Navy and Maryland play Monday for the Crab Bowl trophy, a shiny piece of hardware that will probably gather dust for years before these rivals face each other again.
The schools are located 28 miles apart, yet this is only the second meeting in the last 45 years between the two most prominent football teams in Maryland.
It's an intriguing matchup: The Midshipmen are coming off a 10-win season and on the cusp of becoming a Top 25 team, and the Terrapins are determined to bounce back from last year's 2-10 record.
''They are going to come out ready to go,'' Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said of the Terrapins. ''If we think any differently, we aren't very smart.''
Navy's main rival will always be Army, but there's something to be said about a duel that forces thousands of fans within the state to choose sides.
''To have an in-state rivalry, I think it just helps the whole state,'' Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said. ''People can rally behind each school. It just brings the whole state together. Having it in Baltimore just accentuates that.''
So, why haven't Navy and Maryland played since 2005? The main reason is that both teams set their schedules years in advance, and the Terrapins' slate includes mandated matchups within the Atlantic Coast Conference.
At this point, an annual meeting might be stretching it. But the man who played a key role in making Monday's game happen is working to make the encore happen sooner than later.
''We recognize we can't do it every year, but once every three years, I think both schools would benefit,'' said Mark Burdett, who works for the Baltimore Ravens, whose home stadium will serve as the site for Monday's game.
Burdett graduated from Maryland and played for its lacrosse team. His father went to the Naval Academy. Those factors, along with his allegiance to the Ravens, goes a long way toward explaining why he heads the committee to keep the rivalry in Baltimore on a regular basis.
''Both teams get paid for playing in this event, and holding it at a neutral site gives both schools the opportunity for a bigger payday and a bigger audience,'' Burdett said. ''Also, it's great for the fans.''
His goal is to get the teams together again in 2013.
Discussions between Navy and Maryland were put on hold after Terps athletic director Debbie Yow left for North Carolina State in July.
''Right now, Maryland needs to get a new athletic director in place so that person and I can discuss the prospect of playing this game on a more regular basis,'' Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said. ''I don't want to talk specifically about how often because I cannot speak for Maryland and I don't want to be seen as the person trying to ramrod this thing through.''
Maryland hired Kevin Anderson to fill the position Saturday. Anderson comes from Army, which could be a positive because he certainly is familiar with the Naval Academy.
Gladchuk won't have to convince Niumatalolo, who's all for it.
''We need to play more. You have two great institutions so close together, and there's a history involved,'' the coach said. ''Hopefully, we can continue this series. I know we're looking forward to it and Maryland is looking forward to it.''
For Navy, it's an opportunity to extend the momentum created by a rout of Missouri in the Texas Bowl last December. Maryland will be looking to snap a seven-game skid that began in October.
Also at stake is the Crab Bowl, created by the Touchdown Club of Annapolis to give the rare in-state game a bit more significance.
''Our hope,'' said Dean D'Camera, a two-term past president of the Touchdown Club, ''is that future Midshipmen and Terrapins will take pride in playing for the Crab Bowl every time Maryland and Navy square off in football.''
