How Army Broke Decade-Long Drought in Star Series Against Rival Navy

The all-sports challenge between the Army West Point Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen has been going on since the 1978-79 school year.

For nearly the entirety of the Star Series, Navy has been the dominant force in rivalry. In fact, Army had won the series just four times entering the 2024-25 athletic season.

The Black Knights flipped the script on the Midshipmen for the first time since the 2013-14 athletic year. By winning this season's Star Series, Army added to its victories in 1984-85, 1994-95 and 1995-96.

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"This is a testament to the amazing coaches and cadet-athletes here at West Point," said athletic director Tom Theodorakis, who took over as AD in the middle of the school year. "The momentum within our athletic department is palpable and we are seeing some serious results on the competition side."

It was how the Black Knights did it that proved interesting. For starters, Army didn't win the annual football rivalry game with Navy. The Midshipmen won, as they claimed the Commander-in-Chief's trophy by beating both service academy rivals on the football field.

Points are accumulated in designated head-to-head matchups between the two programs in each sport. In sports where they face each other multiple times, a game or contest is chosen as the Star Series game. A victory means one point for the school.

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This year, Army took the series with a 14-12 record against Navy. The Black Knights took home victories in volleyball, golf, sprint football, men's soccer, women's cross country, women's soccer, women's rugby, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's basketball, wrestling, women's tennis, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse.

The Black Knights clinched the series in mid-April with victories in men's and women's lacrosse on the same weekend.

Swimming and diving made history within the Star Series as they swept both points from Navy for the first time in the 36-year history of the series. The Black Knights had 27 first-place finishes, 13 program records, and 12 Crandall Pool records. 

Men and women’s soccer both won their respective matches and the Black Knights have an impressive 5-1 record agaisnt Navy the last three seasons, with the women 3-0.

One sport Army has almost always been able to count on a point is in volleyball. The Black Knights have won 31 of the 43 matches.

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