By Dan Zealley
The Army/Navy game had been a stand-alone game for as long as anyone can remember. “America’s Game” has been played the weekend following the conference championship weekend with no other games that day until this year. In 2024 there were two bowl games that same Saturday.
SEC Network talking head Paul Finebaum has never shied away from making his opinion known. Finebaum appeared on The Matt Berrie Show and declared that weekend being “wasted” by not having the playoff start that weekend.
Paul Finebaum on the scheduling of the Army-Navy game:
"I know I’m going to upset somebody, but the week of the Army-Navy game needs to be the playoffs. That is a wasted Saturday."
(via @MattBarrie) https://t.co/RJ3MmTtaCH pic.twitter.com/pxgNSW5g5d
— On3 (@On3sports) January 16, 2025
“Well we’re wasting a week, I know I’m going to upset somebody, but the week of the Army-Navy game needs to be the playoffs. That is a wasted Saturday. What do we have? We have the Army-Navy game and the Heisman. We can’t figure that out some other time?”
NEW: Joel Klatt wants the Army-Navy game to kick off football season:
“It’s getting pinched by the Heisman. It’s getting pinched by the Playoff. We now play a bowl game on the same day. It’s not in the right spot. Army-Navy needs to start the football season.”
(via… pic.twitter.com/xmTHReQdm4
— On3 (@On3sports) January 15, 2025
Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt suggests having the Army/Navy game start the season.
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“So what do we do with Army-Navy? It’s getting pinched by the Heisman. It’s getting pinched by the Playoff. We now play a bowl game on the same day. It’s not in the right spot. Army-Navy needs to start the football season. Week Zero of football. And mind you, I didn’t say college. Ididn’t say the NFL. It’s because it’s both.”
Now that both teams are in the same conference, it does make sense to have this game sometime before the conference championships. “America’s Game” needs to have a day to itself. This is more than just a football game. It means so much, to so many.
