Navy Goat Uniform FW18

10.10.2018

A REVERED TRIBUTE: BILL THE GOAT

In honor of the 125th anniversary of Bill the Goat, Under Armour and Navy create mascot-inspired uniform for the highly anticipated Army-Navy game

The Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen have a deep-rooted rivalry that goes back more than 100 years. Each year, this epic college football competition comes to a head in a match-up that draws in college fans from across the country. For the 2018 Army-Navy Game presented by USAA, the Naval Academy will take on Army West Point in a uniform that honors the rivalry and draws on an emblem of the school’s pride – Bill the Goat.

The Navy Goat mascot came to be in 1893 when officers from the USS New York, a United States Naval transport ship, gifted a goat named El Cid to the Naval Academy. The Naval Academy appointed El Cid the honorary mascot for that year’s Army-Navy game, the fourth ever, in which Navy beat Army in a momentous victory. To commemorate the win, the goat was appointed team mascot and became a valued symbol of the Navy football program.

Sixty years later, one of of El Cid’s successors made headlines after a group of cadets from West Point kidnapped it ahead of the 1953 Army-Navy game. The media storm that ensued prompted then President Dwight D. Eisenhower to order that the goat, by then renamed “Bill,” be returned back to the Midshipmen. Since this historic kidnapping, Navy has protected their goat diligently and with great pride, keeping close watch for weeks leading up to the game against Army each year.

One hundred and twenty-five years after El Cid's arrival in Annapolis, the Navy Goat uniform tells the mascot and academy story through an assortment of distinct design details. Read on for a full play-by-play on this special uniform:

“The Naval Academy has such a rich history, we knew we needed to make a uniform that could uniquely tell their story and convey their exuberant spirit. The Navy Goat is the perfect symbol in which to understand the school’s longstanding excellence and traditions. We wanted the powerful narrative around the goat to shine through as a way to build enthusiasm from both the players and the fans.”

- Nick Billiris, Senior Design Director of Team Sports at Under Armour

The sleeves of the jersey are navy blue in color and feature two stripes on the outside with the Navy logo in the center. This color-blocking look was inspired directly from the trim of the blanket popularly worn by Bill the Goat. Bill the Goat is depicted on the sides of the helmet, charging forward and wrapped in its blanket.

To match the jersey, the pants were designed in the same shade of navy blue with a stripe down the panel featuring six breaks. This same design is echoed on the helmet, since the United States Navy was founded by Congress with six frigates.

The one consistent element that this uniform shares with Navy’s current standard uniforms is the Eagle, Globe and Anchor, the official emblem and insignia of the United States Marine Corps, which is seen on the pant hip. — To match the jersey, the pants were designed in the same shade of navy blue with a stripe down the panel featuring six breaks. This same design is echoed on the helmet, since the United States Navy was founded by Congress with six frigates. The one consistent element that this uniform shares with Navy’s current standard uniforms is the Eagle, Globe and Anchor, the official emblem and insignia of the United States Marine Corps, which is seen on the pant hip.

Bill the Goat also decorates the midshipmen's gloves and cleats.

A motto of the United States Navy, "Don't Give Up The Ship," is stitched onto to the lower front side of the jersey.

UA and Navy are offering fans the chance to gear up for the game in replica jerseys and other fan gear, available for purchase at UA.com and Navy bookstores. The Army-Navy game will be played at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia and will be televised on CBS.