The trophy is named after Edgar "Rip" Miller, who played college football for Notre Dame and served as a longtime coach and administrator at Navy.

[11][12] Navy's 2018 home game was played at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego, California, which has multiple military installations and the largest naval fleet in the world, in the rivalry's first meeting west of the Mississippi River.

[15][16] Despite the one-sided result the last few decades, most Notre Dame and Navy fans consider the series a sacred tradition for historical reasons.

Notre Dame, like many colleges, faced severe financial difficulties during World War II, which were exacerbated by the fact that it was then still an all-male institution.

Notre Dame has since extended an open invitation for Navy to play the Fighting Irish in football and considers the game annual repayment on a debt of honor.

The series is marked by mutual respect, as evidenced by each team standing at attention during the playing of the other's alma mater after the game, a tradition that started in 2005.

Western Michigan originally agreed to make the short trip from Kalamazoo to South Bend on September 19, but the Broncos subsequently canceled their entire fall season.