ESPN announced that Patriots coach Bill Belichick will serve as the guest picker for College GameDay in Foxborough ahead of Army vs. Navy on Saturday. The Patriots play the Steelers on Thursday night, meaning Belichick will have off this weekend instead of preparing for a game.
Belichick has a personal connection with the timeless rivalry game, as he grew up in Annapolis and his father both served in the Navy during World War II and coached at Navy for 30 years. The New England coach has always appreciated players who played at either school, and he addressed the importance of the game last year when Foxborough was awarded the game.
“It’s a classic. There’s no other game like that,” Belichick said, via Patriots.com. “Watching it on tv is great but being there in person is really special.”
.@Patriots legendary head coach Bill Belichick will be our guest picker this Saturday 👏 #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/VPY61NbrPm
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) December 7, 2023
Army and Navy first played each other in 1890, and they have continued the tradition almost every season thereafter. While the game has primarily been played in Philadelphia, they have started to branch out to other cities more in recent years including Baltimore and East Rutherford.
This year will be the first time that Massachusetts hosts the game, with kickoff coming at 3 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium. It is fitting that Belichick, the greatest coach in Patriots history and longtime Navy fan, will be the guest picker.
