There’s nothing inherently more patriotic about the second weekend in December. No longstanding tradition dictates that the Army-Navy game must occur one week after conference championship games, instead of one week before.
Until the 1980s, the service academies generally played their rivalry game in late November. The game didn’t shift to the second Saturday in December until 2009.
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Army coach Jeff Monken says he’s up for returning the game to Thanksgiving week, if it means the College Football Playoff starts sooner and the season concludes earlier in January.
Monken would like an exclusive television window for Army-Navy. He just doesn’t see why the game must occur in December.
“Give us a four-hour block on Thanksgiving, or on Friday of Thanksgiving, or on Saturday of Thanksgiving,” Monken told The Athletic in a recent interview, “… and just say nobody else plays during this four-hour block. That’s still protecting the game.”
I like this idea. In fact, you could make the case that giving Army-Navy an exclusive TV window amid the rivalries of Thanksgiving week, when the college football season reaches its zenith, would amplify the game’s exposure and fervor.
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If Army-Navy football game changes dates, why not Black Friday?
Let’s consider the possibility of Black Friday, a strong day for television audience.
Here was the TV lineup of college games involving Power Four teams in 2025:
Noon ET: Iowa-Nebraska (CBS); Mississippi-Mississippi State (ABC); Utah-Kansas (ESPN)
3:30 p.m. ET: Georgia-Georgia Tech (ABC)
7:30 p.m. ET: Indiana-Purdue (NBC); Texas A&M-Texas (ABC)
9 p.m. ET: Arizona-Arizona State (Fox)
I’m already seeing a solution. Shift Georgia-Georgia Tech into either the noon window or into prime time. Bump the 7:30 ET games back 30 minutes.
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Slot in Army-Navy on CBS at 4 p.m. ET, and give it a four-hour runaway free of other FBS games. Dynamite.
If you’re wondering whether that afternoon slot does well for TV audience, consider the Georgia-Georgia Tech game averaged 8.7 million viewers, making it the fourth-most watched college game within a stacked weekend that included Michigan-Ohio State, the Iron Bowl, and Texas and Arch Manning playing a prime-time rivalry game.
Three of the top six rated college games during Thanksgiving week were on Black Friday. It’s an eyeball magnet.
Leftover turkey, football, a slice of pumpkin pie and tuning out your in-laws. That’s America.
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By comparison, Army-Navy averaged 7.8 million viewers this past season on CBS, two weeks after Thanksgiving.
Instead of putting Army-Navy on a December Saturday when no other FBS games were played, why not let games like the Egg Bowl serve as an appetizer, drawing in an audience that’ll stick around for Army-Navy in the afternoon?
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Navy official pushes back on idea of playing in November
It’s worth noting Navy athletic director Michael Kelly doesn’t care for this idea. Unlike Monken, he’s against moving the game to coincide with Thanksgiving weekend.
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“I’m not supportive of the Thanksgiving suggestion,” Kelly told the Capital Gazette. “I think that would be really detrimental to our revenue potential in terms of viewership and sponsorship.”
“I think it’s premature to jump to that holiday, which I don’t think would work,” he added.
Shifting Army-Navy back into its more traditional November spot would allow the CFP timeline to speed up.
Here’s a thought:
∎ First weekend in December: Conference championship games.
∎ Second weekend in December: First-round playoff games.
∎ Third weekend in December: Quarterfinal games.
∎ Jan. 1: Semifinals.
∎ Early January: National championship game.
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Or, dump the antiquated conference championship games, and wrap this thing up on New Year’s Day. That idea has at least one supporter — the guy who coaches Army.
“Have the championship game around Jan. 1,” Monken told The Athletic, “which I think would be awesome.”
Playing rivalry football games around Thanksgiving and cherishing New Year’s Day as a peak postseason date, now that’s college football. That’s Americana, even.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Army-Navy game move closer to Thanksgiving? Not a bad idea
