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By Amanda Greenwood
Associate News Editor
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Nike revealed on Sunday a new football uniform for the Army Black Knights ahead of one of the biggest games on the college football calendar, with fans able to buy merchandise that’s been inspired by the new design.
The “Ivy Soldier” uniforms will be worn by Army West Point Football when it faces the Navy in the 127th Army-Navy Game on December 12 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Why Has Nike Created the New Uniform?
The uniforms honor the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division, known as the “Ivy Division,” which has served the country for more than a century.
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The division was first formed at Camp Greene, North Carolina, in November 1917 and later deployed to France during World War I. It went on to serve at Utah Beach on D-Day, as well as in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
According to Nike, the “Ivy” name stems from the division's Roman numeral designation, IV. The new uniform incorporates ivy imagery and the division's emblem to reflect that identity.
The uniform is mainly camouflage green, with its color and pattern designed to evoke the “dense, ivy-covered foliage of Central and Eastern Europe.” The division's emblem sits on the jersey's left shoulder patch and on the front of the helmet, while ivy also appears on the gloves and the Nike Vapor cleats, which the players will wear during the game.
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The helmet features the Roman numeral “IV,” which is surrounded by four ivy leaves and the 4th Infantry Division's “Steadfast and Loyal” motto on the visor wings. A 9/11 imprint on the back of the helmet recognizes the Ivy Soldiers' service and sacrifice in the 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The lettering and numbers, meanwhile, draw inspiration from military memorials including the Utah Beach monument. Even the footballs the Army will use feature 4th Infantry Division imagery.
“It’s important to honor and to showcase the service academies because, yes, they’re playing a game, but they’re really there to serve their country,” Nike designer Jason Cochran said in a statement. “They’re out there protecting their country and playing the game that they love.”
Army team captain and starting safety Stephen Nnadozie said the uniforms carry a deeper significance.
“What goes through my mind is there’s a meaning behind that jersey,” he said. “People have died behind these units that these jerseys are representing, and to be able to go out there and represent that unit on the field, it means a lot. And you don’t take that for granted.”
Newsweek has contacted Army West Point and Nike for comment.
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How Can You Buy Merchandise?
Fans can buy a replica jersey and other clothing featuring the new design.
Nike said that the Army Men's College Untouchable Game Jersey, alongside specially produced T-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets for the 127th Army-Navy Game, is available through Nike.com and selected retailers.
Officially licensed Nike “Ivy Soldier” merchandise is also listed by the Army West Point Athletics store. Its Rivalry Collection half-zip sweatshirt is listed at $89.99, while an Ivy Soldier fleece hoodie is on sale for around $94.99. Both pre-orders have an estimated arrival date of November 20.
The uniform continues a tradition now in its 11th consecutive season. Since 2016, Army Football, the United States Military Academy's Department of History and War Studies, and Nike have worked together to create a special Army-Navy uniform celebrating U.S. Army history, units and missions.
Army head coach Jeff Monken said the tradition had become “a tremendous source of pride for us to wear a different unit’s uniform and honor the history of those units over the course of the last 10 years.”
Newsweek*’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.* Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Ben Kelly and Anthony Murray.
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