Villanova @ Army

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The Game

When a team’s singular, competitive purpose is beating one team, what’s not to like? No matter who the opponent is, Army football fans’ mantra is Beat Navy! Unfortunately, the Army-Navy game is played at a neutral site in Philadelphia, PA or East Rutherford, NJ, instead of their respective home fields. However, the two teams have met at Michie Field (pronounced Mickey) only twice in 122 meetings. The first meeting was due to WWII in 1943, a win for Navy, and the second due to the COVID-19 health measures in 2020 resulting in a win for Army.

Today’s opponents are the Villanova Wildcats. The stadium in West Point seats around 38,000 and the attendance on this pleasantly warm September day was around 32,320. The Wildcats showed their claws in the first quarter with a touchdown and a couple of nice drives before QB Connor Watkins through the first of a few interceptions. The momentum turned to favor Army that finished the game with 7 touchdowns amassing 472 rushing yards and 0 passing yards. Yes, Army is a running team.

Having seen most of my FBS games at ACC and SEC schools to this point, the hardnosed, run-the-ball-until-they-surrender style of Army football is refreshing. Even the theatrics of play calling from the sideline with large boards covered with nonsensical pictures like emojis and icons that are seen at top tier programs were missing. Army plays football with a traditional, daresay reverent zeal that is missing in most other college football programs today. I’m a fan even though it was hard to follow the ball movement from the stadium with all the misdirection that is inherent with their type of offense!

Congratulations to Head Coach, Jeff Monken, who recorded his 59^th win at this game to be the 2^nd most winning coach in Army Football history!

The Experience

West Point is in a picturesque setting on the banks of the Hudson River, only made better if you are lucky enough to catch a home game during the Fall season when the foliage is on fire. Michie Stadium sits on a hilltop next to the Lusk Reservoir. The Cadets sit on the Eastern side (reservoir side) of the stadium next to the designated visitor section. If that is not enough intimidation for the visiting team, then the Rocket Yell is the tipping point. Think of it as a chant designed to instill fear into the enemy and it’s an impressive sight to see in unison from the Cadets. Don’t forget to also scream “ARMY” after every first down. 

While the game can be exiting, it’s really about the pregame. While the tailgating is not as over-the-top as some schools, it is taken seriously. For visitors, the highlights start with the full-dress parade of Cadets on the Plain followed by the demonstration of skilled skydiving. For this game, five Cadets jumped from a helicopter that must have been at least 10,000 feet in the air and controlled their timing and smooth landing onto the Plain minutes later. After the successful landings, the helicopter did a flyby over the field. The process is pretty much repeated 10-minutes prior to kickoff except the Cadets are landing on the football field.

The road between the stadium and reservoir is dubbed Black Knight Alley which opens 3 hours prior to kickoff. For the Villanova game there were a couple of food trucks, several military and Army-oriented sponsor tents, a beer tent, a few activities for kids, and the ever-present Benny Havens Band. The Benny Havens Band is “a leading popular music ensemble in the Armed Forces, primarily serving the United States Corps of Cadets at West Point.” The band engages and rallies the crowd, including the visiting fans, before the game. Before the Villanova game, the music ranged from crowd pleasers from the 70s onward to a modern pop song from Camila Cabello.

What to Know

• Take advantage of all the gameday activities which start with the Cadet Review on the Plain 3 hours ahead of kickoff.
• Buy the parking pass ahead of time. Based on my experience it will save you $5 versus paying at the gate and will
• The best gameday food is at your tailgate but if that is not possible my recommendation is to go to Black Knight Alley to hit up one of the food trucks. There is food inside the stadium, but some concessions are bare bones while others have better options. You might need to walk around the stadium to find better options.
• If you are parking in the green lots, the bar at Thayer Hotel across the street opens at 4pm where you can grab more food and drink.
• Seats under the upper deck/press box on the Western side of the stadium (sections 8-11 and 14-17) and in the higher sections of the South side (sections 1-6) of the stadium should be shaded for day games.
• The campus is walkable if a bit hilly. Since it is a military academy, not all areas are open to the public and you may need to show your government issued identification.

Getting There

West Point, NY is approximately 1 to 1.5 hours north of New York City. The easiest way to get there is by car but there may also be river cruises, bus (from the Port Authority in NYC), and rail options (Metro North from Grand Central Station). Plan to get there about 4 hours before game time if possible, to allow for parking and the shuttle bus to see the Cadet Review on the Plain where cadets march in full-dress on the field.