The United State Naval Academy, better known as just Navy, unveiled its new uniforms for next month’s college football game against Army. However, the Black Knights are reportedly furious with the Midshipmen for trying to claim the skull and crossbones.
This adds yet another layer to one of the most historic rivalries in sports. It comes in a year where tensions are already heightened between the two programs by nature of their records.
Army is ranked No. 18 in the country at 9-0. Should it pull off an upset win over Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium and beat UTSA in its regular season opener, Navy would have the opportunity to spoil an undefeated season. At the very least, the Midshipmen can hand the Black Knights their only conference loss and their only loss outside of the Fighting Irish, who will likely make the College Football Playoff.
As is tradition in recent years, both sides are going to debut new uniforms for their college football game.
Army isn’t happy with Navy’s design!
The Military Academy focused this year’s theme around the 101st Airborne Division. Its uniforms will commemorate the Rendezvous with Destiny at Bastogne in the Battle of the Bulge.
The Naval Academy is choosing to honor the Jolly Rogers, the most lethal and history-rich squadron in all of Naval Aviation. Established in 1943, their tagline is ‘Fear the Bones’ and their callsign is Victory.
A large focus of the Jolly Roger uniforms is, of course, the Jolly Roger flag. At the center of the Jolly Roger flag is a skull and two crossbones.
Every detail was taken into account when @UnderArmour made this uniform🏴☠️#JollyRogers | #BeatArmy pic.twitter.com/qgWAopyUlp
— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) November 20, 2024
Flying over nine different types of fighter aircraft in the past 63 years, the Jolly Roger has become the most recognized and feared insignia in the world. The Skull and Crossbones first flew in January 1943 on the F4U Corsairs assigned to VF-17, the most lethal Navy fighter squadron of World War II. By the end of the war, the original Jolly Rogers racked up over 150 kills.
However, Army also focuses a large portion of its football identity around ‘The Black Flag,’ which also features a skull and two crossbones. As per the team website:
The Skull and Crossbones logo, as used on the “Black Flag”, has been synonymous with Army Football for more than a quarter of a century. Emblazoned on the flag that is run out of the tunnel by Army football players each game day, the logo symbolizes the hallmarks of the program: toughness, tenacity, camaraderie and accountability.
Used on-and-off since the mid-1990s, the “Black Flag” has become more prominent under current head coach Jeff Monken.
— Army Football
It is a very big deal!
According to Mike James of the Rivals network, “Amy coaches are big made about Navy’s uniforms, apparently.” He says they “don’t want people forgetting their skull and crossbones flag thing.”
The Midshipmen will take the field in Maryland on Dec. 14 with the Jolly Roger flag on its helmet. They have a deep-rooted, well-document history with the skull and crossbones. The Black Knights will take the field with The Black Flag. It is a co-opted pirate flag that has nothing to do with their branch or its history.
And yet, Army’s staff is supposedly upset with Navy for taking its thing…??
