Army and Air Force will meet on the court in men’s basketball this season for the first time since 2021. The two schools will participate in a three-team round-robin event on UTSA’s campus during Thanksgiving week.
It seems surprising, but the Army and Air Force are infrequent foes in men’s basketball. This will be only the 14th meeting since the series began in 1976. Ten of those meetings occurred from 2011 to 2021. Nonetheless, this year’s meeting in San Antonio represents another stop in a well-traveled rivalry, one that has even transcended international boundaries.
Multiple early-season events have put Army and Air Force in each other’s paths on unique stages. In 1985, just over a year after Army Football played in Tokyo against Montana, Men’s Basketball made its way over there. The Cadets took part in the Suntory Ball Invitational with Air Force and Navy, losing a close game to Air Force 56-50. Two-time honorable mention All-American Kevin Houston scored 25 in a losing effort.
The rivalry moved closer to West Point two years later when both schools played in the 1987 Freedom Bowl Invitational in Irvine, California. The Cadets rebounded from an opening-round loss to UC-Irvine to beat Air Force 79-70 in the third-place game. Ron Wilson scored 20 points, and Army went on a 16-7 run in the final six minutes to pull away from the Falcons.
Keeping busy this summer 🫡#TTD || #GoArmy pic.twitter.com/eyX3wGlDwG
— Army Men's Basketball (@ArmyWP_MBB) June 24, 2026
The two would not play for another 24 years before another early-season tournament brought them together. The All-Military Classic featured Air Force, Army, The Citadel, and VMI, and rotated between the four campuses from 2011 to 2014. Army played Air Force in the opening round all four years, winning once.
However, they made that one win count. In the 2014 All-Military Classic opener, Kyle Wilson scored 25 points, while Tanner Plomb added 22 in an 84-78 win over the Falcons at West Point. The Black Knights rode the momentum to beat VMI in the All-Military Classic championship for their first in-season tournament title ever.
The rivalry reached its grandest stage three years later when the two schools played at Madison Square Garden in 2017. A 52 percent success rate from three-point range lifted Army to a dominant 79-54 win over the Zoomies.
Congratulations to Ryan Curry on receiving the Colonel John S. Roosma Memorial Award at last night’s Award Convocation!
— Army Men's Basketball (@ArmyWP_MBB) May 22, 2026
The accolade is given each year to our team’s MVP!#TTD || #GoArmy pic.twitter.com/h92EfTq0SB
This year’s clash may not be in Tokyo or even Madison Square Garden, but San Antonio is an ideal site for the rivalry. Both the Army and Air Force have a significant presence at Joint Base San Antonio and UTSA’s 4,080-seat Convocation Center will create an intimate environment for both fan bases.
In general, just getting these two Academies on the same court is a tremendous accomplishment for athletic director Tom Theodorakis. The 2026 Air Force basketball game proves to be another landmark event in a crowded West Point sports calendar.
Go Army! Beat Air Force!!!
Special thanks to the 2025-26 Army Men’s Basketball Media Guide for providing the foundation of my research.
