The winners of the American college football championships between the U.S. Military Academy (Army Black Knights), U.S. Naval Academy (Navy Midshipmen), and U.S. Air Force Academy (Air Force Falcons) are recognized with the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy each season. The only annual NCAA Division I FBS triangle rivalry trophies are the Michigan MAC Trophy and the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. The few others, such as the Beehive Boot and the Florida Cup, are only occasionally contested.
The Air Force Falcons, with twenty-one trophy wins, hold the record, sixteen victories for the Navy Midshipmen and nine for the Army Black Knights. The most recent sharing of the trophy occurred in 2021, out of five events. The award itself weighs 170 pounds (77 kg) and is 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) high. Three silver footballs are arranged in a pyramid-like formation and placed on a circular base that has three arc-shaped parts carved out, one for each academy.
The mascot of each institution is represented by a silver figurine placed in front of tiny engraved plates that list the years each academy has won the trophy in each of the cut-out sections. The crest of one of the three academies is located beneath each of the three silver footballs.
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy History
In 1959, the Air Force faced the Army, and in 1960, the Navy. Until 1972, the Army and Navy faced off in odd years and the Air Force faced off in even years. Since the trophy was first given out in 1972, the Air Force has faced both the Army and the Navy annually.
The Army-Air Force game is the oldest continuous intersectional rivalry in college football by one game over the Air Force-Navy game because the Air Force faced the Army in 1971 instead of the Navy.
Air Force General George B. Simler, a former sports director of the Air Force Academy, came up with the idea for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. He saw it as a way to start an annual football season in which the Air Force Academy would play the Military Academy and the Naval Academy.
The three schools' alumni associations jointly fund the trophy, which was first presented by President Richard Nixon in 1972. According to the US Constitution, the President of the United States is the Commander-in-Chief of all US military services, hence the name of the trophy. On multiple occasions, the trophy has been personally presented by the president.
President Ronald Reagan, for example, gave it during an annual White House event in the 1980s. President Bill Clinton gave the Army team the trophy at Veterans Stadium following the Army-Navy game in 1996. President George W. Bush awarded the medal to Navy teams during White House events from 2003 to 2007.
The trophy is kept on display in a glass case in the Air Force Academy's indoor sports complex, Cadet Fieldhouse when it is in the hands of the Air Force. The trophy is kept on display in a glass case at Bancroft Hall, the Midshipmen's dorm when it is in the Navy's possession.
The Army owns the trophy, which is kept at the Army West Point Sports Hall of Fame and is placed in a glass case outside the football offices in Michie Stadium's Kimsey Athletic Center.
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy Winner Year by Year
| Season | Trophy winner | Air Force – Navy score | Air Force – Army score | Army – Navy score |
| 1972 | Army | Navy 21–17 | Army 17–14 | Army 23–15 |
| 1973 | Navy | Navy 42–6 | Air Force 43–10 | Navy 51–0 |
| 1974 | Shared | Air Force 19–16 | Army 17–16 | Navy 19–0 |
| 1975 | Navy | Navy 17–0 | Air Force 33–3 | Navy 30–6 |
| 1976 | Shared | Air Force 13–3 | Army 24–7 | Navy 38–10 |
| 1977 | Army | Navy 10–7 | Army 31–6 | Army 17–14 |
