The decision to play the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series this season with Air Force playing only two games drew the ire of Navy football coach Ken Niumatalolo. Now Niumatalolo is apologizing a day later after ripping officials at the Pentagon for the decision.
Monday, Air Force announced they will host Navy on Oct. 3 and play at Army on Nov. 7 despite its home conference, the Mountain West, postponing its football season this year amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The two Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy games will be the only games Air Force will play this season. Navy is playing a full 11-game schedule and Army 12 games this year.
On Monday, Niumatalolo didn’t hold back how unfair he thought including Air Force is to his program and Army.
“Where else in the country would you play for something of value and everybody’s schedules are not the same?” Niumatalolo told reporters Monday. “This is the No. 1 thing we fight for every year — the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. We’re playing a full schedule. You got Air Force playing just two games? I don’t think those people care.
“… This is above us. This is guys at the Pentagon making decisions. I have no idea where they’re getting their data from. They didn’t get it from me, so they’re not getting any football data. Like I said, nobody asked me.”
On Tuesday, the Navy football coach admitted he was “frustrated” and acknowledged the Pentagon had nothing to do with the decision.
“I should not have said some of the stuff I said and I’m sorry I did,” Niumatalolo told The Capital Gazette. “The Pentagon has nothing to do with this and it was wrong of me to suggest that was the case. I was just frustrated and let my emotions get the best of me.”
Navy is the current holder of the trophy after defeating both Air Force and Army last season. The Midshipmen are slated to play Army on Dec. 12 in Philadelphia for the final leg of this year’s series.
Army is 2-0 this season. Navy is 0-1 after losing its season opener to BYU 55-3.
