Big Ten football fans were eagerly watching this past September, as the Army Black Knights made the Michigan Wolverines sweat. Michigan needed overtime to fend off coach Jeff Monken’s Army team one year after Army nearly went into Oklahoma and upset the Sooners, also losing in overtime.
Many people will tell you that Power Five conference programs, especially the good ones such as the Wisconsin Badgers, should not schedule Army. The offense is too tricky. The preparation is both difficult and unlike other opponents a Big Ten team will see all season long. Why get roped into this possible trap? It’s a fair question. However, the service academies are part of college football’s history, tradition and charm. Being able to play an academy provides one of the more satisfying experiences for a college football team and fan base. You’re not playing against a team; you’re sharing the field with young men who will soon serve the United States in a special way.
Would you be surprised to find out that, on this Army-Navy Game weekend, the Wisconsin Badgers have never played Army? The Black Knights and Badgers haven’t yet tested each other on the gridiron, leaving a blank spot both programs ought to fill.
The very happy news is that in the near future, Wisconsin versus Army will in fact happen. You can look it up. On October 16, 2021, the Badgers and West Point will compete on the gridiron. That day will be very special for Badger fans everywhere, addressing an incomplete piece of the story of UW football. Wisconsin has played Navy and Air Force. Finally, at long last, the Badgers will be able to say that they will have played all three service academies.
Wisconsin would love to make its first College Football Playoff. The Badgers would love to get their first win in the Big Ten Championship Game as a member of the Big Ten West Division. So many firsts still await Wisconsin football, but at least we know that a first game against Army — the kind of item a college football fan wants to check off a personal bucket list — is just around the corner.