Historic Game Balls to be used in Army Navy Game Dec. 9
DALLAS, TX — November 28, 2017 — Big Game USA, premier Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) official game football manufacturer, and the United States Naval Academy have teamed up to make history with the first-ever “Blue Angels” special edition football the Midshipmen will use against the United States Military Academy on Saturday, Dec. 9.
Former U.S. Naval Academy quarterback (1961-63), Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer, Roger Staubach, personally tested and approved each football at the Big Game USA football factory before the footballs were sent to the team in Annapolis, Maryland. To signify his approval, Staubach personally marked the team’s game footballs with a blue “12” matching his jersey number when he played for Navy.
“Having Roger Staubach visit our facility and sling the Blue Angels game balls around was such an honor,” said Chris Calandro, CEO and founder of Big Game USA. “Seeing the Blue Angels footballs fly around on December 9th will be a huge rush for me. I’ve been so excited about this design I’ve had a tough time keeping it a secret.”
Subject: Army/Navy Game to be Played with Special Edition Blue Angels Football
The “Blue Angels” football was specifically designed for Navy’s 2017 rivalry game with Army, which represents the final game of the college football regular season.
This year’s Navy football possesses a pair unprecedented features: two-colored laces for the first time in college football history, and a game logo displaying the Blue Angels’ McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet flying just above the words “Blue Angels.” Both distinct characteristics are showcased in Blue Angel blue and insignia yellow.
Colored laces are relatively new to college football, as Navy was the first team to play with a football equipped with colored laces in last year’s game against Army. Many teams have since followed suit in 2017, but with two-colored laces on this “Blue Angels” football for the first time, Big Game USA continues to remain at the forefront of innovative football design and performance.
“I don’t know how they do it, but every year we ask Big Game to create a football that looks cooler than the year before,” said Greg Morgenthaler, Associate Athletic Director for Navy Football. “And somehow they always outdo themselves. They nailed it again this year. They always nail it.”
The Blue Angels are the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron that performs aerial displays for spectators at various events across the United States. The aerobatic unit was formed in 1946 and has executed air shows for more than 260 million people around the country.
Navy and Big Game USA began their partnership in 2014, when Navy became the first FBS team to play with a Big Game-branded football as its primary ball. The Midshipmen have since played with various special edition game balls also designed by Big Game USA.
Navy and Army will play for the 118th time in the prolific rivalry when the two meet in Philadelphia on Saturday, Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. Navy owns a 60-50-7 record in the series.
About Big Game USA
Big Game USA is the world’s largest American-owned football factory and handcrafts more Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) collegiate game footballs than any other company. Big Game USA is also taking high school football by storm by crafting custom game footballs under the Team Issue brand. All game footballs are handcrafted in Big Game’s state-of-the-art factory in Dallas, TX. Get your game ball at www.biggameusa.com.
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