| 1978 | Navy | Navy 37–8 | Army 28–14 | Navy 28–0 |
| 1979 | Navy | Navy 13–9 | Air Force 28–7 | Navy 31–7 |
| 1980 | Shared | Air Force 21–2 | Army 47–24 | Navy 33–6 |
| 1981 | Navy | Navy 30–13 | Air Force 7–3 | Tie 3–3 |
| 1982 | Air Force | Air Force 24–21 | Air Force 27–9 | Navy 24–7 |
| 1983 | Air Force | Air Force 44–17 | Air Force 41–20 | Navy 42–13 |
| 1984 | Army | Air Force 29–22 | Army 24–12 | Army 28–11 |
| 1985 | Air Force | Air Force 24–7 | Air Force 45–7[ | Navy 17–7 |
| 1986 | Army | Air Force 40–6 | Army 21–11 | Army 27–7 |
| 1987 | Air Force | Air Force 23–13 | Air Force 27–10 | Army 17–3 |
| 1988 | Army | Air Force 34–24 | Army 28–15 | Army 20–15 |
| 1989 | Air Force | Air Force 35–7 | Air Force 29–3 | Navy 19–17] |
| 1990 | Air Force | Air Force 24–7 | Air Force 15–3 | Army 30–20 |
| 1991 | Air Force | Air Force 46–6 | Air Force 25–0 | Navy 24–3 |
| 1992 | Air Force | Air Force 18–16 | Air Force 7–3 | Army 25–24 |
| 1993 | Shared | Navy 28–24 | Air Force 25–6 | Army 16–14 |
| 1994 | Air Force | Air Force 43–21 | Air Force 10–6 | Army 22–20 |
| 1995 | Air Force | Air Force 30–20 | Air Force 38–20 | Army 14–13 |
| 1996 | Army | Navy 20–17 | Army 23–7 | Army 28–24 |
| 1997 | Air Force | Air Force 10–7 | Air Force 24–0 | Navy 39–7 |
| 1998 | Air Force | Air Force 49–7 | Air Force 35–7 | Army 34–30 |
| 1999 | Air Force | Air Force 19–14 | Air Force 28–0 | Navy 19–9 |
| 2000 | Air Force | Air Force 27–13 | Air Force 41–27 | Navy 30–28 |
| 2001 | Air Force | Air Force 24–18 | Air Force 34–24 | Army 26–17 |
| 2002 | Air Force | Air Force 48–7 | Air Force 49–30 | Navy 58–12 |
| 2003 | Navy | Navy 28–25 | Air Force 31–3 | Navy 34–6 |
| 2004 | Navy | Navy 24–21 | Air Force 31–22 | Navy 42–13 |
| 2005 | Navy | Navy 27–24 | Army 27–24 | Navy 42–23 |
| 2006 | Navy | Navy 24–17 | Air Force 43–7 | Navy 26–14 |
| 2007 | Navy | Navy 31–20 | Air Force 30–10 | Navy 38–3 |
| 2008 | Navy | Navy 33–27 | Air Force 16–7 | Navy 34–0 |
| 2009 | Navy | Navy 16–13 | Air Force 35–7 | Navy 17–3 |
| 2010 | Air Force | Air Force 14–6 | Air Force 42–22 | Navy 31–17 |
| 2011 | Air Force | Air Force 35–34 | Air Force 24–14 | Navy 27–21 |
| 2012 | Navy | Navy 28–21 | Army 41–21 | Navy 17–13 |
| 2013 | Navy | Navy 28–10 | Air Force 42–28 | Navy 34–7 |
| 2014 | Air Force | Air Force 30–21 | Air Force 23–6 | Navy 17–10 |
| 2015 | Navy | Navy 33–11 | Air Force 20–3 | Navy 21–17 |
| 2016 | Air Force | Air Force 28–14 | Air Force 31–12 | Army 21–17 |
| 2017 | Army | Navy 48–45 | Army 21–0 | Army 14–13 |
| 2018 | Army | Air Force 35–7 | Army 17–14 | Army 17–10 |
| 2019 | Navy | Navy 34–25 | Air Force 17–13 | Navy 31–7 |
| 2020 | Army | Air Force 40–7 | Army 10–7 | Army 15–0 |
| 2021 | Shared | Air Force 23–3 | Army 21–14 | Navy 17–13 |
| 2022 | Air Force | Air Force 13–10 | Air Force 13–7 | Army 20–17 |
| 2023 | Army | Air Force 17–6 | Army 23-3 | Army 17-11 |
| 2024 | TBD | Navy 34-7 | Army 20-3 | December 14 |
FAQs on Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
A. The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is a football trophy awarded annually to the winner among the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
A. In a tie, both winners share the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, but the previous year's winner retains it.
A. The Air Force Falcons have twenty-one Commander-in-Chief's Trophy wins.
A. The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy weighs 170 pounds, features three silver footballs in a pyramid formation, and has the mascots and crests of the academies.
A. Air Force Academy's Cadet Fieldhouse, Navy's Bancroft Hall, and Army West Point Sports Hall of Fame, respectively, are the areas where the Commander-in-Chief Trophy is displayed.
