Army-Navy Game recap from someone who knows nothing about football

Nearly 8 million viewers tuned in to watch the 2025 Army-Navy Game, which is CBS’ largest audience of the season. I was fortunate to report live from the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, which delivered the one-of-a-kind experience that only America’s Game could offer. Here’s the recap of this year’s match-up between the Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen you didn’t know you needed.

First of all, I had a blast. Where else can you talk to senior military leaders in the ticket line, hang out with a former 82nd Airborne Division commanding general (a former Army football player himself), reconnect with Navy veteran-turned-influencer Patriotic Kenny, chat with Army Marathon Team and Cannon Crew, be within an arm’s length of notable political figures, nearly get trampled by the Navy football team, and hug Miss America in a single place? Army-Navy is the place to be.

My Army-Navy day began with a guy in the elevator saying “Go Army” while I was heading down to grab a quick cup of coffee. The camaraderie started strong, right out of the gate.

Our hotel seemed to be pretty evenly split between Army/Navy fans. A swarm of Army enthusiasts greeted me early in the morning as they grabbed coffee and breakfast. By the time we were leaving the hotel, the lobby was filled mostly with Navy supporters dining before the game. One Navy family who rode the elevator with us (and cheerfully called out, “Go Navy! Beat Army!” to the group — elevators are clearly where people announce their team) doubled back to the lobby to ask if we wanted a ride to the stadium. With our Uber two minutes out, we gratefully declined but the generosity was noted.

Everyone was in a good mood.

America’s game

After bidding adieu to my husband — who did not have a ticket yet — outside of the stadium, I easily made my way to the press box to get my bearings and plan out the day. I headed down to the field, watching the Army Rabble Rousers as they did their routines.

The Army Marathon Team was beside me, and their energy was unmatched, even after running the football all the way from West Point, a relay that covered roughly 300 miles. Cadet Jack Mantell (USMA Class of 2027) was performing the routine in perfect step to the cheerleaders. Mantell shared that he never drinks caffeine with the exception of the Army-Navy relay; he’d had several energy drinks to stay awake after he had the night shift. A leader and entertainer in one, Mantell made sure that the crowd trickling in matched his enthusiasm and stayed hyped.

I reconnected with Navy veteran-turned-influencer Kenny Jary, aka Patriotic Kenny, who I had interviewed last year for Reserve and National Guard. I met Miss America, Cassie Donegan, and we bonded as we discussed our colleges, longtime Nashville rivals that annually compete against each other in “Battle of the Boulevard.” Alas, I didn’t see Mark Wahlberg as he milled about, but perhaps that will be a future opportunity.

I kept a wary eye on the Army Cannon Crew as I realized I was next to the cannon. As I saw people cover their ears, I followed suit, not knowing exactly when it would fire. The CBS Sports team and I stood together, hands clasping the sides of our faces for what felt like an embarrassing amount of time. One cadet was kind enough to lean over and tell us the timing of when to expect it to go off so we could be at ease.

Regardless, we kept our hands right where they were.

I talked to everyone I could, asking the game day workers who they were rooting for. Most pulled for Navy (shoutout to Ted who fist-bumped me for Army!), and many talked about their own family’s military service; some were veterans themselves. One replied that he’s an Irishman so he only cheers for Notre Dame.

He did say the day was tame in regard to drunken antics, but I’m not sure if he was impressed by that or not.

The game was hard-fought. It was close, and emotions were high. As I watched the 4th quarter of the game on the field, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer, walked right in front of me, with Hegseth pumping his fist and pointing at midshipmen as he exited.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore, an Army veteran, followed soon after, shaking hands with employees, security and police as he left through the tunnel.

However, in the final moments of the game, an animated Moore popped back into the stadium to watch events unfold. Everyone held their breath.

In the end, Navy beat Army by a single point. As cannons exploded and lights flashed, the Navy midshipmen cheered as they hopped over the seat barricades and ran onto the field. The Navy football team then ran over to the student section to leap into the stands and celebrate with their fellow midshipmen. (Shoutout and thank you to Detective R. Jordan, a Marine veteran, who saved my life after seeing the stampede spill over the sidelines behind me. He moved me out of the way and physically blocked oncoming players. He deserves all the good things in life!)

As the winning team, the midshipmen sang the Naval Academy’s anthem after the West Point Corps of Cadets sang their own. The term “sing second” is a rally cry to win as well as a bragging point, and it is a well-loved tradition among the academies.

After the game, I was directed to Pickles Pub, which has been featured on the Travel Channel and is the go-to place after games according to locals; a stadium employee (the previously mentioned Notre Dame fan) personally took me within an easy walking distance of the green building. Filled with Army and Navy fans, spirits were still high. Everyone was patting each other on the back or scooting over to make way at the bar, striking up conversations with strangers and ignoring the navy/white or black/gold attire.

Because despite all rivalries — whether in sports or branches — we know that when it matters: we are all one team.