JEFF MONKEN

The American Athletic Conference has been in contact with Army as it looks for a replacement for Atlantic Coast Conference-bound SMU, according to two people with direct knowledge of the discussions.

Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo is out after 15 seasons at the helm.

Cole Talley kicked a 41-yard field goal as time ran out and Army rallied to beat Missouri 24-22 in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Bowl-bound Army and Navy will meet for the 122nd time Saturday in the renewal of one of college football's biggest rivalries.

The annual Army-Navy game is returning to the Meadowlands on Dec. 11 for the first time since 2002.

When that bowl game was called off because there was not another team available, it suddenly left Army looking for a postseason opponent. A spot in the Liberty Bowl became available Monday when Tennessee became the first team to back out since bowl berths were announced. The change to its Liberty Bowl opponent was no problem for West Virginia (5-4). “Our team deserves to be in a bowl and so does the 9-2 Army squad,” West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons said. Frankly, I think we were stunned to find out the opportunity would be in a bowl like the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

When that bowl game was called off because there was not another team available, it suddenly left Army looking for a postseason opponent. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)At a time when team after team had opted out of bowl games, Army found itself in a different sort of situation — left out. “It was a difficult day for all of college football,” said Nick Carparelli, the executive director of Bowl Season, the renamed Football Bowl Association. For the Hokies, the decision ended a 27 straight bowl game run. Some of the canceled bowl games — 15 in all, including three on Sunday alone — included the Bahamas Bowl, Celebration Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, LA Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, Quick Lane Bowl, Redbox Bowl and Sun Bowl.

“There’s a chill that goes through you unlike any other game," Niumatalolo said. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time in 77 years the game will be played at West Point’s venerable Michie Stadium. Navy (3-6) leads Army (7-2) 61-52-7 in the series, which started in 1890 when West Point cadet Dennis Michie accepted a challenge from Navy to play a football game. “There's so much history in both of these schools, so we're playing for so much more than just football," Army senior offensive lineman J.B. Hunter said. We're just going to hope that what we do is going to work.”Navy is unbeaten in three games at West Point and won the previous encounter 13-0 in 1943, when the great Glenn Davis was a plebe at West Point.