[Farm93]

[quote author=Farm93 link=topic=6525.msg48358#msg48358 date=1348592325]

Wow!  Navy is an easy win for Northern Indiana Parochial College every year, and they almost always play in South Bend.  So that annual contest's value is obvious even discounting the tradition. 

Navy is almost always an easy win for the Irish, but they play Navy every year for reasons that go beyond a W, or just 'tradition.'

The series is one of the oldest inter-sectional rivalries and  has endured for decades largely because of a promise made during World War II. ND’s enrollment was severely impacted by the war, to the point of threatening its continued viability. The Navy stepped in and made their campus a major training site, poured considerable resources into the school, and, some might argue, essentially saved it.  As a result, the Irish promised Navy there would always be a spot on their football schedule as long as Navy wanted it.

[/quote]

Yes, this was the tradition that I had in mind when I said tradition.  It seems like NBC spends 90 minutes before the Navy game going on and on  and on about this stuff.  Didn't really want to push through all of the Navy Notre Dame ties, but it seemed clear that if Notre Dame could have only one OOC game it would be Navy for any number of reasons. 

[Farm93]

[quote author=Farm93 link=topic=6525.msg48358#msg48358 date=1348592325]

Wow!  Navy is an easy win for Northern Indiana Parochial College every year, and they almost always play in South Bend.  So that annual contest's value is obvious even discounting the tradition. 

Navy is almost always an easy win for the Irish, but they play Navy every year for reasons that go beyond a W, or just 'tradition.'

The series is one of the oldest inter-sectional rivalries and  has endured for decades largely because of a promise made during World War II. ND’s enrollment was severely impacted by the war, to the point of threatening its continued viability. The Navy stepped in and made their campus a major training site, poured considerable resources into the school, and, some might argue, essentially saved it.  As a result, the Irish promised Navy there would always be a spot on their football schedule as long as Navy wanted it.

[/quote]

Yes, this was the tradition that I had in mind when I said tradition.  It seems like NBC spends 90 minutes before the Navy game going on and on  and on about this stuff.  Didn't really want to push through all of the Navy Notre Dame ties, but it seemed clear that if Notre Dame could have only one OOC game it would be Navy for any number of reasons.