What to know about the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

The only bowl game held in Fort Worth, the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl has built up a ton of fun college football history over the years.

The NCAA is trying out a new system for the College Football Playoff this year. Twelve teams are fighting for a spot in the playoff and a shot at national championship glory. While those schools will get the most attention, thousands of student-athletes will play in other bowl games, such as the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, held annually in Fort Worth.

Here are seven common questions about the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl for the Brave and all the need-to-know info. Happy bowling!

Who’s playing in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl?

This year, the Oklahoma Sooners will play the Navy Midshipmen. The Sooners started the season with a 4-1 record and were ranked as high as No. 15 before finishing the season 6-6. Their biggest win was a 24-3 victory against then-No. 7 Alabama, very likely knocking the Crimson Tide out of the College Football Playoff.

Meanwhile, Navy was projected to finish 11th in the American Athletic Conference before the season began. The Midshipmen still have a game against Army left, but they’ll either finish third or fourth, far surpassing expectations. Navy also had a strong start to the season, winning its first six games and reaching No. 24 in the AP and Coaches polls. 

Has it always been called the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl?

No, though Lockheed Martin has been the title sponsor longer than any other company. The defense and aerospace manufacturer has a sponsorship contract through 2025. It first became the title sponsor and had naming rights in 2014 after a deal with Alltel fell apart.

From 2006 to 2013, the game was called the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl before Lockheed Martin took over.

When the bowl game launched in 2003, it was known as the PlainsCapital Bank Fort Worth Bowl. That name remained for the first two iterations, with the 2005 contest eschewing sponsorship altogether and going with the straightforward Fort Worth Bowl for the name. Simpler times.

Where is the Armed Forces Bowl played?

Since the initial matchup in 2003, the Armed Forces Bowl has typically been played at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, home of the TCU Horned Frogs.

In 2010 and 2011, Amon G. Carter Stadium was undergoing renovations. The Armed Forces Bowl moved to Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, where the SMU Mustangs play. Coincidentally, SMU played in the game in 2010, losing to Army despite the home-field advantage. 

When & where can you watch the Armed Forces Bowl on TV?

ESPN Events produces the bowl game and airs it annually on ESPN. You can also stream the game if you have an ESPN+ account. This year’s event will take place on Friday, December 27, at 11 a.m. Central Time.

What are some notable games from the Armed Forces Bowl?

The Armed Forces Bowl has had plenty of impressive games throughout its existence. From close nailbiters coming down to the final ticks on the clock to record-setting contests, we’ve pulled together our six favorite games from the bowl.

2003: Boise State 34, TCU 31

The first installment of the Fort Worth Bowl is the only time the event has hosted two ranked teams. In the end, No. 18 Boise State eked out No. 19 TCU by a field goal. The teams put up a ton of points in the first half but clamped down on the defense later in the game. They mustered only one score in the final 24 and a half minutes, a Boise State touchdown pass that proved to be the difference in the game.

2014: Houston 35, Pittsburgh 34

Houston had a rough performance a few years later, though this game was one for the record books. The Cougars trailed the Panthers 31–6 with under 11 minutes remaining. Houston then started scoring—a lot—and took the lead with 59 seconds to go on a 25-yard touchdown pass and ensuing two-point conversion. The 25-point comeback is the largest in bowl game history. 

This game started a five-year stretch, during which the participating teams scored a total of 414 points (or 82.8 per game). That’s a ton of scoring! The 2014 contest was also the first edition of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. It’s safe to say that Lockheed Martin certainly got its money’s worth.

2016: Louisiana Tech 48, Navy 45

You want points, and we got ‘em! This matchup between Louisiana Tech and Navy holds the Armed Forces Bowl record for most combined points (93) in a game. The Bulldogs threw for over 400 yards; the Midshipmen ran for 300. Each team fumbled multiple times; it’s always exciting when the ball is slip-sliding all over the place. And after 11 seconds into the second quarter, no team led by more than seven points the rest of the way. Close football with a ton of scoring? Sign us up!   

Photo courtesy of Coast Guard News/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

2018: Army 70, Houston 14

Even if you’re not a football fan, you can probably surmise that a 56-point blowout doesn’t make for particularly attentive viewing. Yet the 2018 version of the Armed Forces Bowl was the first time the event ever had a sold-out crowd. Army’s 70 points is also a record for points scored by a single team in the Armed Forces Bowl; their margin of victory is also a record.

