Report: Gillette Stadium a ‘finalist’ to host future Army-Navy Game
One of the marquee events in college football could be making its way to New England in the near future. As first reported by BREAKING: Gillette Stadium is a finalist to host a future Army-Navy game. Robert Kraft tells me he really hopes to land the 2023 game.
Plus Providence will play a major role in this bid hosting the Midshipmen at the RI Convention Center @NBC10 https://t.co/YiGfEyr39a
According to Kayata, Gillette has a bid in for the 2023-2027 window (the game is scheduled in blocks, the current of which expires in 2022). While the goal is to land any game in that window, Kayata says the group is hoping for 2023 “for the historical perspective of also celebrating the 251st anniversary of the burning of the HMS Gaspee in Rhode Island and the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.”
Kayata added that this is the third time Gillette has put in a bid to host the game, which isn’t surprising given the ties between the Patriots and the Naval Academy. Head coach Bill Belichick grew up around the Academy, where his father was a coach from 1956 to 1989.
The Army-Navy Game represents one of the oldest and most storied rivalries in college football. Played 122 times dating back to 1890, it serves as a celebration of both service academies and the Armed Forces as a whole. It is also the final game of the college football regular season, being played on the second Saturday of December after the FBS conference championships.
Other locations with bids to host the game include Charlotte, Orlando, Washington D.C., Baltimore, New Jersey, and Philadelphia (which is hosting the game in 2022). A decision on the 2023 game site is expected next month.
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