1926 Soldier Field dedication game (21–21 tie)

On November 27, 1926, the Army–Navy Game served as the dedication event for Soldier Field in Chicago, attracting an estimated crowd of about 100,000 to 110,000 spectators according to contemporary and historical accounts [8][2]. The game concluded in a 21–21 tie, a result that newspapers and later historical retrospectives called a dramatic finish for such a major civic occasion [8][1]. Choosing Army–Navy for Soldier Field's dedication reflected the game's national prominence in the 1920s and the intersection between civic celebration and military pageantry. The match featured processions and formalities typical of the era's high-profile games; the huge attendance illustrated the public appetite for service-academy football and confirmed the rivalry's place among major national sporting events [8][2]. The tie score (21–21) left both academies without a decisive victor in front of the massive audience, and contemporary reporting emphasized the game's spectacle as much as the on-field result [8][2].

The Soldier Field dedication amplified Army–Navy's national visibility by linking the rivalry to a major municipal landmark and a crowd estimated at over 100,000. The game's selection for Soldier Field's opening speaks to the cultural cachet the contest held beyond academy circles and underscores how the rivalry operated as both sport and ceremony in the interwar United States [8][2]. The 21–21 tie became part of the rivalry's lore, remembered for being played on a stage built for civic pride and national attention.

After the 1926 tie, the Army–Navy Game continued to be scheduled at major neutral sites for decades, with national audiences and presidential attendance increasingly common at successive contests [1][2]. Soldier Field's dedication highlighted the value of moving the game to large neutral venues to accommodate spectatorship and ceremonial functions, a pattern that persisted as the series evolved into a recurring national event [8][1].