--- title: "Navy’s special Army-Navy Game uniforms pay tribute to the six original frigates" description: "Navy and Under Armour unveiled the Midshipmen's uniforms for the 2025 Army-Navy Game, honoring the original six frigates of the Navy. " date: "2025-11-19" modified: "2025-11-19" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/entertainment/navy-uniforms-original-six-frigates/" categories: - "Entertainment" - "Sports" tags: - "Army-Navy Game" - "Military History" - "Navy" - "Sports" --- # Navy’s special Army-Navy Game uniforms pay tribute to the six original frigates ![navy original six frigates uniform navy]() *(U.S. Naval Academy)* 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. #### Related: [Army and Nike unveil Army-Navy Game uniform honoring 250 years of service and sacrifice ]() 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." #### Read Next: [Here’s what happened to the US Navy’s original six frigates]() 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdG90qKRAIQ 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. ![navy original six frigates army navy game navy]() *(Navy Football via X)* 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. ### Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty #### • [7 Cool things that happen during the Army-Navy Game]() #### • [Navy suffers first defeat of the season while Army downs Air Force at the buzzer]() #### • [How the Air Force-Navy rivalry is just as vicious as Army-Navy]() . ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()