Commander in Chief's Trophy
From USAFA Folklore
The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the triangular college football series among Air Force, West Point and Annapolis. The Navy-Air Force game is traditionally played on the first Saturday in October, the Army-Air Force game on the first Saturday in November, and the Army-Navy game on the first Saturday in December. In the event of a tie, the award is shared, but the previous winner retains possession of the trophy.
First awarded in 1972, the Commander-in-Chief's trophy was the idea of Air Force General George B. Simler, the commander of Air Training Command and former Academy Director of Athletics. The trophy is named for the President of the United States who, under the U.S. Constitution, is the Commander-in-Chief of all U.S. military services. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the winner of the trophy, if bowl eligible, was granted an invitation to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee.
The trophy itself stands 2.5 feet (0.76 m) high and weighs 170 lb (77.1 kg). The design consists of three silver footballs in a pyramid like arrangement, set on a circular base, with three arc-shaped sections cut out--one for each academy. In each of the cut-out areas stands a silver figurine of the mascot of one of the academies, in front of small, engraved plates denoting which years the respective academy has won the trophy. Beneath each of the three silver footballs is the crest of one of the three academies. Air Force displays the trophy in a glass case inside the Cadet Fieldhouse.
[edit] Series
Air Force victories are shown in ██ blue, Army victories in ██ black, and Navy victories in ██ gold. Tied games, shared awards and future events are shown in ██ silver. (*In the event of a shared award, the previous winner retains the trophy.)
| Season | Trophy Winner | Air Force – Army score | Air Force – Navy score | Army – Navy score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Army | 17–14 | 21–17 | 23–15 |
| 1973 | Navy | 43–10 | 42–6 | 51–0 |
| 1974 | Shared* | 17–16 | 19–16 | 19–0 |
| 1975 | Navy | 33–3 | 17–0 | 30–6 |
| 1976 | Shared* | 24–7 | 13–3 | 38–10 |
| 1977 | Army | 31–6 | 10–7 | 17–14 |
| 1978 | Navy | 28–14 | 37–8 | 28–0 |
| 1979 | Navy | 28–7 | 13–9 | 31–7 |
| 1980 | Shared* | 47–24 | 21–20 | 33–6 |
| 1981 | Navy | 7–3 | 30–13 | 3–3 |
| 1982 | Air Force | 27–9 | 24–21 | 24–7 |
| 1983 | Air Force | 41–20 | 44–17 | 42–13 |
| 1984 | Army | 24–12 | 29–22 | 28–11 |
| 1985 | Air Force | 45–7 | 24–7 | 17–7 |
| 1986 | Army | 21–11 | 40–6 | 27–7 |
| 1987 | Air Force | 27–10 | 23–13 | 17–3 |
| 1988 | Army | 28–15 | 34–24 | 20–15 |
| 1989 | Air Force | 29–3 | 35–7 | 19–17 |
| 1990 | Air Force | 15–3 | 24–7 | 30–20 |
| 1991 | Air Force | 25–0 | 46–6 | 24–3 |
| 1992 | Air Force | 7–3 | 18–16 | 25–24 |
| 1993 | Shared* | 25–6 | 28–24 | 16–14 |
| 1994 | Air Force | 10–6 | 43–21 | 22–20 |
| 1995 | Air Force | 38–20 | 30–20 | 14–13 |
| 1996 | Army | 23–7 | 20–17 | 28–24 |
| 1997 | Air Force | 24–0 | 10–7 | 39–7 |
| 1998 | Air Force | 35–7 | 49–7 | 34–30 |
| 1999 | Air Force | 28–0 | 19–14 | 19–9 |
| 2000 | Air Force | 41–27 | 27–13 | 30–28 |
| 2001 | Air Force | 34–24 | 24–18 | 26–17 |
| 2002 | Air Force | 49–30 | 48–7 | 58–12 |
| 2003 | Navy | 31–3 | 28–25 | 34–6 |
| 2004 | Navy | 31–22 | 24–21 | 42–13 |
| 2005 | Navy | 27–24 | 27–24 | 42–23 |
| 2006 | Navy | 43–7 | 24–17 | 26–14 |
| 2007 | Navy | 30–10 | 31–20 | 38–3 |
| 2008 | TBD | Nov. 1, 2008 at Army | Oct. 4, 2008 at Air Force | Dec. 6, 2008 at Philadelphia, PA |
| 2009 | TBD | Nov. 7, 2009 at Air Force | Oct. 3, 2009 at Navy | Dec. 5, 2009 at Philadelphia, PA |
| 2010 | TBD | Nov. 6, 2010 at Army | Oct. 2, 2010 at Air Force | TBD |
| 2011 | TBD | Nov. 5, 2011 at Air Force | Oct. 1, 2011 at Navy | TBD |
| 2012 | TBD | Nov. 3, 2012 at Army | Oct. 6, 2012 at Air Force | TBD |
| 2013 | TBD | Nov. 2, 2013 at Air Force | Oct. 5, 2013 at Navy | TBD |
| 2014 | TBD | Nov. 1, 2014 at Army | TBD | TBD |
| Season | Trophy Winner | Air Force – Army score | Air Force – Navy score | Army – Navy score |
