KINGS POINT, N.Y., November 2, 2017 – The Secretaries' Cup football game next Saturday, Nov. 11, between the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy will be streamed live on ESPN3 from Coast Guard's Cadet Memorial Field in New London, Conn., beginning at noon.

For the first time since 2005, Merchant Marine and Coast Guard will meet for the Secretaries' Cup on the final week of the season and join a rich history of season-ending rivalry games in college football – including the famed Army-Navy game. The two academies met in the final game of the regular season from 1991-2005 until Coast Guard departed the Liberty League for the New England Football Conference, which held its championship game on the last weekend of the regular season.

The contest in 2016 was the 45th meeting between the two teams and the 36th consecutive since 1981 when the then-"Secretary's Cup" was established. The first game ever between the two rivals was played in 1949. The name of the trophy and game was to honor the Secretary of Transportation, as both schools were under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation. The name became pluralized in 2003 after the entire Coast Guard moved under the authority of the newly-formed Department of Homeland Security.

The "Secretaries' Cup" post-game trophy presentation traditionally includes participation by senior military and civilian officials of the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security, in addition to the Superintendents, Directors of Athletics and Head Coaches of each institution. Following the on-field trophy presentation, each institution's team, staff and official party stands at attention for the playing of the respective alma maters.

Overall, Merchant Marine holds a commanding 31-14 record in the rivalry game, and the Mariners have won 15 of the past 19 contests over the Bears. Eight of the last 10 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or less.