Little more than a week after Army unveiled special uniforms honoring its 250th anniversary, Navy unveiled its latest special uniform, honoring its own origin story: the six original frigates of the U.S. Navy.
The uniforms are the upcoming Army-Navy Game, the 126th meeting between the two football teams of the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy. Special uniforms honoring some aspect of the academies’ respective histories have been part of the game since 2008, when Nike created unique looks for both teams. Under Armour became the Midshipmen’s supplier in 2014 and the annual uniform release has been as competitive as anything on the gridiron ever since.
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The goal of the 2025 Navy uniform, according to the Naval Academy, was to combine the history of the U.S. Navy, its six original frigates, and the Naval Academy itself.
When the American Revolution ended, the Continental Navy slowly ended with it. Its last ship was sold in Philadelphia in 1785. But that didn’t mean there was no threat to American shipping. It wasn’t long before Britain and France began harrassing U.S.-flagged merchants and blocking American traders. The biggest threat, however, came from the Barbary Coast of North Africa, where fleets of pirate ships preyed on shipping to extort cash payments from American and European governments. In 1794, the United States decided its ships needed protection. To re-establish the U.S. Navy, Congress allotted for the contruction of six frigates with the “Act to Provide Naval Armament.”
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Colors of Navy’s Army-Navy Game uniform come from the original uniform regulations issued by the Continental Naval Committee in September 1775, a washed navy that represents the faded blue jackets of America’s original sailors. The stone color represents the sails of the USS Constitution, the only one of the original six frigates still afloat.
There are actually a lot of nods to the Constitution in these uniforms. The “nautical navy” symbolizes the hull of Old Ironsides, Constitution’s nickname from its action with the British frigate HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812. Red on the uniforms are for the color of the cannon carriages that line Constitution’s side, and the copper on the helmet is for the copper that lined the hulls of all six vessels. The helmet also features an illustration of the Constitution, a wooden plank center stripe wraps around the plank six times in the front and six times in the back, another nod to the original six frigates, with 63 knots on each wrapping signifying both the 63 wins Navy has over Army and the 126th Army-Navy game.
Navy Football 2025 Army-Navy Game Uniform
Copper is also an important element to the ship’s history because it was a “Pennies Campaign” in 1925 that led to the restoration of Old Ironsides as a museum ship. A similar effort in 1997 purchased new sails for the Constitution, and allowed it to sail under its own power for the first time since 1881.
The font for the jersey is inspired by the typography of the 1794 “Act to Provide Naval Armament,” which authorized the creation of the Navy’s first six frigates. Also on the jersey are six ropes, representing the original six frigates, and are adorned with 250 knots to honor the 250th Anniversary of the United States Navy. There are also six ropes on each side of the pants that represent the six frigates, with a total of 126 knots to celebrate the 126th Army Navy game.
That’s not all. Visit the Navy Football website for a complete list of the Navy uniform’s symbolism.
The Army Black Knighs and Navy Midshipmen will face off in the 126th Army-Navy Game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on Dec. 13, 2025 at 3 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
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