Army Black Knights

Army Black Knights
University United States Military Academy
Conference Independent (football)
Patriot League
Atlantic Hockey
Collegiate Sprint Football League
Eastern Intercollegiate Gymnastics League
Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association
Great America Rifle Conference
National Collegiate Boxing Association
National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association
NCAA Division I
Athletic director Boo Corrigan
Location West Point, New York
Football stadium Michie Stadium
Basketball arena Christl Arena
Baseball stadium Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field
Other arenas Tate Rink
Mascot Mule
Nickname Black Knights
Fight song On Brave Old Army Team
Colors Black, Gold, and Gray[1]
              
Website www.goarmywestpoint.com

The Army Black Knights,[2] commonly known as Army, is the name of the athletics teams of the United States Military Academy. They participate in NCAA Division I-A as a non-football member of the Patriot League, a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and a member of Atlantic Hockey, the Collegiate Sprint Football League (men), the Eastern Intercollegiate Gymnastics League (men), the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association, the Great America Rifle Conference, the National Collegiate Boxing Association, the National Collegiate Paintball Association[3] and the National Intercollegiate Women's Fencing Association. Army is also one of approximately 300 members of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).

The three major service academies (Army, Air Force, and Navy) compete for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, which is awarded to the academy that defeats the others in football that year (or retained by the previous winner in the event of a three-way tie).

Varsity sports

Men's:

  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Football
  • Golf
  • Gymnastics
  • Hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Rifle
  • Rugby
  • Swimming & Diving
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Track
  • Wrestling

Women's:

  • Basketball
  • Cross country
  • Rifle
  • Rugby
  • Swimming & Diving
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Tennis
  • Track
  • Volleyball

History

Since 1899, Army's mascot has officially been a mule because of the animal's historical importance in military operations.[4][5] For many years, Army's teams were known as the "Cadets." The academy's football team was nicknamed "The Black Knights of the Hudson" due to the black color of its uniforms.[6][7] In 1999, Army adopted "Black Knights" as its official nickname in all sports.[8] They may also use "Cadets" in certain circumstances.[9]

U.S. sports media use "Army" as a synonym for the academy, while in 2015, the academy declared their name to be "Army West Point."[9]

"On Brave Old Army Team", by Philip Egner, is the school's fight song.[10] Army's chief sports rival is the Naval Academy, due to its long-standing football rivalry and the inter-service rivalry with the Navy in general. Fourth class cadets verbally greet upper-class cadets and faculty with "Beat Navy", while the tunnel that runs under Washington Road is named the "Beat Navy" tunnel. In the first half of the 20th century, Army and Notre Dame were football rivals, but that rivalry has since died out.[11][12]

Men's sports

"Beat Navy" tunnel

Football

The Army Black Knights football program are one of the few NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent schools (not in a conference). Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946. The annual Army-Navy Game between the Black Knights of Army and the Midshipmen of the Naval Academy at Annapolis (Navy) is among the most storied rivalries in all of college sports and currently marks the end of regular season play for college football each year.

Army lacrosse in action against Navy during the 2009 Day of Rivals.

Men's golf

The men's golf team has won 20 conference championships:

Men's ice hockey

Every year, Army faces the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Paladins in the annual West Point Weekend hockey game.[15] This series, conceived in 1923, is the longest-running annual international sporting event in the world.[16]

Men's rugby

Army men's rugby

Army rugby plays college rugby in the Division 1–A Eastern Conference.[17] The Black Knights play their home games at the Anderson Rugby Complex on the campus of West Point. Rugby is a relatively popular sport at Army; for example, the 2012 game against Air Force was attended by 2,000 fans.[18] Army is led by Director of Rugby Matt Sherman.

