The Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen will face each other for the 123rd time on Saturday in Philadelphia to conclude the 2022 college football season, but the two military academies are participating in a tradition much bigger than the game of football every time they take the field against one another. This is the 90th time the teams will meet in Philadelphia. The Army-Navy game takes place at 3 pm, on December 10. It is being played at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia. 

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Why is the Army-Navy game so important?

The Army-Navy Game is a college football rivalry game between the Army Black Knights of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, and the Navy Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis, Maryland. The annual event is unlike any other in college athletics.

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The series between the two military academies has a long history dating back to its first game in 1890. It has been played more than 120 times, mostly in Philadelphia, but also all over the country, including stops in New York, Baltimore, Chicago, and Pasadena, California. The game has featured college students that have gone on to become heroes, generals, and even presidents.

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“I think it shows togetherness and happiness and good things,” said Ann Jaede of Minnesota, whose granddaughter competed for the Navy in the pull-up challenges.

“It symbolizes everything that we stand for; that we have dedicated, committed, young people to serve our nation and give up everything that they have,” said Pat McGivney of San Diego, California, whose daughter is an Army cadet.

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Each year the game comes to Philadelphia, it brings more than 50,000 out-of-town visitors, generating more than 31,000 hotel room nights and $30 million in economic impact for the city. Apart from the big weekend economically, it’s a chance to honor the United States military and thank them for their service. 

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The game is frequently attended by sitting US presidents. Since 1945, the game has been nationally televised each year. The game has been played on the second Saturday of December since 2009, after the FBS conference championship weekend.