Do Army football players have to serve? All you need to know 

Army football is a storied program in the world of college football. The Black Knights have over the decades been a source of pride not only to military personnel but the entire country. The team draws attention with its performances on the field and unique commitments.

While a good number of players head to the NFL after their college football careers, there’s always a question about those playing for the military academies. Can they also embark on their professional playing career or do they have to serve the compulsory years in the military?

Do Army football players have to serve?

The short answer is yes. All cadets at West Point, including athletes, are required to fulfill a service commitment to the U.S. Army upon graduation. This typically involves a minimum of five years of active duty service, followed by three years in the Individual Ready Reserve.

However, there's a provision that accommodates exceptional military athletes to defer their year of service and pursue a career in professional sports. In a bid to promote athlete recruitment at service academies, the policy was issued by the Department of Defense in 2019.

Nonetheless, this policy came into question in Congress in December 2022. A bill that prevents service academy athletes from deferring mandatory years of service upon graduation was passed. However, athletes graduating in 2023 and 2024 were exempted from the new rule.

"Agreement by a cadet or midshipman to play professional sport constitutes a breach of agreement to serve as an officer,” a section of the Congress bill reads.

In essence, service academy athletes aiming to go professional in 2025 and beyond will have no opportunity to defer their mandatory years of service in the military, which now stands at two years. The rule undoubtedly places service academies’ athletic departments and football programs at a disadvantage.

Reaction to the new rule by the Service Academies

The new rule passed by Congress which allows no deferment was not welcomed by the athletic departments of service academies. The policy immediately weakened their ability to recruit top athletes in the competitive college football recruiting landscape.

“It's a significant difference in recruiting in the fact that schools couldn't immediately use it against us," Army football coach Jeff Monken said about the old rule that allows deferment.

"A lot of kids have aspirations to play in the NFL and don't want to wait [after two years of service], and coaches from other schools tell them they will. It's an eliminator for us, as sometimes we can't even get in the conversation."

No Army football player has been drafted into the NFL since Caleb Campbell in 2008. The Black Knights also haven't seen any player drafted higher than the seventh round in more than 70 years.