Dates with destiny
Schedule set for 2024; first three games will be at home
Navy football has known for quite some time which American Athletic Conference opponents it would face during the 2024 season. On Thursday, the Midshipmen and their fans learned the dates of those games.
The American Athletic Conference announced its complete schedule Thursday afternoon and assigned date for Navy’s home games against Temple, Memphis, Charlotte and Tulane as well its road games at Alabama-Birmingham, Rice, South Florida and East Carolina.
Navy had previously announced its four nonconference opponents with dates and sites. Navy will open the season against Bucknell on Aug. 31 in Annapolis, begin the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series at Air Force on Oct. 5 in Colorado Springs, play its annual game against Notre Dame on Oct. 26 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, then close the regular season on Dec. 14 against archrival Army in Landover.
Kickoff times and television designations for the first three weeks of the season, as well as the season-long weeknight games, will be finalized by June 1. The rest of the schedule will fall under the customary 12-day and six-day selection processes.
This will be the 15th time Navy and Bucknell have played each other on the gridiron, but the first since 1925 when the Mids beat the Bison, 13-7, in Annapolis. Navy leads the all-time series 9-4-1.
Navy opens the 2024 campaign with three straight home games with Temple (Sept. 7) and Memphis (Sept. 21) sandwiched around a bye week. It will be the first time since 1988 that Navy has opened with three consecutive games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Memphis will be one of the preseason favorites to capture the American Athletic Conference championship as threeyear starting quarterback Seth Henigan is returning. The Tigers are coming off a 10-3 season that included a 36-26 victory over Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl.
Navy’s first road game of the season comes at the University of Alabama-Birmingham at Protective Stadium. UAB, which joined the American last season, lost to Navy 31-6 in Annapolis. This marks the Midshipmen’s first trip to Birmingham.
Navy will have another bye after facing Air Force at Falcon Stadium then hosts Charlotte (Oct. 19) for the Homecoming game. The Mids won a defensive slugfest with the 49ers, 14-0, last season in Charlotte.
Navy will play five of its final six games away from the friendly confines of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Navy is considered the home team for its annual tilt against Notre Dame at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It will be the 97th meeting between the two schools. The Fighting Irish are coming off a 10-3 campaign that included a 40-8 drubbing of Oregon State in the Sun Bowl.
Most pundits have Notre Dame, which will feature Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard, ranked among their preseason Top 10. Navy beat Notre Dame, 35-17, the last time the teams played at MetLife Stadium in 2010.
Navy will then play two road games, traveling to Houston to face Rice (Nov. 2) and to Tampa to play USF (Nov. 9). Both teams played in bowl games last season.
Rice will be led by Temple transfer quarterback E.J. Warner, who picked apart the Navy defense in 2023. The Midshipmen were still an independent the last time they met the Owls in 2009.
USF, which beat Navy 44-30 on the way to posting a 7-6 record, will feature sophomore sensation Byrum Brown at quarterback. The Bulls blew out Syracuse, 45-0, in the 2023 Boca Raton Bowl.
Navy finally returns to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium to host Tulane (Nov. 16) on Senior Day. The Green Wave is coming off an 11-3 campaign capped by an appearance in the Military Bowl. Tulane lost to SMU in the AAC championship game a year ago.
Navy closes the conference slate at East Carolina on either Friday, Nov. 29 or Saturday, Nov. 30. A final decision on the date of that game will be made by Oct. 14. The Mids are 5-0 all-time at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, including a 23-20 double overtime victory in 2022.
Capping the 2024 campaign is the 25th edition of the ArmyNavy game, presented by USAA. One of the greatest rivalries in all of sports will return to the home of the Washington Commanders on the second Saturday in December.
Navy beat Army, 27-21 at the facility formerly known as FedEx Field in 2011. The Midshipmen lead the all-time series 62-55-7.