When you hear the words army and navy, your mind instantly drifts toward images of military service, soldiers, and government operations, but college football? That’s probably not the first thing that comes to your mind. Despite not being a powerhouse of names, both football programs are undefeated and ranked for the first time since 1960, the same year JFK was elected as the 35th president of the United States.

Both military academies were known for their incredible historical rivalry and massive popularity for years. The Army had boasted multiple Heisman winners and the Navy produced players like Roger Staubach who not only went on to win the Heisman in 1963 but also had a stellar NFL career. In terms of head-to-head matchups, the Navy has come out victorious but the Army is not far behind.

However, due to the rapid expansion of funding, programs, recruitment process, and many more adjustments, the military academies fell into a void, while programs like Ohio State, Penn State, USC, Michigan, Notre Dame, and many others thrived in this new and advanced modern system.  The biggest factor in the decline of the academies in field performances was the recruiting obstacles they had to overcome. These institutions had strict physical, academic, and service requirements that must have been met to participate in athletics, unlike others. Additionally, once highly effective, their reliance on an old-school triple-option offensive scheme quickly led to their downfall. It easily became countered by the fast-paced versatile defenses of the modern era of football.

Despite the challenges of the past few decades, the Army and Navy are making an incredible comeback this season, going undefeated halfway into the season and being ranked was something they could only dream of, but now it’s a reality. Right now, there is a good place to make a name for themselves and change the view on military academies for generations to come.