Army-Navy game at Gillette Stadium expected to boost Southern New England tourism
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The 124th Army-Navy game is coming to New England for the first time this year.
The historic football game will take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough in December of 2023.
The aim to bring the national-level game to New England has been in the works for 12 years with Gillette Stadium making a formal bid three times.
There will be 2000 Navy Midshipmen sleeping at the Rhode Island Convention Center the night before the game.
The executive director for Gillette Stadium says a few things have changed to make this happen.
"Our efforts with both academies and our knowledge of the event but also our knowledge of the people involved with the event, the alumni from both academies," said Executive Director Phil Buttafuoco. "We've really built those relationships and understanding their needs and what they want out of the game but also as the senator and congressman mentioned, the overnight for the midshipmen was extremely important."
This historical game isn't just a chance to watch an amazing game of football-- it's also a chance to boost our local economy.
The Rhode Island Convention Center's hosting of the Navy Midshipmen is expected to bring thousands of people and fans to the capital city in December -- one of the slowest times of the year for the city's hotels.
"It puts Providence and Rhode Island on an international stage. People come from all over the world, there's people from all over the world so really I think that's going to be the hardest thing is trying to calculate the number of benefits that we'll receive from this," said Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Kristen Adam.
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), an army veteran, and former U.S. Rep. Ronald Machtley, a navy veteran, said they're both ready to cheer on their teams.
"Ron and I have both rooted for our teams and for many years and we've both been at army and navy games as plebes, as firsties and as distinguished alumni so we have a little bit of perception about it," Reed said at a press conference on Monday.
Overall, excitement is in the air.
The game will take place on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.