Can the service academies offer an encore to last year’s exciting football season, which ended with two of the three schools holding big-time hardware and notching postseason bowl victories? We’re only a few hours from finding out.

Army, Navy, and Air Force kick off their 2025 campaigns this weekend, and it’s time to break down the basics – what fans of each academy can expect, how to catch your team on TV, and when you’ll need to clear your calendar to enjoy some friendly rivalry showdowns. Here’s what to know before the first whistle:

Week 1 Slate

• Army: Hosts Tarleton State under the Friday night lights at Michie Stadium (6 p.m. Eastern, CBS Sports Network). Tarleton State, a Football Championship Subdivision school from Texas, is already 1-0 on the year after a 42-0 throttling of Portland State last week.
  
  
• Navy: Hosts Virginia Military Institute on Saturday (noon Eastern, CBS Sports Network). The Midshipmen have never lost to the Keydets, winning all 10 games in a series that dates back to 1898.
  
  
• Air Force: Hosts Bucknell on Saturday (3:30 p.m. Eastern/1:30 p.m. Mountain, CBS Sports Network). The Falcons have never played the Bison, and they’ve never lost a game in August (12-0).

[X's AND O's: Army Football Media Center | Navy vs. VMI Notes | Air Force Football News] 

Last Year

• Army: Went home with the school’s first-ever conference championship, claiming the American Athletic Conference title on the way to an 12-2 season that included a victory over Louisiana Tech in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl.
  
  
• Navy: Went home with the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy after defeating Army 31-13 in their rivalry showdown. The cherry on top? A 21-20 win over Oklahoma in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, nearly 60 years after the teams first met (a 10-0 Midshipmen win in 1965), to end the year at 10-3.
  
  
• Air Force: Went home without a bowl appearance and with a sub-.500 record (5-7) for the first time since 2018.

Then-sophomore Brady Small (51) takes the field with his Army teammates before last year's Army-Navy game in Landover, Md. Small has started 26 straight games for the Black Knights at center entering his junior season. (Photo by Sgt. Aaron Troutman/Army)

Names to Know

• Army: Senior quarterback Dewayne Coleman made one start last year and made it count – subbing for the injured Bryson Daily, he led the Black Knights to a rivalry win over Air Force. He’ll take the reins of the Black Knight option offense this season, while team captain Andon Thomas returns to anchor the defense at linebacker.
  
  
• Navy: Senior quarterback Blake Horvath is back under center looking to improve on a monumental 2025. His 7.9 yards-per-play average is second in school history, and it earned him a spot among high-profile college signal-callers: His 90 overall rating in EA Sports’ College Football 26 ranks him even (in the video game, at least) with Arch Manning of Texas and DJ Lagway of Florida. Top targets include senior Eli Heidenreich, who is three touchdown catches away from tying the school record.
  
  
• Air Force: Seven offensive starters return for 2025, including senior fullback Dylan Carson, who piled up 600 yards on the ground last season. Only three are back on defense, but they include senior noseguard Payton Zdroik, who is tied for 10th all-time at Air Force in sacks.
  
  

Dates to Know

• Rivalries: Navy hosts Air Force on Oct. 4 in Annapolis (noon Eastern), Air Force hosts Army in Colorado Springs on Nov. 1 (noon Eastern/10 a.m. Mountain), and Army faces Navy on Dec. 13 in Baltimore (3 p.m. Eastern). All three contests will air on CBS-TV and stream on Paramount+.
  
  
• Don’t Forget: The U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy will face off for the Secretaries Cup at Boston’s Fenway Park on Nov. 15 (noon Eastern, ESPN+).
  
  
• Other Big Games: Army will visit Kansas State, its lone ranked opponent (at the start of the year, at least) on Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. Eastern (ESPN). Navy heads to South Bend, Ind., for its annual clash with Notre Dame on Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern (NBC-TV, Peacock). Air Force wraps its regular season against in-state rival Colorado State on Nov. 28 at Falcon Stadium (FS1, time TBD).

Air Force's Tylor Latham scores a touchdown against Colorado State on Oct. 19, 2024, at Colorado Springs, Colo. Latham returns at wideout for the Falcons in 2025. (Photo by Ray Bahner/Air Force)

Odds and Ends

• Check Your Local Listings: CBS Sports Network will host more academy football this year than any other platform, but it may not be part of your existing cable or streaming service lineup. Check online for details.
  
  
• Gameday Upgrades: Heading to a game in Colorado Springs? You’ll find more choices at the concession stand, better wireless service, and “enhanced fireworks,” according to the school ... not to mention some fellow fans in the form of the entire cadet wing. Army will be selling alcohol at Michie Stadium this season, and Navy recently announced plans for a new pavilion in Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium’s north end zone.
  
  
• Transfer Portal: While the academies have been further removed than other schools from the increased movement of players in recent years, they aren’t immune. Case in point: Former Army tight end Danny Joiner returns to West Point with Tarleton State this week. Joiner did not play while a freshman at Army in 2021, then played three years for Southeast Missouri State before moving on to the Texans.
  
  
• Not So Fast, My Friend: College football icon Lee Corso, who coached Navy defensive backs for three seasons (1966-1968) before taking the top job at Louisville, will retire from nearly 40 years of broadcasting after Saturday’s edition of ESPN College Gameday. Unofficial records show Corso’s never picked against the Mids during his famous headgear-themed selections.