturday. 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 U.S. Constitution, the Commander-in-Chief of all U.S. 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. In 1996, President Bill Clinton presented the trophy at Veterans Stadium after the Army-Navy Game. For the last five years (2003-07), President George W. Bush presented the trophy in White House ceremonies.

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. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEED61F38F931A25752C1A96F948260 COLLEGE FOOTBALL; Boston College Surprises Army - New York Times ] ]

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.

During Army's last possession of the trophy, at the beginning of the 1997 season, it was housed in a glass case in Eisenhower Hall, the academy's theater and ballroom. Air Force displayed the trophy in a glass case inside the Cadet Fieldhouse, the indoor sports complex of the academy. When Navy has possession of the trophy, it is displayed in a glass case in Bancroft Hall, the Midshipmen's dormitory.

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 winner retains the trophy.

ee 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

External links

* [http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/army/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/CICtrophy.pdf CinC Trophy Fact Sheet]
* [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/04/20060425-5.html President Bush's remarks at the White House presentation of the 2005 CinC's Trophy to Navy]