News & Events

Attention to announcements, ’96! Ticket sales for the reunion weekend game vs. USAFA have gone live on the NAAA website. If you would like to reserve seats for the game within a special Class of 1996 block, either for an actual seat (end zone) or standing room only (the hill), you may do so here. The promo code you need for ordering is 1996. Please note, these block ticket sales will close on 11 May for reserved (end zone) seats and on 01 July for SRO (hill).

Full reunion schedule and details on the reunion page, as well as Nagel’s most recent class email blast. As a final reminder, our 25th reunion tailgater is outside the stadium in the vicinity of the water tower. Therefore, you only need a game ticket if you want to be inside the stadium for any portion of the game. We plan to have TVs set up inside the tailgating tent at the reunion in order to support maximum socializing for those who are happy to stay outside the gates. Party on!

BEAT CHAIR FORCE – TIME TO MAKE THAT FALCON SOUP!

Email sent via Classmail 12/24/2020

Classmates,

Due to the recently updated football schedule, the USAF game has moved from to Sep 11, 2021 to align with the 20-year Remembrance of the 9/11 attacks. At the moment, there is no scheduled game at USNA 3 Oct (a location and opponent are TBD).

We have considered several options and decided to move our 25-Year reunion to align with the USAF game 10-12 Sep 2021.

We all remember the heat from the 20th reunion and attempted to avoid the same risk this time. Our Friday venue will be much larger to accommodate the crowd and will investigate options to cool people down at the tailgate.

The attached Schedule of Events goes into more detail on the weekend. Standby for event registration to go live around Memorial Day. Based on feedback from last reunion, we will be doing á la carte registration fees.

Here is the link that will take you to our Westin room block.

** I will also remind everyone that given our current status, making any non-refundable deposits or bookings is done so at your own risk. While I hope we are back to normal by the fall, anything is possible.

Our reunion committee (led by Thomas Leahy) has scrambled this week and done a great job at rebooking and coordinating the switch. Thank you all very much.

GO NAVY! BEAT ARMY!

Nagel

(301)904-1526

nagel.sullivan@mac.com

By now you’ve probably seen/read/heard about the announcement by the AD, but in case you have not, here’s the roll up. For the first home game (vs. BYU, Monday 07 Sep @ 8pm EDT), no fans will be admitted to the stadium areas. These areas include: (1) outdoor general seating; (2) Akerson Tower and hospitality areas; and (3) tailgating surrounding the stadium. As a reminder, this game is to be broadcast in prime time on ESPN.

According to the AD’s latest message, fan attendance is being considered – especially those season ticket holders. More to follow as these decisions come to light.

Changes to the football schedule were announced on 6 Aug – most notably, there will be no battle with Notre Dame until 2021. Initially moved from 29 Aug in Dublin to Labor Day Weekend in Annapolis due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions, the game has been again impacted by a recent conference realignment. Notre Dame, which has given up its independent status and joined the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), now faces restrictions in playing non-conference opponents. The series will resume in 2021.

Added to the Navy schedule is a new home game against BYU, which will be played at 8 pm on Labor Day (Monday, 7 Sep) and broadcast live on ESPN in primetime. This game displaces the 12 Sep contest against Lafayette, which has been removed from the schedule. There are currently still five home games. No word yet on attendance or tailgating allowances, either for the nighttime home opener or for the entire season. Read the press release here.

The Naval Academy Athletic Association announced yesterday that the Navy-Notre Dame game – schedule to be played in Dublin, Ireland – would be moved to Annapolis due to travel restrictions and other uncertainties related to COVID-19. This makes the game a rather historic event, as it has never been played in Annapolis before. Event details are still forthcoming, but multiple media sources report that the game will most likely be played over Labor Day weekend. See the Capital Gazette article, Navy Sports press release, or ESPN online for the stories. Stay tuned for confirmed dates and information regarding tailgating! GO NAVY!

Maybe it’s all the Tweets (and other social media posts) about Malcom Perry being drafted by Miami, and maybe it’s also being cooped up in my apartment missing all my peeps, but I’m ready for August – and some Navy football! So far, the season opener (Navy v. Notre Dame in Dublin) as well as the entire season are scheduled to occur as planned. In the spirit of optimism – and having something to look forward to – here are some football-related notes and reminders. Can’t wait to tailgate with many of you under the class tent this fall! Don’t forget Nagel is still collecting command coins for our bar top, so please reach out to him if you have one of yours to contribute. And bonus points to whoever comes up with a class tailgater facemask with a straw hole (or some other mechanism to drink through) – Brian Reardon, I’m looking at you!

