2013 MILITARY BOWL SET FOR DECEMBER 27

AT NAVY-MARINE CORPS MEMORIAL STADIUM IN ANNAPOLIS

WASHINGTON, D.C. –The DC Bowl Committee and Events DC today announced that the 2013 Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman benefiting the USO will be played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., on Friday, December 27 at 2:30 p.m. ET.

This year’s game will match a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference against an opponent from Conference USA. It will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

“This move puts our game into a facility that honors the men and women who have served in our Armed Forces,” DC Bowl Committee President & Executive Director Steve Beck said. “Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is truly a venue that is in line with our mission of supporting our nation’s military and raising awareness for organizations supporting the Armed Forces. We expect a great matchup.”

It will be the first bowl game ever played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, which opened in 1959.

“The Naval Academy Athletic Association is very pleased to host the Military Bowl,” U.S. Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk said. “Those who attend will find Memorial Stadium to be historic, fan friendly, and designed to promote a wonderful family environment. This partnership is appreciated and we will extend ourselves on every front to ensure this is a great experience for our guests and the visiting teams. We look forward to this special event in December.”

Since its inception in 2008, the Washington-area’s college football bowl game (called the EagleBank Bowl in its first two years) had been played at RFK Stadium. For the first time in its history, in 2012 the Military Bowl hosted a ranked team as San Jose State beat Bowling Green, 29-20, en route to finishing the season ranked No. 21 nationally. A bowl-record crowd of 38,794 saw Maryland beat East Carolina, 51-20, in 2010.

“This journey began in 2008 with the goals of bringing big-time football back to RFK Stadium and the nation’s capital while honoring and supporting our nation’s military, and we’ve accomplished those goals,” said Erik A. Moses, managing director of Events DC’s Sports and Entertainment Division. “We’ve had exciting games featuring teams from around the country, given thousands of military families the chance to enjoy the bowl game experience together during the holiday season, brought football fans from across the country to their nation’s capital and benefited the local economy and charitable causes. Our support of the bowl effort remains strong, and we are confident that the excitement surrounding the bowl game experience will continue to flourish in the Washington region.”

For each of the past three years the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman has donated $100,000 to the USO and distributed 5,000 complimentary tickets to military personnel and their families.

While this year’s gameday operations will move to Annapolis, all other bowl events will remain headquartered in Washington, D.C., including the annual NCAA Football Youth Clinic. This year’s clinic, hosted in partnership with Events DC and Positive Choices at Anacostia High School on June 15, is free and open to children ages 7 to 14. Registration is available at www.ncaafootballclinics.com.

From 2009 to 2011, the bowl generated nearly $36 million in economic impact. Bowl organizers hope to continue using the event to bring revenue into Washington, D.C., during the holiday season.

Former Naval Academy Athletic Director Capt. J.O. (Bo) Coppedge Has Passed Away At The Age Of 88

Former Naval Academy athletic director Capt. J.O. (Bo) Coppedge died on Wednesday at the Ginger Cover Health Center. He was 88.

Coppedge, who was the Director of Athletics at the Naval Academy from 1968 to 1988, oversaw unprecedented growth in the Naval Academy’s athletic department and was the first civilian to run the athletic department after he retired from active duty.

He was a 1946 graduate of the Naval Academy where he was an offensive tackle and a member of the wrestling team and a former sub commander, who famously brought his diesel-electric submarine from the deep to the surface in 1960 so his crew on the USS Tang could listen to the Army-Navy football game, a game that Navy won 17-12.

“It is with heartfelt sadness to learn of the passing of Bo,” said current Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk.  “Everyone in the Naval Academy Athletic Association expresses their sincere condolences to the Coppedge family.  We hold a special appreciation for an incredible man who touched so many lives in such a magnificent way throughout his distinguished career.  Bo was an icon within intercollegiate athletic circles and would always exude the values of the Academy he loved through his outgoing and embracing personality.  To know Bo was to love Bo.  We still miss his lovely wife Ann, and now Bo’s big smile, sense of humor, favorite anecdotes, along with his gentle kindness and friendship with so many will be a memory we will always cherish.”

Coppedge served on the destroyers CHEVALIER AND COLLETT and had five years of sea duty in the submarines U.S.S. DIODON and U.S.S. BASHAW.  In August 1954, Coppedge returned to the Naval Academy as a member of the Physical Education staff and coached the plebe football team to a 15-4 record.

Coppedge served as Executive Officer of the U.S.S. GUDGEON in which he participated in the first circumnavigation of the world by a U.S. submarine in 1957-58. He then commanded the U.S.S. Tang for two years before serving for one year in the Operations Division on the Staff of the Commander Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet.

Coppedge then served as the athletic director at the Naval War College, while also earning a master’s degree in International Relations from George Washington. He next worked in the Pentagon in the Undersea Warfare Division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and later served as Chief of Staff Officer and Operations Officer for Commander Submarine Squadron Six, and was Commander of Submarine Division 62.

Coppedge was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, China Service Medal (Extended), Navy Occupation Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Korean Service Medal and the United Nations Service Medal.

Coppedge was hired as the athletic director in 1968 as an active duty captain and retired from active duty in 1970 after 25 years of service.  He earned the Navy Distinguished Public Service Medal in 1979, which is the highest award the Secretary of the Navy can bestow on a non-federal employee.

