Johnnies have won 32 out of 41 matches against the Midshipmen

Tickets go on sale to the general public March 6

ANNAPOLIS, MD [February 16, 2026] — The Annapolis Cup presented by PNC Bank returns for the 42nd anniversary croquet match between St. John’s College and the U.S. Naval Academy, Saturday, April 18, 2026.

The tradition is a community highlight that began in 1983 with the Johnnies facing off against the Midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy in a friendly-but-fierce rivalry for the Annapolis Cup and bragging rights as the best croquet team in town. According to legend, the rivalry began in 1982 when the commandant of the U.S. Naval Academy was speaking with a St. John’s freshman and remarked that the Midshipmen could beat the Johnnies in any sport. “What about croquet?” the Johnnie retorted. He later proposed the match to a group of Midshipmen in the interest of fostering better relations between the schools.

Ever since, Johnnies have faced off against the midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy in a friendly-but-fierce rivalry for the Annapolis Cup and bragging rights as the best croquet team in town. The record as of 2026 is 32 wins for St. John’s and 9 for the USNA.

This is the third year that the Annapolis Cup will be exclusively presented by PNC Bank. Information on additional event sponsors and sponsorship opportunities is available on the croquet website.

The event will be attended by approximately 4,000 members of the St. John’s, USNA, and Annapolis communities. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, March 6. Visit sjc.edu/croquet for more information.

ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE

In an age of political division and digital distraction, St. John’s College offers the education America needs. Through close reading of 200 great books across 3,000 years—from Plato to Toni Morrison, Augustine to Charles Darwin, Euclid to Albert Einstein—students wrestle with the deepest questions of law, justice, freedom, and human good. At a time when many institutions chase trends, St. John’s returns to first principles. The third-oldest college in America, with campuses in Annapolis, Maryland, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, St. John’s is a refuge for civic renewal, civil discourse, and intellectual courage. Learn more about our undergraduate, graduate, and lifelong learning programs at sjc.edu.

UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY

Founded in 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy today is a prestigious four-year service academy that prepares midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically to be professional officers in the naval service. More than 4,400 men and women representing every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries make up the student body known as the Brigade of Midshipmen. U.S. News and World Report has recognized the Naval Academy as the #5 undergraduate engineering school, #3 liberal arts college, and the #1 public college in 2023. Midshipmen learn from military and civilian instructors and participate in intercollegiate varsity sports and extracurricular activities. They also study subjects such as leadership, ethics, small arms, drill, seamanship and navigation, tactics, naval engineering and weapons, and military law. Upon graduation, midshipmen earn a Bachelor of Science degree in a choice of 26 different subject majors and go on to serve at least five years of exciting and rewarding service as commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps.

PNC BANK

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance, and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT: Sara Luell, Senior Director of Communications and Operations, St. John’s College, sara.luell(at)sjc.edu