Navy Unveils Uniform Honoring the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Navy

ANNAPOLIS, Md.-- Navy Athletics and Under Armour unveiled the 2025 Army-Navy game uniform today that will honor the 250th Anniversary of the United States Navy on Dec. 13 at the 126th playing of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. Kickoff is set for 3 PM and the game will be televised nationally by CBS.

The goal of this year's uniform was to tell a compelling story that seamlessly combines the history of the U.S. Navy, the six frigates and the United States Naval Academy.

The color, fonts, branding and detailing were all historically inspired.

USS Constitution

Located in Boston, Mass., the USS Constitution is the only remaining frigate from the original six frigate fleet and is the world's oldest commissioned warship still afloat.

In the late 1850s, with the Naval Academy running out of space, the USS Constitution was converted into a floating classroom, housing and training area for midshipmen to practice sail handling and other practical naval skills. 

Its nickname, Old Ironsides, came from a battle during the War of 1812 when cannonballs appeared to bounce off the ship's thick wooden hull. The USS Constitution is undefeated in battle, never having to lower its flag.

The USS Constitution was heavily referenced for design details and inspiration for the uniform.
 

Color

Washed Navy: Derived from the original uniform instruction that was issued by the Naval Committee on Sept. 5, 1776. Represents the faded blue color of the coats worn by sailors.

Stone: Ties back to the color of the sails that propelled the USS Constitution throughout its history.

Nautical Navy: Symbolic of "Old Ironsides" hull color.

Heritage Red: Represents the color of the cannon carriages lining the side of the USS Constitution.

Copper
Copper Sheathing: The USS Constitution and the five other frigates of the original U.S. Navy were each copper-clad before launching. It was found that copper extended the life of the ships by preventing mollusks from destroying the wooden hulls. When coppered in the summer of 1797, Constitution's lower hull required 12,000 feet of sheet copper and thousands of copper nails.

USS Constitution Mast Coins: There is a long-standing tradition of placing coins under a mast as the mast is stepped in a vessel. The coins were thought to bring good luck to the vessel on all of its voyages. In recognition of the year of the Constitution's launch, both fore and main masts each have a 1797 large one-cent coin in among the other coins, and the mizzen mast has a 1798 one-cent coin in its step.

1920's Save "Old Ironsides" Campaign: In 1924, the USS Constitution was in dire need of repair, however the government did not have the funds to restore it. In November of that year, a fundraising campaign was assembled to help save the historic ship. A central component of the Save "Old Ironsides" efforts was a pennies campaign that asked students throughout the country to collect and donate pennies to fund the restoration efforts. Students at more than 800 schools across the United States participated in the campaign, raising around $154,000. The money raised by the penny campaign, the proceeds of sales of souvenirs and prints and additional funds authorized by Congress were all used to fund the extensive restoration of the Constitution that began in 1927.

Uniform

Jersey: The Navy wordmark and number font are inspired by the typography found throughout the "Act to Provide Naval Armament" document. This document authorized the construction of the original six frigates and marked a significant step in the development of the United States Navy and its transition towards becoming a maritime power.

Embedded into the sleeves and collar of the jersey are six total ropes, which represent the original six frigates and mimic the ornate detailing found throughout the USS Constitution's bow. Within these ropes, there are exactly 250 knots to honor the 250th Anniversary of the United States Navy.

Forged in metallic copper, the UA logo embodies the integral role copper played throughout the history of the six frigates and the Navy. From copper sheathing that protected their hulls, to mast coins that brought good luck on their voyages, to the penny campaign that helped save the USS Constitution, copper has been there from the very beginning.

Nautical Navy, the darker blue color found on the sleeves of the uniform, is symbolic of the "Old Ironsides" hull, where cannonballs bounced off during the War of 1812. The Heritage Red cuffs embody the color of the cannons lining the side of the USS Constitution.

Adorned on the upper back of the jersey, the eagle and six stars mimic the decoration of the USS Constitution's stern.

The American flag is incorporated onto the wearer's left sleeve to honor the USS Constitution's undefeated battle record, having never lowered its flag.

The wearer's right sleeve integrates a unique "USN" monogram that ties back to the shared history of the United States Naval Academy and the USS Constitution.

Embroidered on the interior back neck, "USN 250" honors the rich history of the United States Navy throughout its 250 years.

Pants: The stone pants are a subtle nod to the uniform color orientation worn by sailors during that time period.

There are 6 ropes, on each side of the pant, that represent the six frigates and a total of 126 knots to celebrate the 126th Army Navy game.

Helmet: The copper color represents the copper plated sheathing from the under hull of the boat.

The facemask and chin strap colors are dark navy to tie back to the USS Constitution's hull.

The left side of the helmet (if you are looking at the helmet straight on) USN is in monogram copper and outlined in dark navy, which is present in the rotunda of Bancroft Hall tying the Naval Academy back to the 250^th Anniversary of the Navy.

The right side of the helmet (if you are looking at the helmet straight on) is the USS Constitution hand painted on stone colored parchment paper which represents both the color of the sails of "Old Ironsides" and the map color which they navigated on parchment paper.

The center stripe dons a wooden plank similar to that on "Old Ironsides" in color and design with a nautical rope wrapping six times around the front and six times around the rear of the wood to represent the six original frigates of the Navy (The USS Chesapeake, the USS Congress, the USS Constellation, the USS Constitution, the USS President and the USS United States).  The 63 rope knots on the front of the helmet and the 63 rope knots on the rear signify the 126th Army-Navy game. The number 63 also represents the 63 wins Navy has over Army (Navy leads the all-time series 63-55-7)

The front bumper of the helmet spells out Navy in copper lettering in nautical navy.

The rear bumper spells out USN 250 in copper lettering with stars on the watch side in nautical navy.

The rear of the helmet has the player number in a font which is inspired by the depth numbers on the ship in nautical navy with white and copper outlines.