Attention, academy alums and football fans of all stripes: Your weekend schedules are about to get a bit busier.

Whether you’re dialed in for every contest or just want a bit of background before the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy games kick off this fall, MOAA can get you up to speed. Let’s start at the beginning:

Q. When does my team’s season begin?

A. The Black Knights of Army West Point will be first on the field, hosting Lehigh on Friday at 6 p.m. Eastern. The Navy Midshipmen begin their year Saturday in Annapolis, Md., against Bucknell (noon Eastern), while the Air Force Falcons host Merrimack on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Mountain time (3:30 p.m. Eastern). All three games will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

The following week, the Coast Guard Academy Bears open at home against the University of New England while the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy kicks off its slate with a homecoming game against Western Connecticut. Both games are Saturday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. Eastern.

Q. I’m more of a casual fan …

A. Right – let’s get the big dates on the calendar:

• Navy visits Air Force for a morning showdown Oct. 5 (10 a.m. Mountain, noon Eastern, CBS/Paramount+) to kick off the fight for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. Air Force will wear special uniforms to honor Air Force Special Operations Command.
  
  
• Army hosts Air Force on Nov. 2 at noon Eastern (CBS/Paramount+).
  
  
• The 44th Secretaries Cup kicks off at noon Eastern on Nov. 16 when the Coast Guard Academy visits the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The game will air on ESPN+.
  
  
• Navy and Army square off at Commanders Field in Landover, Md., on Dec. 14 (3 p.m. Eastern, CBS/Paramount+) for the 125th Army-Navy Game. The game heads to Baltimore in 2026 before moving back to its traditional home of Philadelphia in 2027.

[RELATED FROM 2018: Team Mule, or Team Goat? Know Your Army-Navy Mascots] 

Q. Can I watch all the Army, Navy, and Air Force games on CBS or CBS Sports Network?

A. No … die-hard fans will need access to a variety of cable/streaming services to catch up with all the action. ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Fox Sports platforms will air service academy contests at various points throughout the season, with some coverage not announced until a few weeks before kickoff. Your best bet: Bookmark the individual team schedule pages (Army | Navy | Air Force) to stay up to date.

Q. I can’t keep track of college football conferences. Did all the movement affect the service academies?

A. Navy and Air Force remained in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) and the Mountain West Conference (MWC), respectively. The MWC saw no change in its team lineup, while the AAC lost Southern Methodist University to the Atlantic Coast Conference and picked up another school of note: Army West Point.

This creates some odd carve-outs and interesting possibilities for the 2024 season: Army and Navy are in the same league, but the Army-Navy game will be a nonleague contest. And the AAC title game, set for the week before the Army-Navy clash, will feature the league’s top two teams, which could mean one team gets a shorter rest prior to the rivalry game … or we get Army-Navy contests in back-to-back weeks.

[RELATED: Late-Game Heroics Help Army Capt. Sammy Sullivan, Women’s Rugby Sevens Claim Olympic Bronze]

Q. What are some other big games on the 2024 slate?

A. Both Army and Navy will have neutral-site games against Notre Dame, with the Midshipmen taking on the Fighting Irish on Oct. 26 in East Rutherford, N.J. (noon Eastern, ESPN or ABC) and the Black Knights battling Notre Dame in Yankee Stadium on Nov. 23 (7 p.m. Eastern, NBC/Peacock). Navy will look for revenge after a 42-3 drubbing in Dublin, Ireland, last season (some MOAA members may remember it), while Army will look for its first win over the Fighting Irish since 1958 and its first over Notre Dame in the Bronx since 1945. (In fairness, that win was a big one.)

Air Force will host rival Colorado State on Oct. 19 (6 p.m. Mountain/8 p.m. Eastern) and Oregon State on Nov. 16 (1:30 p.m. Mountain/3:30 p.m. Eastern) in two of the Falcons’ marquee matchups. Both games will air on CBS Sports Network; after realignment, Oregon State represents 50% of the Pac-12 conference.

Q. What’s the outlook for my team in 2024?

A. Most experts predict Army and Navy will finish in the middle of the pack, or lower, in the AAC standings. Air Force fares a bit better in the MWC and will benefit from a weaker schedule.

Q. I need more: Depth charts, coach quotes, hype videos, ticket information … c’mon, it’s FOOTBALL SEASON.

A. Gotcha. Click the links below to get your gridiron fix:

• Army: Full media guide (PDF) | Official ticket site | Michie Stadium construction updates | Latest News | Black Knight Nation blog
• Navy: Full media guide (PDF) | Official ticket site | Latest News | Depth Chart | Anchors Aweigh Podcast
• Air Force: Full media guide (PDF) | Official ticket site | Latest News | Air Force+ (video/audio)