1928–1929 eligibility dispute and 1930–31 charity games

In the late 1920s the Army–Navy series encountered disputes over player eligibility that disrupted the regular scheduling of the game. The disagreements centered on rules for collegiate eligibility and how the academies applied them to service-academy cadets and midshipmen, prompting cancellations of the traditional annual meeting in 1928 and 1929 [1][7]. To preserve competitive contact and to address public interest, the academies staged charity games at Yankee Stadium in New York in 1930 and 1931, contests framed as benefit exhibitions while the institutions worked through administrative and eligibility questions [1][7]. These charity-match decisions allowed both programs to maintain public engagement and fundraising roles for the game even as formal governance debates continued. Historical recaps treat the episode as evidence that the rivalry's continuity required institutional agreement on governance standards; the charity games were a practical compromise that sustained the matchup in a modified form until formal arrangements resumed [1][7].

The eligibility dispute and the resulting charity games expose how administrative and regulatory issues can interrupt even deeply rooted rivalries. This episode shows that legalistic and policy disagreements — not only on-field competition or fan behavior — have shaped the series' continuity. It also demonstrates the academies' willingness to adapt by using charity games to keep public interest alive while resolving governance questions [1][7].

After the charity games of 1930–31, the series returned to regular scheduling once the academies reached workable understandings on eligibility enforcement and administration. The episode reinforced the need for clear institutional rules and set precedents for how the academies manage disputes over player status in subsequent decades [1][7].