Army has one of the most successful college rugby teams in the country. Army played in three consecutive national championship games from 1990–1992, and reached the national semi-finals four consecutive years from 2000–2003, and twice in a row in 2009 and 2010.[19] More recently, Army reached the quarterfinals in 2013. Army also plays in the Collegiate Rugby Championship, the highest profile college rugby tournament in the U.S., reaching the finals in 2011. The Collegiate Rugby Championship is played every year in early June at PPL Park in Philadelphia, and is broadcast live on NBC.

Wrestling

The Army Black Knights Wrestling team host home dual meets, tournaments, workout, and practice in the state of the art facility Arvin Gymnasium on campus. The team currently competes in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) since Army is a member of the non-wrestling Patriot League.

In 2014, Kevin Ward, a former Oklahoma State All-American, took over the program. Ward is best known for starting the Ouachita Baptist University wrestling program in 2010, the first NCAA wrestling program in Arkansas.

See also

Women's sports

Women's basketball

See footnote[20]

Women's cross country

See footnote[21]

Women's soccer

See footnote[22]

Women's softball

See footnote[23]

Women's swimming and diving

See footnote[24]

Women's tennis

See footnote[25]

Women's track and field

See footnote[26]

Women's volleyball

See footnote[27]

Co-ed sports

Rifle

See footnote[28]

Non-varsity sports

Women's fencing

Alpine skiing

Awards

Hall of fame

For a list of members by name, sport, class year, or induction year, see footnote[29]

The Army West Point Sports Hall of Fame consists of displays in the Kenna Hall of Army Sports, which is located within the Kimsey Athletic Center.[30] The first set of members was inducted in 2004.[29]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "USMA Publication Standards Manual Style Guide" (PDF). United States Military Academy–West Point. October 2, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Army West Point Athletics Rebrand" (PDF). GoArmyWestPoint.com. Army Black Knights. April 13, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2015.
  3. ↑ http://ncpapaintball.com/
  4. ↑ "Army Mules". GoArmyWestPoint.com. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  5. ↑ "Army Mules". The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  6. ↑ Edson, James (1954). The Black Knights of West Point. New York: Bradbury & Sayles.
  7. ↑ "Army plans games for home gridiron". The New York Times. 15 January 1947. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  8. ↑ "Quick Facts". Go Army Sports.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  9. 1 2 "'Army West Point': New logo highlights sports rebrand". Army Times. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "On Brave Old Army Team". GoArmySports.com. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  11. ↑ Crowley and Guinzburg, pp. 243–245.
  12. ↑ Lapointe, Joe (8 September 2005). "Notre Dame and Army to Wake Up the Echoes". New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  13. ↑ "MAAC Men's and Women's Golf Championships History". Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  14. ↑ "Golf". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  15. ↑ "Army-RMC Rivalry". Go Army Sports.com. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
  16. ↑ Crowly, R, and Guinzburg, T: "West Point: Two Centuries of Honor and Tradition" (ISBN 0-446-53018-2), page 234. Warner Books, 2002.
  17. ↑ College Premier Division
  18. ↑ Rugby Mag, Army Beats Air Force, Nov. 2, 2012, http://www.rugbymag.com/college-premier-league-/6290-army-beats-air-force.html
  19. ↑ College rugby
  20. ↑ "Women's Basketball". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  21. ↑ "Cross Country". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  22. ↑ "Women's Soccer". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  23. ↑ "Softball". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  24. ↑ "Swimming & Diving". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  25. ↑ "Women's Tennis". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  26. ↑ "Track & Field". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  27. ↑ "Volleyball". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  28. ↑ "Rifle". GoArmySports.com. Army Sports Properties. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  29. 1 2 For the 2004 induction year, go to "Hall of Fame". GoArmyWestPoint.com. Army West Point. Retrieved 2017-04-06., select "By Induction Year", press the black "Sort" icon (which will then produce a list of members by induction year (starting with the most recent year), and then scroll down to the bottom (for the first group of inductees, the Class of 2004).
  30. ↑ "Army Sports Hall of Fame". GoARMYsports.com. Army Sports Properties. Archived from the original on 2012-05-01. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
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