Following a COVID postponement of the Air Force game a month ago, Army coach Jeff Monken said he would play the Falcons anywhere, any time, even on a highway or a playground.
The postponed contest was eventually rescheduled for this Saturday at Michie Stadium, but both teams can celebrate an even better accommodation for the next two seasons.
Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers announced that the 2021 and 2022 contests will be played at Globe Life Field, which hosted the 2020 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays. Aerospace and military defense company Lockheed Martin is sponsoring the Commander’s Classic.
Air Force will be the home team in the Nov. 6, 2021, game, the first college football contest to be played at the stadium. Army will be the home team for the Nov. 5, 2022, game.
“We are excited to announce the Commanders’ Classic series for 2021 & 2022,” said West Point director of athletics, Mike Buddie. “It is thrilling to have this opportunity to play one of our rival academies in the state of Texas, home to many military installations and service men and women. I’d like to thank Sean Decker and the entire Texas Rangers organization for providing this wonderful opportunity for our cadet-athletes and fans, and to Lockheed Martin for its tremendous support of the event.”
The two service academies have played all but two of their games at their respective home stadiums. The 1963 and 1965 contests were played at Soldier Field, home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears. The two programs have faced one another uninterrupted since the creation of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series in 1972, in addition to 1959, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1969 and 1971. Air Force leads the 54-game series, 37-16-1.
Presale for tickets in the Army sections of Globe Life Field will begin Jan. 5 and must be purchased through the Army ticket office.
“We are honored to have Air Force and Army play the inaugural football game at Globe Life Field,” said Sean Decker, the Texas Rangers executive vice president of sports and entertainment. “Honoring our military heroes is very important to the Texas Rangers, and we expect the environment and other activities surrounding this great matchup will make for a very exciting weekend in Arlington.”
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