Army Football accepts first bowl bid of 2020-2021 season

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point football is the first team in the country to be offered and accept a spot in a 2020-2021 bowl game, as it will be headed to the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., it was announced today after a victory over Mercer to improve to 6-1 on the season.

“We want to thank the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, Chairman Frank Auer and the entire bowl committee for this incredible opportunity to play in this outstanding bowl game,” said Director of Athletics Mike Buddie. “We are very excited to accept the first bowl invitation of the 2020-2021 season and to make our first trip to Shreveport since 1996."

Army has only one previous Independence Bowl appearance in their program's history – a 32-29 loss to the Auburn Tigers in 1996. The Black Knights are off to their best start since they began that historic 1996 season with nine-consecutive victories.

"We are absolutely delighted to extend a bowl invitation to the Army West Point Black Knights football team," remarked 2020 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Chairman Frank Auer. "The Independence Bowl celebrates the independence and freedoms we enjoy in America, and we are well aware that those freedoms are protected by our Army and the other armed forces. We deeply appreciate the role they play in our national landscape and will roll out the red carpet for them for their trip to Shreveport."

The Black Knights are slated to face an opponent from the Pac-12 Conference in the bowl, who will begin their truncated football season on Saturday, November 7. The last time Army faced a Pac-12 opponent was 2014 at Stanford, where the Black Knights fell, 35-0.

This year is the first of three primary tie-ins with Army and the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl over the next six years, as the bowl and university reached an agreement for a primary tie-in for the years 2020, 2022 and 2024.

2020 is the 45th anniversary of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, and the game will be broadcast on an ESPN network for 29th consecutive year. ESPN and the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl recently announced a six-year extension to televise the game from 2020 through 2025. The date and time of the 2020 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will be announced at a later date.

The Black Knights are headed to their fourth bowl game under seventh-year head coach Jeff Monken. They are 3-0 in three previous bowl appearances.

Previous Bowl Appearances Under Head Coach Jeff Monken

2016 – Zaksby’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