Army finally plays Memphis for the first time as an American Conference member this week on Halloween, and so much will be on the line when the two schools meet. The game is a de facto elimination game in the conference championship race, with both teams already sitting at one loss in conference play.
For Army, this game carries even greater weight. The Black Knights have an opportunity to do something they’ve tried to accomplish for six decades—win a game at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. The team has played at this stadium five times over the last 60 years, and each time, they failed to bring home a victory.
Returning to the road on Saturday night! 🆚 Memphis 🏈 8 p.m. ET Watch on ESPNU #GoArmy https://t.co/hqFA6vGeek
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) October 26, 2026
A Fateful First Trip (1966)
The Cadets’ first appearance at the stadium came almost exactly 60 years ago. On October 29, 1966, Army played Tennessee in Memphis. That first game foreshadowed Army’s luck in the city over the coming years. The Cadets entered with high hopes and a 5-1 record that included wins over Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers.
Unfortunately, Tennessee proved too much for the Army Team. Vols QB Dewey Warren threw for 250 yards, leading Tennessee to a 38-7 blowout win in front of 48,646 fans. The Vols outgained the Cadets 392 total yards to just 250.
Thankfully, the loss did not spoil Army’s season. The Cadets won their final three games, including a 20-7 win over Navy, to finish 8-2. Army Head Coach Tom Cahill received the Football Writers Association of America and American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors for his remarkable turnaround.
The Conference USA Era
Army would not visit Memphis for another 33 years. In 1999, the Black Knights returned to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium to face their Conference USA counterpart, the Memphis Tigers. Army was more competitive that time, but still fell, 14-10.
Army RB Calvin Smith ran for 100 of his 209 career yards, while All-Conference USA punter and Blue-Gray Game participant Graham White unleashed a 72-yard punt. Still, it was not enough for the Black Knights. Memphis scored the go-ahead touchdown on a Neil Suber quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal. The Army offense sputtered in the second half, failing to get past the Memphis 44-yard line.
This was the closest Army would get to winning a game at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium for the next two decades. The Black Knights visited Memphis two more times as a member of Conference USA, but neither game was close.
Memphis beat Army in 2001, 42-10, thanks to four touchdown passes from Tigers QB Danny Wimprine. The following year, Memphis won, 38-10, at home. A young DeAngelo Williams ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, while the Tiger defense held Army to just 167 yards of total offense.
The COVID Liberty Bowl (2020)
Although they have not played against the Memphis football team since the Bad Old Days, Army made its most memorable appearance at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in 2020. The Black Knights played West Virginia in the 2020 Liberty Bowl.
That game famously culminated a three-decade-plus journey for the Black Knights.
The winner of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy received an automatic bid to the Liberty Bowl from 1989 to 1992, but unfortunately, Army never won the trophy during that span. Instead, Air Force won the CIC and made the trip to Memphis all four years. Similarly, the Black Knights had a path through Conference USA, as the league’s champion received that bid. But Army never came close to bowl eligibility throughout its ill-fated Conference USA tenure.
Friends, it took a global pandemic for Army to get to the Liberty Bowl. The Tennessee Volunteers came down with COVID-19, and Army received a bid as a replacement to face West Virginia. However, despite receiving their long-awaited opportunity, Army could not get that coveted first win in Memphis. Three Tyhier Tyler rushing touchdowns helped Army build a 21-10 second-half lead, but the Black Knights could not hold it. West Virginia scored 14 unanswered points to take a 24-21 lead late. Army PK Quinn Maretzki then missed a 39-yard field goal with 1:50 left that would have sent the game into overtime. Army got the ball back with 1:22 remaining, but a West Virginia interception sealed the win for the Mountaineers.
Welcome to the newly renovated Liberty Bowl‼️ 📍 Memphis, Tennessee 🏟️ Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium 🏠 Memphis 🆚 East Carolina #GoTigersGo 🐅 https://t.co/2GyOxF5a3J
— College Football Campus Tour (@cfbcampustour) October 22, 2026
It’s Time For a Change
More than American Conference supremacy is at stake this weekend in Memphis. Army has the opportunity to end over 60 years of misery with a win. The good news is that the team has righted a lot of wrongs since its Conference USA days. That bodes well for ending the team’s historic troubles in the Home of the Blues.
Go Army! BEAT Memphis!!!
