WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point Black Knights football team has accepted an invitation to the 48th edition of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and will play the Sun Belt Conference champions, the Marshall Thundering Herd (10-3), announced by Independence Bowl Chair Claire Rebouche.
The game is scheduled for Saturday, December 28, at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, La with kickoff slated for 9:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The matchup will be the first matchup of conference champions in the Independence Bowl since the inaugural bowl in 1976. Army has once before appeared in the Independence Bowl in 1996, a 32-29 loss vs. Auburn.
This will mark the Army’s 11th all-time Bowl appearance. Army is 7-3 in previous games, which includes a 4-1 record in the Jeff Monken era, the last bowl game coming in 2021, an Armed Forces Bowl victory over SEC Missouri.
Army is 0-1 all-time vs. Marshall, meeting at Michie Stadium in 1997.
“Playing in a postseason bowl game is a measure of success for every team in FBS football. It rewards the players for a good season and recognizes the accomplishments of a great, team effort. I am thrilled that our team will play in the Independence Bowl, one of America’s best and most historic games, and be rewarded for being conference champions and winning 11 games, said Army head coach Jeff Monken.” “It is also one more opportunity for us to showcase our program and our incredible institution on a national stage, displaying our brand of football and the values of West Point in front of the nation. Our team, and especially our seniors, are incredibly proud to join the other great Army teams that have played in the postseason.”
Army (11-1) won the AAC Championship, taking down Tulane, 35-14 on Dec. 6. The conference championship was Army's first conference title in the program's 134-year history, as the program has been Independent for most of that time. The conference title gave Army its 11th victory of the season, only Army’s second 11-win season in school history, the other coming in 2018, also under Head Coach Jeff Monken.
Army has maintained a spot in the AP Top 25 for nine consecutive weeks, the longest stretch since being ranked each week of the 1958 season. In the final AP Poll before the College Football Playoffs, Army climbed five spots to No. 19 following its conference title win.
Army has been led by senior quarterback Bryson Daily whose 29 rushing touchdowns are tied for the FBS lead with Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, despite playing in two fewer games than Jeanty.
Army now heads into the annual Army-Navy Game presented by USAA on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Northwest Field in Landover, Md. before having two weeks to prepare for the Independence Bowl. Army has defeated rivals, Navy in two consecutive years (2022 and 2023) and have won six of the last eight meetings vs. the Mids since 2016, all under Monken.
Army and Navy will battle in a winner-take-all game for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy as they have both defeated Air Force this season. It is the first time since 2017 and just the fifth time since 1978 that the Army-Navy Game will be a winner-take-all-all game for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.
This year will be the second straight Independence Bowl to kickoff in primetime on a Saturday night on ESPN. Last year’s game between Texas Tech and California drew the best crowd since the 2019 Louisiana Tech-Miami matchup – with a paid attendance of 33,071. 2024 will be the 32nd consecutive year that the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will be televised on an ESPN network.
Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is college football’s 11th most historic bowl game, and the 48th edition of the game is set for Saturday, December 28 at 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN. Huntsville, Ala.-based Radiance Technologies is the bowl’s title sponsor through the 2025 Bowl Season. The bowl’s conference, team, and television agreements also run through the 2025 season.
Tickets to Shreveport's annual bowl game start at $20 and are on sale at RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/Tickets. Many ticket packages are available – including individual tickets, group tickets, Pizza Hut Family 4-Packs, Small Business Fan Packs, premium options and more. For ticketing questions, fans can email info@independencebowl.org or call the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl office at (318) 221-0712.
For information on Independence Stadium rules and the clear bag policy, please visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/stadium-rules. Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl fans can visit OpportunityLouisiana.com to explore why Louisiana businesses are positioned to win.
Army’s All-Time Bowl History
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, 29-32
2010 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
2021 Armed Forces Bowl vs. Missouri W, 24-22
2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Dec. 28, 2024
**To chat with other Army fans about this article and more, please visit The 12th Knight message board**
• WATCH the latest videos from GoBlackKnights.com and subscribe to our YouTube channel
