Service academy intrigue: Army, Navy could clash twice this year

The 2024 college football season is shaping up to involve an intriguing battle for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy between Army and Navy, complete with a twist.

After an impressive 42-14 win over the Temple Owls on Thursday evening, the Army Black Knights are 4-0 while the Navy Midshipmen , boasting a signature victory over the Memphis Tigers, are 3-0. With Air Force off to a disappointing 1-2 start, it looks like the competition for this year's Commander-in-Chief's (CIC) Trophy will be between Army and Navy.

Additionally, because Army and Navy are both in the American Athletic Conference, it's possible that the service academies could meet twice this year — in the AAC championship game and the annual Army-Navy game on Dec. 14.

The CIC Trophy is presented annually to the winner of the series of games between the three service academy teams: the Air Force Falcons , the Midshipmen and the Black Knights. The Falcons have claimed the CIC Trophy 22 times. The Midshipmen have won it 16 times and Army has taken the award home 10 times.

The 2024 season involves a bit of a unique dynamic as Army has moved to the AAC. Before joining their fellow service academy in the Group of Five conference, the Black Knights competed as an independent.

Senior quarterback Bryson Daily leads the team from West Point in both passing and rushing yards. The dual-threat signal-caller has accounted for 11 touchdowns in just four games — three through the air and eight on the ground.

The Midshipmen are led by senior linebacker Colin Ramos , who was named the Lott IMPACT Trophy Player of the Week after tallying a jaw-dropping 20 tackles and a quarterback sack in Navy's win over Memphis. The Tigers were ranked No. 23 in the AP poll before Ramos and his teammates knocked them off in Annapolis, Md., on Sept. 21.

The Midshipmen and Black Knights will both square off against Notre Dame this season in neutral-site games. Navy and the Fighting Irish are slated to meet on Oct. 26 in East Rutherford, N.J., and the Black Knights are scheduled to take on Notre Dame on Nov. 23 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y.

While Navy and Army might struggle against Notre Dame, they look to be well-positioned against most of their AAC opponents. If the two service academies finish at the top of the conference, this season will feature a captivating anomaly — Army and Navy playing in the AAC conference championship game on Dec. 6, then facing off again on Dec. 14 in the annual Army-Navy game.

College football rarely disappoints.