The NIL run is hotter and heavier than ever — but two teams are unable to participate.
Those schools, of course, are Army and Navy — a “one-way gateway” into the academy, as USAA CEO Wayne Peacock puts it.
We just saw Bryce Underwood transfer from LSU to Michigan for seven figures, not even a potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft AJ Dybantsa also committed to BYU after reportedly receiving a zero-money offer of $5 million.
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A full view of the Army Black Knights and Midshipmen helmets before the 122nd annual Army/Navy college football game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 11, 2021. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Obviously, players in the academy can’t go that route whether they go to Army or Navy. But the 125th Army-Navy Game kicks off Saturday afternoon just outside the nation’s capital, and Peacock said that’s what makes the annual event even more special.
“The way I look at it, especially in this era of portals and NILs, is that this is college football in its purest form. When these guys are out on the field, they’re competing like they’re in a battle, they’re competing like Fighting against each other.
FILE – The Midshipmen and Army Black Knights line up at the line of scrimmage during the first quarter of an NCAA football game Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Winslow Townsend, File)
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“But what’s special is, after the game, they’re going to come together and march down their respective ends of the stadium, and they’re going to sing each other’s alma mater, and they’re going to put on their alma mater uniforms. America. They’re going to defend ours. Country, defending our freedoms, these guys and this game are so spectacular to me.
“There’s only a one-way portal into the Army and Navy,” Peacock added. “But they found that these student-athletes want to compete, but also want to do something more than just compete, and to me, that’s what makes it so special. But they have the ability to be competitive in this environment. The team taking the field also talked about something we don’t often talk about, which is the power of teamwork and culture.
USAA announced Friday that it has been the event’s sole sponsor since 2009 until 2030.
Army ranks 22nd nationally with an 11-1 record, while Navy, to outsiders, is 8-3.
An overview of the Army/Navy logo at midfield prior to the 122nd annual Army/Navy college football game between the Army Black Knights and the Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., December 11, 2021 . (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The Black Knights have won six of their last eight games, while the Midshipmen have won 16 of their last 17 games.
Navy leads the all-time series with a 62-55-7 record.
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