Coast Guard athletics photo

Fenway Park Events announced today that Fenway Park will host the 2025 Secretaries' Cup, a longstanding annual football matchup featuring the United States Coast Guard Academy and the United States Merchant Marine Academy on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. The matchup is a cherished college athletic tradition featuring the only two federal service academies that compete in NCAA Division III sports. The game will kick off at 12 p.m. ET and be broadcast live on ESPN+.

"The U.S. Coast Guard is excited to bring the Secretaries' Cup rivalry to a whole new level by hosting the game at historic Fenway Park in 2025," said Dan Rose, Director of Athletics, U.S. Coast Guard Academy. "We are looking forward to seeing the entire Coast Guard community in blue and orange in Boston next fall to support our service's team at this iconic venue."

The rivalry joins other Division III football matchups which have been played in MLB stadiums in recent years, including some of the most-attended football games in Division III history. That includes St. John's and St. Thomas at Target Field in Minneapolis in 2017 and Cortland and Ithaca playing the Cortaca Jug game in Yankee Stadium in New York in 2022. Cortland and Ithaca drew 40,232 fans to the 2022 game in the Bronx, while the Johnnies and Tommies brought 37,355 to the home of the Minnesota Twins. Cortland and Ithaca hold the single-game attendance mark for a D-III game, with a 45,161 announced crowd at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 2019.

"We are honored to be part of the Secretaries' Cup at Fenway Park, a venue that epitomizes history, tradition, and excellence," said Kristofer Schnatz, Director of Athletics at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. "This matchup is more than a football game — it's a celebration of service, camaraderie, and the unwavering commitment of our Midshipmen and Cadets. We can't wait to see the USMMA community in full force in Boston, cheering on the Mariners at this iconic landmark."

"We are thrilled to bring the Secretaries' Cup to Fenway Park," said Brett Miller, Director of Business Development, Fenway Park Events. "This game is rooted in tradition and serves as a powerful showcase of service, camaraderie, and competition. We look forward to hosting the athletes, their families, and fans at Fenway Park for what will be a truly unforgettable experience."

Next year's duel in Beantown will be the 53rd meeting between the two service academies in a rivalry dating to 1949. The Mariners own a 36-16 advantage in the series, including a 29-14 record since first playing for the then-"Secretary's Cup" back in 1981.

Since its inception in 1981, the Secretaries' Cup has symbolized the dedication, sportsmanship, and commitment to teamwork and service of student-athletes from both academies. The matchup marks the final game of the regular season for NCAA Division III football. In 2017, USMMA joined the NEWMAC as a charter member for football, making it a conference game.