NIL is running hotter and heavier than ever – but there are two teams that can’t take part.

Of course, these schools are Army and Navy schools – as USAA CEO Wayne Peacock puts it, it’s a “one-way portal” to the academies.

We just saw Bryce Underwood trade his commitment from LSU to Michigan for a seven-figure sum – even the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft in AJ Dybantsa committed to BYU after reportedly receiving an offer worth of $5 million in zero funds.

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A general view of the Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen helmets prior to the 122nd Army/Navy college football game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen on December 11, 2021 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Obviously the players in the academies can’t go that route if they go into either the Army or Navy. But with the 125th edition of the Army-Navy Game set to begin Saturday afternoon just outside the state capital, Peacock says that makes the annual event extra special.

“The way I think about it, especially in the age of the portal and the NIL, is college football in its purest form. When these guys are on the field, they compete like they’re in a fight, and they compete against each other like they’re in a fight.

FILE – The Navy Midshipmen and Army Black Knights line up for a snap at the line of scrimmage during the first quarter of an NCAA football game at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson, File)

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“But what’s special about it is that they will come together after the game, march down each other’s ends of the stadium, sing each other’s alma mater and put on each other’s uniforms.” The United States will defend our country, defend our freedom, and For me, that’s what’s so spectacular about these people and this game.

“There is only one-way access to the Army and Navy,” Peacock added. “But what they find are these student-athletes who want to play, but also want to do something more than just play, and that’s what makes it so special to me. But their ability to put competitive teams on the field in this environment also speaks to something we don’t talk about much. And that is the power of teamwork and culture.

USAA announced Friday that it will remain the game’s sole presenting sponsor through the 2030 edition, a title it has held since 2009.

Army is ranked 22nd nationally with a record of 11-1 – while Navy is on the outside looking in and is 8-3.

A general view of the Army/Navy logo at midfield before the 122nd Army/Navy college football game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen on December 11, 2021 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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The Black Knights have won six of the last eight meetings after the Midshipmen won 16 of the previous 17 meetings.

Navy leads the all-time series 62-55-7.

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