College GameDay Announces Return to Storied Rivalry It Skipped the Last Two Years

GameDay returns to Army-Navy

College GameDay confirmed it will broadcast from MetLife Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 12. The show last visited the rivalry in 2023 and was absent for the past two Army-Navy games.

The upcoming broadcast will be GameDay’s 10th at America’s Game, its second at MetLife and its first there since 2021. The show visited the matchup every December from 2014 through 2021, with broadcasts in Baltimore, Philadelphia, West Point, East Rutherford and Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Rece Davis will host from 10 a.m. to noon ET with Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Pat McAfee and Nick Saban. Army is the designated home team, and the game’s 3 p.m. ET kickoff will air on CBS.

Two seasons without a broadcast

GameDay did not travel to Army-Navy in 2024, the first season of the 12-team College Football Playoff. In 2025, the show previewed conference championship weekend at the SEC title game a week before Army-Navy Saturday, then did not broadcast from the rivalry.

Fans expressed frustration on social media during the 2025 absence. Navy beat Army 17-16 in Baltimore without the GameDay crew on site. The show’s only previous visit to MetLife was in 2021, when it set up outside the stadium in Lot J. Navy won that game 17-13.

Trophy already claimed

The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy will not be at stake when Army and Navy meet at MetLife. Air Force clinched the trophy on Nov. 7 with a 24-21 win at Michie Stadium, securing its first title since 2022 after also beating Navy earlier in the season.

Army erased a 10-point halftime deficit and led 21-17 late in the third quarter before Air Force responded. The Black Knights are 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the American. Coach Jeff Monken, in his 13th season at West Point, said, “Surely disappointed for our team.” He added that his players had worked hard and that academy games were among the ones they most wanted to win.

Both teams enter with work

Navy is 3-6 after an 11-2 season that ended with a Liberty Bowl victory and a No. 22 final ranking. Quarterback Jackson Gutierrez had six touchdowns, including five rushing scores, in a 42-35 win over Temple on Nov. 7. Navy needed his late score after Temple came back from a 28-point deficit.