2020: Mississippi State 28, Tulsa 26

2020 was a strange year. Remember when there were murder hornets and Australian bushfires, and it was only early January? Of course, the Covid-19 outbreak impacted everyone worldwide, including the NCAA. As a result, teams didn’t play full schedules and were eligible for bowl games even with poor records. Mississippi State was 3–7, and Tulsa was 6–2, so at least collectively, they had won half their games. We got a good show on the field, with Mississippi State winning by two points despite Tulsa outgaining them by nearly double the yards. 

If you stuck around until the end, you were treated to a brawl between the two teams. Here’s how then-Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach summed it up: “It’s dumb. The root of it is dumb. No matter what the root of it is, the root of it is dumb. And the continuation of it is dumb. So, I would have that solidly in the category of dumb. Where the dumb started, I’m not entirely sure.”

2021: Army 24, Missouri 22

If you like to head to the concession stand before a quarter ends to try and beat the crowds, you would have missed a lot of scoring plays in this one. Missouri’s Harrison Mevis hit field goals with 55 seconds left in the first quarter and three seconds left before halftime. Despite early 10–0 and 16–7 deficits, Army came back and took the lead in the fourth quarter. Missouri answered with an 11-play, 83-yard drive that only took 1:33, a very efficient showcase of football. But they left just a bit too much time on the clock, and Army’s kicker Cole Talley made a 41-yard field goal as time expired. Hope that soft pretzel was worth missing all that excitement. 

Which teams have played in the most Armed Forces Bowl games?

As you might guess, schools affiliated with the U.S. military branches are frequent participants in the event.

Air Force has appeared in seven games, more than any other school. It’s followed by Houston (five appearances), Army (four), Tulsa (three), and California and Navy (two each).

The bowl has contracts with Army (an independent school), the American Athletic Conference (where Navy plays), and the Mountain West Conference, home of Air Force. If those schools are bowl-eligible and not committed to another bowl game, they’re invited to play in the Armed Forces Bowl.

What are some fun records from the Armed Forces Bowl?

With more than two decades of history, the Armed Forces Bowl has put up some impressive numbers. Here are a few of our favorite records:

• Fewest rushing yards allowed: -3 (Cincinnati, 2004): The second-ever Armed Forces Bowl was not particularly close—Cincinnati defeated Marshall 32–14. Marshall ran the ball 20 times for a grand total of -3 yards, with future NFL running back Ahmad Bradshaw contributing -5 yards on six carries. Very stout defense from Cincinnati.
• Most tackles: 23 (Marcus McGraw, Houston, 2009): Marcus McGraw led the Houston Cougars in tackles in each of his four seasons. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the Arlington-born linebacker holds the record for tackles in a single Armed Forces Bowl game, putting up 23 in a loss to Air Force. McGraw had 156 tackles during the 2009 season.
• Most passing yards (467) and passing touchdowns (6): Jared Goff, Cal, 2015): What a way to end a collegiate career! Four months before he was selected with the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, Goff went 25-for-37 for 467 yards and six touchdowns in a win against Air Force. Goff is currently the quarterback for the Detroit Lions, one of the best teams in the NFL. 
• Longest interception return: 90 yards (Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State, 2020): Emmanuel Forbes set two records when he returned an interception for 90 yards. It was the longest interception return for a touchdown in Armed Forces Bowl history, but it was also a school record for the longest interception return. The Bulldogs won by two points; without Forbes’s play, they would have lost. 

What gifts do players in the Armed Forces Bowl get?

Did you know that most bowl games create tailored gift bags for every player who participates in the event? It’s similar to the welcome gift bag you might get when checking into a hotel during a wedding. However, instead of snacks and essentials like Oreos and Emergen-C, the players often get electronics or gear.

In the age of name, image, and likeness deals, these gifts are probably not nearly as valuable as they once were. After all, if you can earn hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars through sponsorships with local and national businesses—like then-Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson teaming up with Pluckers Wing Bar to create a “Bijan Mustardson” custom wing sauce—a few pieces of swag might not hold the same charm.

Then again, the Armed Forces Bowl tends to deliver. We don’t know what the 2024 gift bag will contain quite yet, but a recent iteration had a ton of goodies. Players got a gift suite for the game, a beanie, a Google Chromecast, and a commemorative football. Even better, they received their own customized Action Face figure.

These Action Face figures were 3D printed and made to look like the player (presumably—I suppose a player could have requested to look like a werewolf or an ogre). Can you imagine having an action figure of you in the house? That would be very cool. 

In fact, I might go ahead and order one myself right now so it gets here in time to watch the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl with me. Enjoy bowl season!  

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.