Paul Finebaum never shies away from bold opinions, and now he has stirred debate with his take on the scheduling of the Army-Navy game. His immediate remark about a wasted Saturday has reignited conversations about how college football manages its calendar.
Paul Finebaum Questions Army-Navy Game’s Schedule
During his appearance on The Matt Barrie Show, the ESPN analyst questioned the longstanding tradition of dedicating a December Saturday to the iconic rivalry. His comments follow Joel Klatt’s proposal to move the Army-Navy game to the start of the season, aiming to give the matchup a fresh placement.
Finebaum took it a step further, suggesting that the weekend should instead be reserved for College Football Playoff (CFP) matchups.
Finebaum argues that dedicating a Saturday exclusively to the Army-Navy game in mid-December is inefficient. He explained:
“We’re wasting a week. I know I’m going to upset somebody, but the week of the Army-Navy game needs to be the Playoff (games). What do we have that Saturday? The Army-Navy game and the Heisman (Trophy)?”
By holding CFP games on the weekend traditionally reserved for Army-Navy, the season could end sooner. This adjustment would address one of the major challenges facing playoff-bound teams: extended breaks between games.
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After an undefeated regular season and a Big Ten Championship victory, Oregon earned a playoff bye as the No. 1 seed. However, the lengthy gap between its Dec. 7 conference title game and its Jan. 1 playoff matchup against Ohio State proved detrimental. The Ducks suffered a decisive loss in the Rose Bowl, struggling to regain their rhythm after nearly a month without competition.
Notably, all four teams that secured byes in the 2024 playoffs—Oregon, Georgia, Boise State, and Arizona State—failed to win their respective games. Finebaum believes shifting the playoffs forward by a week would reduce these prolonged breaks and create a more level playing field.
Reimagining the Army-Navy Tradition
While Finebaum supports Klatt’s idea of moving the Army-Navy game to the season’s opening weekend, his primary focus is on the potential benefits of reallocating its December date.
The Army-Navy game holds a special place in college football as a celebration of service academies and a symbol of sportsmanship and patriotism. Its exclusivity has long been a hallmark of the rivalry.
Moving the game to earlier in the season, as Klatt suggested, could give it a prominent spotlight without disrupting the playoff timeline. This shift would also allow college football to better accommodate an expanded playoff system while preserving the spirit of the Army-Navy rivalry.
As the sport continues to evolve with expanded playoffs, NIL agreements, and conference realignments, pressure is mounting to adjust its calendar accordingly.
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