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 Showing the side of the current trophy winner, Navy. | |
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| First meeting | 1972; 54 years ago (1972) |
| Latest meeting | Navy win |
TheCommander-in-Chief's Trophy (CIC Trophy) is awarded to each season's winner of the Americancollege football series among the teams of theU.S. Military Academy (Army Black Knights), theU.S. Naval Academy (Navy Midshipmen), and theU.S. Air Force Academy (Air Force Falcons).
The Navy–Air Force game is normally played on the first Saturday in October, the Army–Air Force game on the first Saturday in November, and theArmy–Navy Game on the second Saturday in December. In the event of a tie, the award is shared, but the previous winner retains physical possession of the trophy. The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy and theMichigan MAC Trophy are the onlyNCAA Division I FBS triangular rivalry trophies awarded annually. The few others, such as theFlorida Cup and theBeehive Boot, are contested sporadically.
Through 2025, the Air Force Falcons hold the most trophy victories with 21. The Navy Midshipmen have won 18. The Army Black Knights trail with 10. The trophy has been shared on five occasions, most recently in2021.
Air Force first played Army in1959 and Navy in1960. Prior to1972, Air Force met Army in odd years and Navy in even years (and neither in1961,1962,1964). 1972 was the first year the trophy was awarded, and Air Force has played both Army and Navy every year since. Because Air Force played Army and not Navy in 1971, the Army-Air Force game is the longest uninterrupted intersectional rivalry in college football by one game over the Air Force-Navy game.
The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy was the brainchild of Air Force GeneralGeorge B. Simler, a former Air Force Academy athletic director who envisioned the trophy as a means to create an annual series of football games for the Air Force Academy against the Military Academy and the Naval Academy. First awarded in 1972 by PresidentRichard Nixon, the trophy itself is jointly sponsored by the alumni associations of the three academies.[1][2]
The trophy is named for theU.S. President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of all U.S. military services under theU.S. Constitution. The President has personally awarded the trophy on a number of occasions. During the 1980s, for instance, PresidentRonald Reagan presented the award in an annualWhite House ceremony. In 1996, PresidentBill Clinton presented the trophy to the Army team atVeterans Stadium after theArmy–Navy Game. From 2003 to 2008, then-presidentGeorge W. Bush presented the trophy to Navy teams at ceremonies in theWhite House.[3] The White House presentation continued under the presidencies ofBarack Obama,[4]Donald Trump,[5][6] andJoe Biden.[7][8]
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the winner of the trophy, ifbowl eligible, was granted an invitation to theLiberty Bowl inMemphis, Tennessee.[9]
In the annual series, Air Force plays a home game and a road game, usually (but not always) both on campus, hosting Navy in even-numbered years and Army in odd-numbered years. Army–Navy is a neutral site game, usually in a majoreastern metropolitan area and most frequently inPhiladelphia. Home games for Army–Navy are usually the result of circumstance, such as the 1942 and 1943 editions being moved to Annapolis and West Point due toWorld War II and 2020 at Army's campus because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[10]
The other two federal service academies – theU.S. Coast Guard Academy andU.S. Merchant Marine Academy – do not participate in this competition. They are approximately one-quarter the size of the three major service academies and compete inDivision III athletics, so they do not compete against the larger military academies in most sports. TheCoast Guard Bears andMerchant Marine Mariners have an annual football rivalry for theSecretaries Cup.
The trophy has been the subject of at least one "spirit mission," or prank, leading up to a service academy rivalry game. In late November 2019, a group of Naval Academy midshipmen stole the CIC trophy fromWest Point (who had won it the previous year) and transported it toAnnapolis. The prank was revealed when the trophy was placed on display at noon meal in front of the Brigade of Midshipmen atUSNA. The event received significant attention on social media platforms. Upon West Point leadership learning of the incident, the trophy was promptly returned toUSMA. It is not known how the trophy was stolen and transported, and neither Academy provided an official comment on the incident. Navy went on to win the CIC trophy following a 31–7 victory against Army on December 14, 2019.
The trophy itself stands 2.5 feet (0.76 m) high and weighs 170 lb (77 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.
When Air Force has possession of the trophy, it is displayed in a glass case in theCadet Fieldhouse, the indoor sports complex at the Air Force Academy. When Navy has possession of the trophy, it is displayed in a glass case inBancroft Hall, the Midshipmen's dormitory. When Army possesses the trophy, it is housed in a glass case outside the football offices in the Army Sports Hall of Fame, part of the Kimsey Athletic Center inMichie Stadium.
