WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army Black Knights have accepted a bid to the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, as announced by the Bowl's executive director Brant Ringler on Sunday afternoon.
As of 3 p.m. on Sunday, Army's opponent has yet to be determined.
The game will take place at TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas and is set for an 8 p.m. EST kickoff on Wednesday, Dec. 22. This will be the 19th rendition of the Armed Forces Bowl, which started in 2003.
"We are excited to announce that Army West Point will be returning this year," Executive Director Brant Ringler said in a press release. "It is always an honor to have the Black Knights in our game, and we wish them the best of luck this weekend."
Heading into next Saturday's Army-Navy game, presented by USAA, Army (8-3) ranks second in the nation in rushing at 301.2 yards per game and has recorded 43 touchdowns on the ground. The team is riding a four-game winning streak and recently secured its sixth-straight season with a winning record at home, finishing the 2021 campaign 5-1 at Michie Stadium.
Head coach Jeff Monken is in his eighth year at the helm and is one victory away from tying Charles Daly (58-13-3; 1913-16, 1919-22) as the second-winningest coach in Army Football history. With this year's postseason berth, he has led the team to five Bowl games in six years and is making back-to-back appearances for the first time since leading the Cadets to three straight in 2016-18. Before playing in the Armed Forces Bowl, he will look to lead the Black Knights to the program's 10th outright Commander-in-Chief's Trophy as the team already defeated service academy rival Air Force last month (21-14 OT).
This will mark the program's 10th Bowl appearance all-time. Army is 6-3 in previous games, which includes a 3-1 record in the Monken era. In each of Monken's three victories, the team has put up 30-or-more points, highlighted by a 70-14 winning effort during the Armed Forces Bowl against Houston (2018). In last year's outing, the Cadets fell 24-21 to West Virginia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, played in honor of the armed forces of the United States, is the only collegiate football Bowl game that has hosted all three U.S. Military Academy football teams, having welcomed Air Force five times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2015), Army three times (2010, 2017, 2018) and Navy twice (2013, 2016). Previously ranked the No. 3 Bowl game by CBSSports.com, it is the highest scoring of the nation's three dozen bowl games with 511 points scored since 2014. The Rose Bowl (494) and Orange Bowl (471) are the next highest scoring games.
The annual game has featured the "armed forces" theme since 2006. Patriotic overtones recognizing all five branches of service are prevalent throughout the game. Past Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowls have included fan-fest adventure areas showcasing armed forces hardware; flyovers; demonstrations by several of the military's top skydiving teams; custom homes awarded to wounded warriors; on-field induction ceremonies; armed forces bands and honor guards; and the annual Great American Patriot Award presented by Armed Forces Insurance.
The matchup will be televised on ESPN. It will also be aired in both English and Spanish on the Armed Forces Bowl Radio Network, as well as the Army Sports Network.
The Armed Forces Bowl is one of 17 games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets through the Army West Point Ticketing Office in order to have a direct impact on cadet-athletes at goarmywestpoint.com/tickets or at 1-877-TIX-ARMY. At this time, interested parties may also buy and donate tickets to local veterans HERE.
Previous Bowl Appearances Under Head Coach Jeff Monken
2016 Zaxsby's Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. North Texas • W, 38-31 (OT)
2017 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. San Diego State • W, 42-35
2018 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Houston • W, 70-14
2020 AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. West Virginia • L, 21-24
Previous Bowl Appearances for Army Football
1984 Cherry Bowl vs. Michigan State • W, 10-6
1985 Peach Bowl vs. Illinois • W, 31-29
1988 John Hancock Sun Bowl vs. #20 Alabama • L, 28-29
1996 Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl vs. Auburn • L, 29-3
22010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl vs. SMU • W, 16-14
2016 Zaxsby's Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. North Texas • W, 38-31 (OT)
2017 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. San Diego State • W, 42-35
2018 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Houston • W, 70-14
2020 AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. West Virginia • L, 21-24
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