In the annual game of musical chairs for bowl placement, Army will travel to Boston and the Wasabi Fenway Bowl and a regional battle with UConn on Dec. 27.
The Black Knights, who face Navy on Saturday in Baltimore in their annual rivalry game that will decide the winner of the Commander in Chief Trophy, are currently 6-5 and qualified for a bowl game with an exciting 27-24 victory over host UTSA on Nov. 29.
UConn, one of only two independents (Notre Dame is the other) in FBS college football, finished its regular season with a solid 9-3 record, beating ACC-champion Duke as well as Boston College and Air Force. The Huskies lost all three of its games to Syracuse, Delaware and Rice in overtime. Army lost two games in overtime and four of its five defeats came by seven points or less.
The game is scheduled to kickoff at 2:15 p.m. EST. and will be televised nationally on ESPN.
This year marks the fourth edition of the Wasabi Fenway Bowl (first played in 2022) — held at the home of the Boston Red Sox. The bowl remains one of only three active postseason games played in a Major League Baseball stadium, along with the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium and the Rate Bowl at Chase Field.
The game also includes a post-game concert by country star Riley Green, in partnership with Ballpark Music.
After decades of declining to participate in postseason bowl games, including during the glory years of the 1940s and 1950s, Army finally agreed to accept a bowl bid in 1984, knocking off Michigan State, 10-6, in the Cherry Bowl, played in Pontiac Mich.
This will be Army’s 12th bowl appearance in program history. The Black Knights hold an 8–3 mark all-time, including a 5–1 record under coach Jeff Monken. Army’s most recent bowl outing resulted in a 27–6 victory over Louisiana Tech in the 2024 Independence Bowl.
Interestingly, this is the first bowl game within driving distance of West Point, giving the Corps and Army fans a unique opportunity to attend.
“Playing in a postseason bowl game is a measure of success for every team in FBS football. It rewards the players for a good season and recognizes the accomplishments of a great team effort,” said Monken in a press release. “I am thrilled that our team will play in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl — one of America’s most unique bowl experiences at such an iconic sports venue with over 100 years of history, like our football program.
“It is also one more opportunity for us to showcase our program and our incredible institution on a national stage, displaying our brand of football and the values of West Point in front of the nation. Our team, and especially our seniors, are incredibly proud to join the other great Army teams that have played in the postseason.”
Playing a bowl game in Boston comes at a fitting time, as the U.S. Army celebrates its 250th birthday in 2025, including Army Football’s commemorative 250th uniforms that will be worn at the Army–Navy Game, and with the bowl taking place in the region that were pivotal to the founding of the nation and the Army’s earliest operations.
