The storied Army-Navy football game will reportedly shift its traditional December date to avoid overlap with the newly expanded College Football Playoff, according to multiple reports. The change would mark the latest calendar adjustment for one of college football’s most iconic rivalries.
New Date Keeps Tradition Intact
CBS Sports first reported the game would move from its usual second Saturday in December to December 4 β the open weekend between the end of college football’s regular season on November 27 and the first CFP playoff games on December 9. The move ensures the service academy showdown maintains its decades-long tradition as college football’s only game during its scheduled weekend.
The 2027 matchup will reportedly stay at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, continuing a 91-game tradition of hosting the rivalry in the city where it began in 1890. CBS and Paramount+ will retain broadcast rights.
Broader College Football Shifts
The scheduling realignment comes as the NCAA expands the College Football Playoff to 24 teams beginning in 2026 β nearly quadrupling its current size. The Heisman Trophy ceremony will also reportedly move to December 4 under the new calendar.
Former President Donald Trump had previously signed an executive order prohibiting CFP games from conflicting with the Army-Navy matchup. While that order specified preserving the second December weekend, the reported change keeps the game’s protected status within the overhauled postseason structure.
Army leads the all-time series 62-54-7, though Navy has dominated recently with 16 wins in the last 21 meetings. The matchup has been played annually since 1930, becoming a must-watch event featuring pageantry honoring both military branches.
Source: www.breitbart.com β https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/11/09/report-army-navy-game-to-move-to-open-week-before-cfp-playoffs/