What is a Midshipman? Explaining Navy's nickname, mascot amid undefeated start to season

Navy football has a chance to prove it's legit with a big matchup against No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday.

With the service academy heading into Week 9 of the college football season undefeated at 6-0 and 4-0 in American Athletic Conference play, it might be a great time to explain Navy's nickname:

What is a Midshipman?

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In 2024 at least, the Midshipmen are potential College Football Playoff contenders — and have a potential resume-builder teed up on Saturday with the Fighting Irish standing in their way. The service academies have made a comeback in 2024, as Navy and Army are undefeated and ranked in both the AP Top 25 poll and Coaches Poll.

Here's an explanation of Navy's nickname, including how Midshipmen was coined:

What is a Midshipman?

A Midshipman is a rank of those in training to become a naval officer — hence the nickname of students at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Midshipman was first a term used to describe those who worked in the main and mizzen masts of a ship, which explains the "mid" part of the nickname. The term originated in the 1600s, according to Navy's official website.

The U.S. Navy first adopted Midshipman as a rank when it opened what's now the Naval Academy in 1845. Graduated students were referred to as "Passed Midshipmen" until 1912, when officers then started graduating with the rank of "Ensign."

The Navy football team has held the nickname of Midshipmen since the Academy was founded.

What is Navy's mascot?

Navy's mascot is a goat, otherwise known as "Bill The Goat."

Why? Well, according to Navy's official website, goats were a common companion on ships, because they could constantly provide milk, cheese and butter at a time before refrigeration existed. They were also easy to upkeep, as they didn't require special feed and sailors could use them as "walking garbage disposals," according to Navy's website.

According to legend, a young midshipman grew fond of a goat companion that died during a venture in the 19th century. Instead of burying the goat, they saved its skin and had its head mounted on the ship. The midshipmen then returned home and attended a Navy football game, wearing the goat's coat. Navy won the game as the midshipman ran up and down the sidelines with the goat's fur around him, sparking the goat to become Navy's mascot.

The goat officially became Navy's mascot in 1893, when Navy beat Army with a goat named El Cid occupying the sidelines.

When was the last time Navy beat Notre Dame?

The Midshipmen last defeated Notre Dame in 2016, when Navy quarterback Will Worth ran for 175 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-27 win.

The Fighting Irish were a lackluster 3-5 entering the game, compared to Navy's record of 5-2 before the matchup. Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns in the game, but it wasn't enough to avoid an upset.

Notre Dame finished 4-8 in 2016 in Brian Kelly's seventh season with the Fighting Irish. It was the only season Notre Dame failed to make a bowl game under Kelly, who's now the head coach at LSU.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What are Midshipmen? Explaining Navy football's nickname