Navy Drops Ping Pong Balls, Leaflets On Army Cadets Ahead Of Big Game

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Army cadets at West Point were showered with ping-pong balls and "Fly Navy" leaflets during formation Monday when the U.S. Naval Academy kicked off a tradition of good-spirited shenanigans between the two institutions ahead of this weekend's rivalry football game.

The Black Knights and the Midshipmen head to Philadelphia on Saturday, meeting for the 123rd time since their football rivalry began in 1890.

This year's game will be played at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. ET.

And just like in previous years, the showdown began days before the two teams took the field.

Just before noon on Monday, midshipmen from the class of 2023 "successfully conducted an air-to-ground spirit mission" over the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, the Naval Academy said in a release.

The mission: Operation Black Knight Falling. Three flight crews led by five midshipmen dropped ping-pong balls and "Beat Army" leaflets over The Apron at West Point, prompting Army cadets to break formation and run for cover.

"Five midshipmen led the three flight crews for the Piper PA-28 Cherokee Warriors, flying down the Hudson River Corridor to take a pass around Lady Liberty, then proceeding south to the better service Academy along the Severn River after completing Operation Black Knight Falling," the Naval Academy said in a release.

The operation could have been payback for last year when Army cadets stole two live Navy goat mascots in two different heists before the game.

Journalist Dave Philipps said the second nabbing was to avenge a mishap during the first attempt. Army cadets successfully swiped one Navy goat, but they accidentally grabbed a retired mascot with one horn named Bill 34.

The New York Times said cadets had stolen a Bill at least 12 times since 1953. Navy once fought back and took Army's mule mascots.

Other notable pranks include one in 1980 when two Navy midshipmen snuck into the Pentagon to drape a large "Go Navy, Beat Army" sign from the top of the building. In 2004, a West Point graduate and former intelligence officer who worked in marketing in Ohio released a fake press release from Annapolis announcing the Maryland capital's first annual "Go Army Beat Navy" day.