In the early days — the 1950s, ’60s and early ’70s — Army and Navy were hesitant to face the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, citing concerns about the altitude.

Instead, games were played in cities like New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Navy didn’t travel to Colorado until 1966, followed by Army in 1967. Neither was in a hurry to return.

To bring the service academies together on a regular basis, former Air Force Academy Athletic Director George Simler proposed a solution: the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. Launched in 1972, the annual round-robin football competition among Air Force, Army and Navy determines which academy earns bragging rights — and, often, a visit to the White House to meet the president of the United States.

Air Force was a late bloomer, not winning the trophy outright until 1982. But the Falcons now lead all academies with 20 titles, followed by Navy with 15 and Army with eight. The trophy is jointly sponsored by the alumni associations of all three academies.

Go Air Force!