• SEASON TICKETS – – – Get ready for game day and get those home game tickets here!
• PARKING – – – Don’t forget, if you purchase a parking pass and you’d like to secure a parking space next to our tent, please let Nagel know!
• DONATIONS – – – The tailgate is self-funded, and operating costs are much higher than they used to be. Contact Nikki Battaglia if you’d like to make a donation toward the cause. You can use paypal to usna1996tailgater@gmail.com, Zelle to Nikki at (904)535-5810, or contact Nikki for other mechanisms. Your support is appreciated by many!
• SWAG – – – The Midstore might be closed, but some of you have  likely seen the Go Navy sweat tees that a few of our classmates have ordered and posted about on Facebook. It’s not just another t-shirt… it’s a sweat-activated one! There’s a static N* on the front, but “Go Navy” shows up as you sweat. The more you sweat, the more you see – including a resounding BEAT ARMY on the back. They’re grey shirts that come in a men’s version, a women’s version, and a women’s tank. Order them here!

Related articles – – –

4/25/20 – Malcom Perry Highlight Reel from the 2019 season (navysports.com via YouTube)

4/25/20 – ‘Malcom Perry, the quarterback at Army’: ESPN host Trey Wingo gaffe draws strong reactions from Navy fans (Capital Gazette)

4/25/20 – Navy football standout Malcom Perry selected by Miami Dolphins in 7th round of NFL Draft (Capital Gazette)

4/25/20 – Malcom Perry Drafted in the Seventh Round by the Miami Dolphins (navysports.com)

4/23/20 – Malcom Perry and Keenan Reynolds to appear on WMAR-TV Draft Show (navysports.com)

4/22/20 – Ireland’s ban on large gatherings does not impact Navy-Notre Dame football game, Navy AD says (Capital Gazette)

Email sent via Classmail 4/24/20

Greeting ’96 Classmates.

I’m writing today to summarize today’s Council of Class Presidents (COCP) meeting.  It was held on-line for the first time ever.  And if you can imagine what it might like to have ~80 people on a VTC with Presidents 70-80-90 years old…it was probably worse.  But also pretty comical at the same time.  We had briefs from various people to include the Commandant of Midshipman.

USNA STATUS DURING COVID

• USNA opted to allow Midn to reside elsewhere.  That was in some part due to the 2 x suicides of Firsties at USAF Academy.  They were in some part attributed to their very strict isolation policies (they have since been relaxed).
• Most events are postponed or cancelled.  Meetings, Commissioning Week, Dedications, Ceremonies, All Academy Challenge, etc…
• They have NOT determined how I-Day or plebe summer will be run yet.  They are evaluating numerous options.
• Midn are continuing their education via on-line methods.  They are also doing virtual clubs and physical fitness challenges.
• They gave restrictees the option to stay at USNA to work off their time or postpone their time and stay somewhere else.  There are about 40-50 Midn currently in Bancroft Hall.  A handful of Midn have been ordered to return to USNA due to liberty incidents.  The group in Bancroft is basically the work detail to keep basic functions and maintenance going.
• They have stepped up rodent / pest control while Bancroft and King Hall are virtually empty.
• Many have asked why USNA is doing things differently than USMA and USAF Academies for graduation.  The Dant said “each Academy has their own set of facts, assumptions, and variables” and therefore they may or may not follow suit with other Service Academies.
• They have NOT decided exactly how the virtual graduation will be held on 22 May.  They are capturing lessons learned from USAF graduation.
• For now, the Navy / ND game is still on for Ireland but they are evaluating options.
• They are still trying to figure out next year’s plebe appointments with potential candidates that have not taken the ACT / SAT.
• The Class of 2020
  • Of course everyone wants to “help” the Class of 2020 with their graduation.  Based on USAFA graduation, they ask that classes not get out in front of USNA activities.  Apparently, there was a lot of confusion and stepping on each other. As a class we do not have anything planned.
  • They are also asking for any digital media (videos, pictures, memes, etc…).  If you want to tag any, use #usna2020.
  • Ultimately, the message from the Dant regarding graduation was to the effect of “it sucks but we are in the war fighting business and we are going to miss a lot of things in our career.  Get used to it.”
  • Orders to their first duty stations start getting cut next week.

