Overview
- Army coach Jeff Monken proposed shifting the rivalry to Thanksgiving weekend with a four-hour exclusive television window to preserve prominence and ease playoff scheduling.
- Navy athletic director Michael Kelly opposed a Thanksgiving move, warning of reduced revenue, sponsorship value, viewership and attendance, and casting doubt on securing exclusivity against NFL and rivalry-week games.
- Army and Navy are discussing fallback options, including moving the game to rivalry week or granting a first-round College Football Playoff bye if either team qualifies.
- For 2026, no change is planned: the game is scheduled for Dec. 12 at MetLife Stadium, CBS holds exclusive rights through 2038, and any CFP expansion will not occur this year.
- President Donald Trump pledged an executive order to reserve an exclusive second-December-Saturday broadcast window, though no order has been issued and CFP executive director Rich Clark has only acknowledged the game’s significance.