The 2022 annual battle of the Army and Navy service academies and final game of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series, was held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.
The game marks the official end of the college football regular season and is one of the most historic games in the sport of college football.
The game provides the opportunity for current and former service members, their families, friends, and many college football fans to come together and celebrate, and that celebration usually starts in the form of tailgating in the parking lot prior to the game.
Tailgating at the Army Navy game in Philadelphia is a one of kind experience. The parking lot is filled with the smell and festive energy of a state fair. With bbq smoke billowing through the air, food & drink stands setup up everywhere and live music playing around the parking lots, the atmosphere is electric.
The tailgate setups can be pretty elaborate and in many cases very creative.
There were setups that ranged in size and creativity, from a few people eating sandwiches out of the trunk of their cars, to large 45ft RVs encircled by canopy tents with hundreds of people. But no matter how big or small the setups, there were thousands of people just enjoying the great vibes.
One of the unique aspects of the game being hosted at Lincoln Financial Field is that RVs are allowed to stay overnight, which no other venue offers. Many fans arrive late Friday afternoon to get their space setup for the big game. Most stay until Sunday morning with the festivities lasting the entire time.
Many people rented RVs through companies like Cruise America and Outdoorsy, which was a great option for those coming to town that didn’t own an RV. Some of the companies like Outdoorsy even offered delivery of the RV to the stadium.
The cost of an overnight RV parking pass was listed at $150 on the stadium website and can be purchase purchased in advance, although there is a parking attendant at the entrance gate that was accepting payment by credit card as well. The parking lot is located in the M/N lot and it was about half full by 9pm on Friday. I don’t think it sold out, although by 10am the next day the gate was closed off and listed as full.
The game traditionally starts at 3pm on Saturday afternoon so the tailgating festivities get going early in the morning. An abundance of delicious food and drinks lined tables throughout the parking lots with some of the most creative ideas and contraptions serving them up. Everything from bbq ribs, pulled pork, burgers, hot dogs and of course a Philadelphia staple, tomato pie.
I’m not sure if it is an official tradition but without fail there usually is always a charred billy goat on display some where in the parking lot and while strolling through the lot I ran across one.
This is definitely one food item not traditionally seen at a college football tailgate and one of the unique things that add to the flare of the Army Navy game tailgating scene.
As game time approached, much of the tailgating activities began to wind down and many started to make their way to the stadium. Some people stayed in the parking lot to watch the game on TVs.
Before to long , the sky was filled with parachuters flying down to the stadium from military planes, followed by the roaring sound of Blackhawk and Apache attack helicopters.
The star spangled banner played loudly throughout the stadium and spilled into the parking lot, followed by the thundering sound of Naval fighter jets soaring overhead. The sound of the crowd roaring signified that the game had officially began.
Tailgating at the Army Navy game is a blast and in my opinion, more than just another college football game. It’s an authentically American experience. One that displays a unique sense of unity, by celebrating the military academies and the young men & women that serve in them. It’s definitely a game that every American and fan of college football should attend at least once in their life.