NEW ALUMNI CENTER

The Mail Center and HAZMIN building / move has begun.  This is a predecessor to the new Center construction.

• ~$22M building.  ECD July 2022.
• Will have 2 event decks and can host a 240-person event.

They are still negotiating with Annapolis in parking and gate entryways.

SERVICE ACADEMY CAREER CONFERENCE (SACC)

They just hosted the first of the series online (Jacksonville) and was a success.

• Washington DC SACC is still planned June 11-12
• San Diego SACC is planned August 20-21
• Dallas SACC is planned October 29-30

CHAPEL DOME

Most of the copper from the dome has been removed.  They have started making items for sale through a contracted company. (See https://usnachapeldome.com/)  They will continue making items until the copper is gone.  We could do a group-buy of custom ’96 copper challenge coins with a price point $120-125 per coin.  If anyone thinks they can get a group buy together and would like to run that, let me know.

NEW ALUMNI-OWNED BUSINESS PAGE

If you would like to register your alumni-owned business with the Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation, you can go to their new page located here https://www.usna.com/alumni-businesses. They are making an effort to help others find and connect to alumni-owned businesses.

25 YEAR REUNION

Don’t forgot to mark your calendars for our 25 Year Reunion 01-03 Oct 2021.  Expect everything to go “live” (Westin room blocks, registration, etc…) ~ Feb 2021.

CLASS GIFT

Although times might be tough right now, don’t forget that you can still donate to the Class Gift.  If you are on a monthly auto-donation, you can always increase your value just a little…maybe an extra $5/month.

FOOTBALL SEASON

As of now, it is still planned. Let me know if you have season tickets and want your parking spot at our tailgate.

• If you’d like to help out with the operating costs, feel free to contact Nikki Battaglia.  You can send her donations via Zelle (use her phone number (904) 535-5810).  We also accept paypal at usna1996tailgater@gmail.  Contact her for other methods of payment.
• As a reminder, the tailgate is a completely separate account and self-funded through donations and we use no class funds to pay for anything.

 

With that, I’m signing off. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns and I’ll do my best to find an answer.

Nagel Sullivan

301-904-1526

Hey classmates! T-5 days until the first Navy home game. Hope to see you all there. To get things rolling this year we’re asking for donations to keep the tailgater up and running. We will have the kitty at the game, but if you don’t want to carry that pesky thing called cash please feel free to PayPal the ‘96 account (usna1996tailgater@gmail.com). Or if you’re hip and with it Zelle the money to me (904-535-5810) and I recommend $96!!! Can’t wait to see everyone! Beat Army!!! –Nikki Battaglia

Get ready for the 2019 Navy football season! Single game tickets, season tickets, and Army-Navy tickets are all on sale through NAAA, which means tailgating season is finally something more than a blip on our radar. Remember, if you order a parking pass one of the options is to park alongside the tailgating tent – just be sure to to include our location (Spot 12) when you order your pass. GO NAVY, BEAT ARMY!

SIR, YOU NOW HAVE 5 DAYS UNTIL NAVY BEATS ARMY IN FOOTBALL, SIR!!! In lieu of an outdoor tailgater, we are having our annual class gathering for brunch the morning of the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia. If you’re in town for the game, come join your classmates for a no-host social (i.e., everyone covers themselves) at Tir Na Nog, which is centrally located to many hotels and public transportation near City Hall (see map).

For numerous reasons, hosting a tailgate in Philly is just too difficult and we like to meet up somewhere warm. Everyone can order what they want (see menu), it is kid friendly, and you can come and go as you please. Tir Na Nog is located on Arch Street in Center City, right adjacent to both the SEPTA and the subway lines, so we are just a short walk from the express train to the game. It isn’t required, but if you RSVP to Nagel Sullivan with how many will be your group, he can refine the size of our reservation.

BEAT ARMY!!!

• USNA Website
• NavySports.com

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Class of 1996