The trophy was replaced after the 2020 season with an identical trophy. The 1972–2020 trophy is now housed at theCollege Football Hall of Fame inAtlanta, GA.[11]
In the event of a shared award, the previous year's winner retains custody of the trophy.
| Air Force victories | Army victories | Navy victories | Shared trophies and tied games | No game played, no trophy awarded and future events |
| Season | Trophy Winner | Air Force – Navy score | Air Force – Army score | Army – Navy score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Trophy Established | ||||
| 1890– 1958 | N/A | Not played | Not played | SeeArmy–Navy Game Army led 30–24–5 |
| 1959 | N/A | Not played | Tie 13–13[a] | Navy 43–12[b] |
| 1960 | N/A | Navy 35–3[c] | Not played | Navy 17–12[b] |
| 1961 | N/A | Not played | Not played | Navy 13–7[b] |
| 1962 | N/A | Not played | Not played | Navy 34–14[b] |
| 1963 | N/A | Not played | Army 14–10[d] | Navy 21–15[b] |
| 1964 | N/A | Not played | Not played | Army 11–8[b] |
| 1965 | N/A | Not played | Air Force 14–3[d] | Tie 7–7[b] |
| 1966 | N/A | Air Force 15–7[e] | Not played | Army 20–7[b] |
| 1967 | N/A | Not played | Army 10–7[e] | Navy 19–14[b] |
| 1968 | N/A | Air Force 26–20[d] | Not played | Army 21–14[b] |
| 1969 | N/A | Not played | Air Force 13–6[f] | Army 27–0[b] |
| 1970 | N/A | Air Force 26–3[g] | Not played | Navy 11–7[b] |
| 1971 | N/A | Not played | Air Force 20–7[e] | Army 24–23[b] |
| Trophy Established | ||||
| 1972 | Army(1) | Navy 21–17[e] | Army 17–14[f] | Army 23–15[b] |
| 1973 | Navy(1) | Navy 42–6[h] | Air Force 43–10[e] | Navy 51–0[b] |
| 1974 | Shared (Navy retained trophy)(1) | Air Force 19–16[e] | Army 17–16[f] | Navy 19–0[b] |
| 1975 | Navy(2) | Navy 17–0[g] | Air Force 33–3[e] | Navy 30–6[b] |
| 1976 | Shared (Navy retained trophy)(2) | Air Force 13–3[e] | Army 24–7[f] | Navy 38–10[b] |
| 1977 | Army(2) | Navy 10–7[h] | Army 31–6[e] | Army 17–14[b] |
| 1978 | Navy(3) | Navy 37–8[e] | Army 28–14[f] | Navy 28–0[b] |
| 1979 | Navy(4) | Navy 13–9[h] | Air Force 28–7[e] | Navy 31–7[b] |
| 1980 | Shared (Navy retained trophy)(3) | Air Force 21–20[e] | Army 47–24[f] | Navy 33–6[i] |
| 1981 | Navy(5) | Navy 30–13[h] | Air Force 7–3[e] | Tie 3–3[i] |
| 1982 | Air Force(1) | Air Force 24–21[e] | Air Force 27–9[f] | Navy 24–7[i] |
| 1983 | Air Force(2) | Air Force 44–17[h] | Air Force 41–20[e] | Navy 42–13[j] |
| 1984 | Army(3) | Air Force 29–22[e] | Army 24–12[f] | Army 28–11[i] |
| 1985 | Air Force(3) | Air Force 24–7[h] | Air Force 45–7[e] | Navy 17–7[i] |
| 1986 | Army(4) | Air Force 40–6[e] | Army 21–11[f] | Army 27–7[i] |
| 1987 | Air Force(4) | Air Force 23–13[h] | Air Force 27–10[e] | Army 17–3[i] |
| 1988 | Army(5) | Air Force 34–24[e] | Army 28–15[f] | Army 20–15[i] |
| 1989 | Air Force(5) | Air Force 35–7[h] | Air Force 29–3[e] | Navy 19–17[k] |
| 1990 | Air Force(6) | Air Force 24–7[e] | Air Force 15–3[f] | Army 30–20[i] |
| 1991 | Air Force(7) | Air Force 46–6[h] | Air Force 25–0[e] | Navy 24–3[i] |
| 1992 | Air Force(8) | Air Force 18–16[e] | Air Force 7–3[f] | Army 25–24[i] |
