You may have walked by it before and not given it any heed, since it’s a monument in a sea of monuments on the Yard. Right next to the Bill the Goat statue at the intersection of Cooper Road and King George Street, it’s easy for this humble piece of stone on the ground to have escaped your attention. But now It’s time to give it its due!
History-Making Competition
This small tablet tells the story of the N* (pronounced N Star by the midshipmen). It chronicles our Naval Academy’s ongoing fight for victory over their fiercest rivals, the cadets at the United States Military Academy (or Army, as you may know them). Every time a varsity Naval Academy team posts a win over Army, an N* pennant is added to the flagpole at the Yardarm and the legendary N* is flown above. While the future leaders of the Army and Navy will work together as defenders of our country in a few short years, their four years at their respective institutions are full of competition and challenge, the kind of mutually respectful rivalry that makes the entire fighting force stronger — and makes every single N* more meaningful.
What Does N* Mean?
You can read the N* marker by the Bill the Goat statue, which bears this inscription:
“The N* commemorates a Navy varsity athletic team victory over Army. The Army-Navy rivalry is the most revered competition in intercollegiate athletics.
* * *
As each team strives for excellence on the field of competition, may a higher degree of appreciation and mutual respect evolve between our nation's future leaders
Although this special marker was placed in 2002 as a reminder of the significance of the Army-Navy rivalry, the rivalry itself stretches back far longer, to November 29, 1890, when the two teams first faced off for a football game on “The Plain” at West Point. Navy had fielded a team since 1879, and the newly built Army team was no match - the first game went to Navy 24-0.
Related: The Army-Navy Game: A Battle for the Ball—and Bragging Rights.
How the Games Play Out
The exciting football tradition of the Army-Navy Football Game (sometimes simply called the “Army Navy Game”) has continued to this day, with just ten interruptions in games over the years, all attributed to a variety of events.
It’s been an impressive run of competitions, and the record over the years has favored Navy at 62 wins, with Army at 55 and 7 ties for a total of 124 football games. They’ve battled on a variety of fields over the years. In 2020, the teams fought it out on West Point’s home field, Michie Stadium, due to COVID-19. However, you will usually find this epic rivalry playing at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, and East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium, among others. As one of the most intense and highly anticipated rivalries in the country, this event caps off their season and can draw a crowd of 100,000+, not including the television audience. It’s played on the second Saturday in December, and is usually a huge highlight as the last regular season game played in all of NCAA Division 1 football.
Related: The Army-Navy Football Game: Who Is Winning?
USNA Sports’ 2023-24 Star-Game Victories
While it started with football, the N* has grown to include all of USNA’s varsity sports. After a win from one of the women’s teams, Navy flies the gold N* flag proudly at the Yardarm. For men’s wins, Navy flies the blue N* flag. Members of the varsity teams also wear a small gold “N” on the uniform they wear to classes, known as the working uniform. If their team wins its annual competition against Army, that gold “N” becomes a gold “N*,” a coveted honor.
If you look at the overall sports record for Army-Navy games, the latest numbers also show Navy in the lead, with a 1,180-894-45 record (.567). The following USNA sports brought home Star-game victories in the 2023-2024 season (in chronological order): Men's Cross Country, Men's Rugby, Volleyball, Women's Swimming & Diving, Men's Swimming & Diving, Rifle, Men's Indoor Track & Field, Gymnastics, Women's Indoor Track & Field, Women's Tennis, Men's Outdoor Track & Field, Women's Outdoor Track & Field, Women's Lacrosse, and Men's Tennis. That brings us to a 19-17-1 (.527) overall winning record for this past season and a 14-11-1 (.558) Star Game record.
These numbers are impressive. In their overall record against Army, Navy has won for 48 of the last 52 years, and in the overall Star Series, Navy has won 40, Army has won 4, and there have been two ties in the last 46 years.
N* Gear and the NStar Rewards Program
Want to be a part of the excitement? You don’t necessarily have to be on the varsity teams, or even USNA clubs, to get an N*! If you want some N* USNA gear to celebrate Navy wins and get into the spirit of this historic competition, you can find it here at Navyonline. From stickers and vests, to hats and flags, there is an N* for everyone. Navyonline also celebrates the N* pride with our NStar Rewards program, a free program that gives you exclusive discounts and deals, like 20% off your Navyonline purchase. Want to be a part of this tradition? Click here and start saving!
Go Navy Beat Army!
When you shop with us or dine, tour, and visit the Yard, you’re giving back to the Brigade of Midshipmen that give their all, because all proceeds go directly back to the midshipmen to fund extracurricular activities like cultural arts, music, theater, USNA club sports, and more. Go Navy Beat Army! Let’s keep the streak going!
