Sunday Aug 18, 2024
The Commander in Chief's Trophy
In the “old” days, (the fifties, sixties and early seventies), Army and Navy were afraid to play the Falcons in Colorado – something about the altitude.
Games were played in New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C, and Baltimore, among other places, but not until 1966 did Navy venture out here, followed by Army the following year. Neither was eager to return. Former Air Force Academy Athletic Director George Simler conceived a way to get them into Falcon Stadium regularly – the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. Begun in 1972, the annual round-robin tournament sees the three schools vie for football supremacy, with the winner earning the Commander-in Chief's Trophy and, frequently, a trip to the White House to meet the actual commander-in-chief, the President of the United States. Air Force was a little slow on the uptake, not winning the trophy outright until 1982, but we currently hold the overall lead, with 20 victories. Navy has secured the Trophy 15 times and Army 8. The three schools’ alumni associations jointly sponsor the Trophy. Go Air Force!
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