| 1993 | Shared (Air Force retained trophy)(4) | Navy 28–24[h] | Air Force 25–6[e] | Army 16–14[k] |
| 1994 | Air Force(9) | Air Force 43–21[e] | Air Force 10–6[f] | Army 22–20[i] |
| 1995 | Air Force(10) | Air Force 30–20[h] | Air Force 38–20[e] | Army 14–13[i] |
| 1996 | Army(6) | Navy 20–17[e] | Army 23–7[f] | Army 28–24[i] |
| 1997 | Air Force(11) | Air Force 10–7[h] | Air Force 24–0[e] | Navy 39–7[k] |
| 1998 | Air Force(12) | Air Force 49–7[e] | Air Force 35–7[f] | Army 34–30[i] |
| 1999 | Air Force(13) | Air Force 19–14[l] | Air Force 28–0[e] | Navy 19–9[i] |
| 2000 | Air Force(14) | Air Force 27–13[e] | Air Force 41–27[f] | Navy 30–28[m] |
| 2001 | Air Force(15) | Air Force 24–18[l] | Air Force 34–24[e] | Army 26–17[i] |
| 2002 | Air Force(16) | Air Force 48–7[e] | Air Force 49–30[f] | Navy 58–12[k] |
| 2003 | Navy(6) | Navy 28–25[l] | Air Force 31–3[e] | Navy 34–6[n] |
| 2004 | Navy(7) | Navy 24–21[e] | Air Force 31–22[f] | Navy 42–13[n] |
| 2005 | Navy(8) | Navy 27–24[h] | Army 27–24[e] | Navy 42–23[n] |
| 2006 | Navy(9) | Navy 24–17[e] | Air Force 43–7[f] | Navy 26–14[n] |
| 2007 | Navy(10) | Navy 31–20[h] | Air Force 30–10[e] | Navy 38–3[m] |
| 2008 | Navy(11) | Navy 33–27[e] | Air Force 16–7[f] | Navy 34–0[n] |
| 2009 | Navy(12) | Navy 16–13(OT)[h] | Air Force 35–7[e] | Navy 17–3[n] |
| 2010 | Air Force(17) | Air Force 14–6[e] | Air Force 42–22[f] | Navy 31–17[n] |
| 2011 | Air Force(18) | Air Force 35–34(OT)[h] | Air Force 24–14[e] | Navy 27–21[l] |
| 2012 | Navy(13) | Navy 28–21(OT)[e] | Army 41–21[f] | Navy 17–13[n] |
| 2013 | Navy(14) | Navy 28–10[h] | Air Force 42–28[e] | Navy 34–7[n] |
| 2014 | Air Force(19) | Air Force 30–21[e] | Air Force 23–6[f] | Navy 17–10[m] |
| 2015 | Navy(15) | Navy 33–11[h] | Air Force 20–3[e] | Navy 21–17[n] |
| 2016 | Air Force(20) | Air Force 28–14[e] | Air Force 31–12[f] | Army 21–17[m] |
| 2017 | Army(7) | Navy 48–45[h] | Army 21–0[e] | Army 14–13[n] |
| 2018 | Army(8) | Air Force 35–7[e] | Army 17–14[f] | Army 17–10[n] |
| 2019 | Navy(16) | Navy 34–25[h] | Air Force 17–13[e] | Navy 31–7[n] |
| 2020 | Army(9) | Air Force 40–7[e] | Army 10–7[f] | Army 15–0[f] |
| 2021 | Shared (Army retained trophy)(5) | Air Force 23–3[h] | Army 21–14(OT)[o] | Navy 17–13[p] |
| 2022 | Air Force(21) | Air Force 13–10[e] | Air Force 13–7[o] | Army 20–17(2OT)[n] |
| 2023 | Army(10) | Air Force 17–6[h] | Army 23–3[q] | Army 17–11[r] |
| 2024 | Navy(17) | Navy 34–7[e] | Army 20–3[f] | Navy 31–13[l] |
| 2025 | Navy(18) | Navy 34–31[h] | Army 20–17[e] | Navy 17–16[m] |
| Season | Trophy winner | Air Force – Navy score | Air Force – Army score | Army – Navy score |
| Records since 1972 | Air Force: 31–23 (.574) | Air Force: 35–19 (.648) | Navy: 33–20–1 (.620) | |
| All-time Records | Air Force: 34–24 (.586) | Air Force: 38–21–1 (.642) | Navy: 64–55–7 (.536) | |
| Team | Trophies | Last | W | L | T | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 21 | 2022 | 66 | 42 | 0 | .611 |
| Navy | 18 | 2025 | 56 | 51 | 1 | .523 |
| Army | 10 | 2023 | 39 | 68 | 1 | .366 |
