Why the Army-Navy game could soon be moving

As the Army-Navy Game navigates a shifting college football landscape, Jeff Monken believes its place on the calendar may need to change.

With the College Football Playoff exploring a revamped schedule that could push the postseason earlier and stage a national championship around Jan. 1, the Army coach suggested the rivalry could move to Thanksgiving weekend. However, there's a catch. The national spotlight needs to remains untouched.

“There’s not an appetite for the college football season to go all the way to the end of January,” Monken told The Athletic. “There’s a real hope that we can get this thing into one semester, and have the championship game around Jan. 1, which I think would be awesome.”

Traditionally, the first weekend of December has been saved for the event. As of late, it occupied a standalone slot after conference championship weekend, complete with an exclusive four-hour television window. Monken said that exclusivity is non-negotiable.

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“Give us a four-hour block on Thanksgiving, or on Friday of Thanksgiving, or on Saturday of Thanksgiving … and just say nobody else plays during this four-hour block,” he said. “That’s still protecting the game.”

Thanksgiving weekend is crowded with NFL and marquee rivalry games. But early discussions between academy administrators signal a willingness to adapt. It's all in the name of college football’s most storied traditions keeps its stage.

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