The inter-service rivalry game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen is a tradition etched in CFB lore. It’s a convergence of two things that emit the most passion around the country- football and patriotism. Naturally, fans look forward to the matchup. Imagine if you’ve grown up wishing to one day witness this game in person and wind up with unequivocally the best view in the stadium.

That is what has happened to referee Kevin Randall, tasked with adjudicating the 125th iteration of the Army-Navy game. Randall has vocally expressed his excitement about becoming an important wrinkle in this story. “Being assigned to the Army-Navy game is an honor. It’s the honor of a lifetime to participate in such a storied tradition.”, he said.

The Starkville, Mississippi native was pleasantly shocked at receiving this assignment. “I honestly kind of teared up,” he said. “I always thought that one of these days, I’m going to go [to this game]. [But] I didn’t know that when I got to go, I was going to officiate it”. Kevin Randall began officiating in the Mississippi area in 2006. He got his shot in CFB in 2015. This moment has been built up for the better part of 2 decades.

Like all referees, Kevin Randall had to traverse through the bottom rungs of the football ladder at the onset of his career. He began by officiating high school football in and around Mississippi. His break in CFB came rather fortuitously. In 2015, the number of officials in the crew went up. This afforded Randall a chance in the Conference USA.

Randall has adjudicated his fair share of big games over the last 9 seasons. However, perhaps none that demand as much of the national spotlight as Army-Navy. A plethora of big-ticket personalities are in attendance, including POTUS-elect Donald Trump. This assignment could truly be a watershed moment in the career of Kevin Randall. The fate of the 125th iteration of this fabled CFB tradition rests on the decree of his whistle.

Kevin Randall will oversee a particularly high-stakes edition of the Army-Navy game

This season has been a hugely successful one for the Army Black Knights. Their 11-1 record is a fair reflection of their domination in their first year in the AAC post-realignment, which saw them wind up with a 22nd-place ranking. They ended the regular season ranked 22nd and were on the periphery of the playoffs. Their even being in that conversation is evidence of how far they’ve come. Army’s escapades have dissipated a lot of prejudice pertaining to the academies’ football programs.

Their counterparts, the Navy Midshipmen, have had a good year themselves. There’s room for ascension, but their 8-3 record reads well. The signs bode well for them going forward as 2nd year HC Brian Newberry continues to garner experience at the helm.

A win in this game and, by extension, ownership of the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy will go a long way for both programs. Both teams beat Air Force earlier in the season and so are playing for the title. With such high stakes simmering in the backdrop, Kevin Randall will hope he can do the occasion justice. If a referee isn’t becoming a part of the mainstream discourse during or after a game, he’s done a good job. Randall isn’t quite a household name, and he’ll want to keep it that way just yet.