Navy has Agreed To Play In the 2013 Armed Forces Bowl

Navy, Armed Forces Bowl ink 2013 agreement

Life as a major-college football independent not named Notre Dame isn't
necessarily the easiest thing.

Television access isn't guaranteed. Bowl access isn't guaranteed. Scheduling
isn't guaranteed.

And that's why little items like today's announcement Navy has agreed to
play in the 2013 Armed Forces Bowl is a reminder of just how clever the
Mids' athletic administration really is.

Locking up bowl tie-ins years in advance is an excellent move for an
institution that is going to need the stars to align perfectly to even
ponder the thought of a BCS berth. And realistically, if you can't play for
a title, the most important thing is that you're playing somewhere.

Navy, which has entered recent seasons knowing it will go to Charlotte
(2006), San Diego (2007) or the District (2008) if it could collect six
wins, now has even greater certainty for the future.

The Mids are signed up with the Texas Bowl in Houston for this fall, and
then a return trip to San Diego's Poinsettia Bowl in 2010. They've also
agreed to play in the EagleBank Bowl in D.C. in 2011 and now the Fort Worth,
Texas-based Armed Forces Bowl in 2013.

It's probably only a matter of time before Navy finds a home for the 2012
postseason as well. And this is also a school that has a national television
deal for all of its home games with CBS College Sports, with its annual
games against Notre Dame and Army assured even greater exposure.

None of those bowl berths are guaranteed; Navy, after all, does have to go
win at least as many as it loses to maintain those tie-ins. And no one is
going to claim Fort Worth is a more desirable destination than, say, Phoenix
or Miami.

(Of course, San Diego might be the most desirable destination of the whole
bunch, but that's an argument for another day).

Nothing, however, is perfect. And Navy, ever aware of the significance of
sewing up future postseason opportunities, demonstrated again with the Armed
Forces Bowl agreement it knows how to make the most of imperfect situation
better than just about anyone.