In his 20 years as the Director of Athletics at Navy, the Midshipmen went to three bowl games (the 1978 Holiday Bowl, the 1980 Garden State Bowl and the 1981 Liberty Bowl) and appeared in three NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments (1985, 1986 and 1987), including the 1986 Navy Basketball team that made it to the Elite 8 and is widely considered the greatest basketball team in school history and was led by Player of the Year David Robinson.  The Midshipmen produced 37 All-Americans in Coppedge’s tenure and he added 12 varsity sports to the athletic department.

Coppedge served as chairman of the NCAA Classification Committee, chairman of the NCAA Television Committee and chairman of the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee.

As a midshipman he lettered in football and wrestling. He played both ways at tackle in football and helped lead Navy to a 7-1-1 record in 1945. As a wrestler, he was a member of two Eastern Championship teams.

Plans for services are incomplete. Visitation likely will be held next week at the Taylor Funeral Home in Annapolis followed by services at the Naval Academy.

Navy And Notre Dame To Meet At FedExField In 2014

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The 2014 Navy-Notre Dame game will be played on Nov. 1 at FedExField in Landover, Md. it was announced today by Redskins Chief Marketing Officer Mitch Gershman and Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk.

This will be the first meeting between the two schools at FedExField since 1998.  Navy last played at FedExField on Dec. 10, 2011 when the Mids defeated Army, 27-21.

“FedExField did a fine job of hosting the Army-Navy game and we are looking forward to another sold out event in 2014,” said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk.

“The Navy and Notre Dame game highlights two outstanding collegiate programs,” said Gershman. “We are excited to welcome both teams back to FedExField and are looking forward to hosting one of the most competitive and nationally acclaimed matchups in the country.”

Gladchuk and Notre Dame Director of Athletics and Vice President Jack Swarbrick announced last fall that Navy’s football series with Notre Dame, which is the longest continuous intersectional rivalry in college football, had been extended to 2026, which will be the centennial year for the series.

The Irish and Mids meet in South Bend on odd years; while on even years the contest is Navy’s home game, customarily played at regional NFL venues.  The two schools, which have played every year since 1926, met for the 86^th on Sept. 1 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.  Next year’s game will take place on Nov. 2 in South Bend.

ANNAPOLIS, Md.- Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced after Saturday’s victory over Florida Atlantic that the Naval Academy has qualified to play in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 29 at AT&T Park in San Francisco against a projected opponent from the Pac-12. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. in San Francisco (4:00 p.m. in Annapolis) and will be televised nationally by ESPN2.

This will be Navy’s second trip to San Francisco for a bowl game.  In 2004, 18,000 Navy fans, including more than 2,000 midshipmen, jammed what was then Pac Bell Park to see Navy defeat New Mexico, 34-19.

“Based on our visit in 2004, we have seen first hand that the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl is a magnificent overall environment and event,” said Gladchuk.  “The city of San Francisco, the stadium, the hospitality from the community, the bowl administration and the beauty of Northern California present as fine a postseason experience as we could possibly enjoy.  The Academy is sincerely grateful to Gary Cavalli and his staff for inviting us back and setting the stage for our team to earn an enjoyable trip to the West Coast and an inspiring matchup versus an opponent from the Pac-12.”

“I am very happy for our young men and our program that we are going back to a bowl game for the ninth time in the last 10 years,” said Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo.  “This group has shown an amazing amount of resiliency after starting 1-3 and they never stopped fighting or believing.  Our only focus right now is on our final three regular season games, but we are thrilled to be going back to San Francisco.”

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring Navy back to San Francisco, said Gary Cavalli, the Executive Director of the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. “Navy’s first appearance in 2004 really put our bowl on the map. They bring a huge fan base, a ton of pageantry and one of the hottest football teams in America.  We look forward to providing a great bowl experience for the Navy players and fans, and hosting a great match-up with the Pac-12.”

Tickets for the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl are on sale now at www.navysports.com.

Tickets can also be purchased starting Monday morning at 9 a.m. by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY or at the Ricketts Hall Box Office.

Ticket prices are $25 (Upper Level End Zone), $40 (Upper Level Corner), $50 (Upper Level Sideline and Lower Level End Zone and Corner), $60 (Lower Level Sideline and Sideline Bleacher behind the team bench) and $75 (Club).  The only way to sit with the Navy contingent is to buy your tickets through the Navy ticket office.

Fans can also purchase tickets to sponsor midshipmen and enlisted personnel and their families for $50 per ticket. Donated tickets are 100% tax deductible.

“We strongly encourage Navy fans to buy their bowl tickets directly from the Naval Academy Athletic Association,” said Gladchuk. “It is very important for this game and for future Navy bowl considerations for our fans to purchase tickets through the NAAA. If you can’t make it to the game we ask that Navy fans buy tickets for our midshipmen and enlisted personnel, which will allow us to create the usual pageantry of Navy football.”

Anthony Travel is the official Naval Academy Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl travel agency. Travel packages include hotel accommodations at the Westin St. Francis Hotel (Navy team hotel). Visit AnthonyTravel.com and search Navy Bowl or call (800) 736-6377 to make your reservations.

This will be Navy’s 18^th bowl appearance in school history and the ninth in the last 10 years.