Army and Navy unveiled special uniforms honoring two groups of historic warriors with ties to World War II for the 125th football game between the two service academies scheduled for Dec. 14 at Northwest Stadium in Landover.
The 2024 Army uniform will honor the soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division and carry their motto "Rendezvous with Destiny," which the Screaming Eagles embodied when they raced into the town of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
The endurance and refusal to outright surrender - made famous by Brig. Gen. Anthony McAuliffe's one-word response to the German Command of "NUTS!" – during three brutal weeks of relentlessly close combat in freezing weather.
"On December 14, we are honored to represent the past, present, and future Screaming Eagles of the 101st Airborne Division," Army football said in a release. "As we take the field against our rivals, we carry the paratroopers’ legacy and traditions with us as we seek to emulate their Rendezvous with Destiny by refusing to yield the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy."
The gray worn by the Black Knights (9-0 and 7-9 in the AAC, ranked 21st by the College Football Playoff committee) will represent the "canopy of fog and snow" that gives way to the shadows beneath the snow-covered Ardennes forest, which represents the backdrop of the 101st's stubborn defense. The helmets will feature one of four suits representing the different markings used by the paratroopers and glider troops to identify their unit affiliation from the jump into Normandy.
Two weeks before the Battle of the Bulge, No. 1 Army defeated No. 2 Navy, 23-7, in the 45th-ever contest in Baltimore. The Cadets finished 9-0 that season and were named the consensus national champion led by future Heisman Trophy-winning halfback Glenn Davis.
Here is a look at the Army uniforms:
Navy (7-3 and 5-2 in conference) will honor the Jolly Rogers, established in 1943 they are the most lethal and historic squadrons in all of Naval Aviation. They carry the tagline of "Fear the Bones" with the callsign of Victory, according to a Navy Athletics release.
The Skull and Crossbones have become the most recognized and feared insignia across the globe starting with World War II when they racked up 150 kills over the skies of the Pacific Theatre.
The squadron continues to serve and the VF-103 flew numerous sorties over Vietnam and achieved the only night MiG kill of the entire conflict.
A dark navy cowl will reflect the squadron's tail design, with the collar stipping referencing the stripe on the top of the aircraft's tail. The uniform numbers are models on the aircraft side numbers and the pants feature the six Jolly Rogers squadrons throughout history
Here's a look at Navy's uniforms:
This will be the second time in football history the Jolly Rogers are honored, first in 1962 when Roger Staubach, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy winner, led the Midshipmen to a 34-14 rout in Philadelphia.
The game will be held in Landover for the second time in its history, the first since 2011, a 27-21 Navy victory.
It will be the 11th time the game is played in Maryland, and despite being the home of the Naval Academy, Army will be the home team in the 2024 contest. (The 2025 contest will be held in Baltimore.)
After the Black Knights snapped the Midshipmen's 14-game winning streak with a 2016 win, Army has won six of the last eight matchups and will likely be the favorites when they take the field for the 3 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The two schools also released dueling hype videos for the new uniforms. First, Army's:
And here's Navy's:
Navy leads the series with 62 wins to Army's 55 with seven games ending in ties. The Black Knights have won the last two contests.