Commander-in-Chief's Trophy - History of The Trophy

History of The Trophy

Prior to 1972, Air Force did not play an annual series with Army and Navy. The Commander-in-Chief's trophy was the brainchild of Air Force General George B. Simler, former Air Force Academy athletic director. It was first awarded in 1972, when President Richard M. Nixon was Commander-in-Chief. The trophy itself is jointly sponsored by the alumni associations of the three academies.

The trophy is named for the U.S. President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of all U.S. military services under the U.S. Constitution. The President has personally awarded the trophy on a number of occasions. During the 1980s, for instance, President Ronald Reagan presented the award in an annual White House ceremony. After years of Air Force dominance, in 1996, President Bill Clinton presented the trophy at Veterans Stadium after the Army–Navy Game. From 2003 to 2007, President George W. Bush presented the trophy at a White House ceremony.

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, TN.

The other two federal service academies—the United States Coast Guard Academy and United States Merchant Marine Academy—do not participate in the Commander-in-Chief's trophy competition. As these two academies are approximately one-quarter the size of the three Department of Defense academies, they compete in NCAA Division III athletics, and do not compete against the other military academies in most sports. The two smaller academies do share a rivalry, however, as their football teams square off in the Secretaries Cup each year.