Back to the NCAA Newsfeed

Notre Dame-Army, a Football Rivalry Unmatched in the 1940s

WEST POINT, N.Y. — When Army coach Jeff Monken kicks back in his office chair, he can stare out the massive side window at Michie Stadium and the sign that hangs above Blaik Field on the home side — "National Champions 1944, 1945, 1946" — and imagine Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside running rampant.

"I think that's awesome," said Monken, the latest Army coach to use films of the program's glory days as motivation for today's players. "It's a great thing to be proud of."

Army briefly became king of the hill in the decade of the 1940s after Earl "Red" Blaik was hired as head coach in 1941, and Notre Dame became its foil in the biggest rivalry in the nation.