"From the sponsor side, the obvious one, is it's coming into a relatively uncluttered and pristine environment. The sponsor would gain a prestigious reputation with two storied programs in college football, and by extension, with their fan bases and gain the respect of the armed services."
There also might be no deal at all if the sponsor doesn't present the game in the right context.
"We're not looking for someone to slap on a lot of logos. This has to be in good taste," Anderson said. "Our philosophy is, although this does generate revenue for us, it's what's right for the game and the American public. We're going to set the parameters very clearly, and they'll have to abide by this to work with us."
Along with a possible sponsor, the game will be opening bidding for different cities to host the game. The game has been held in Baltimore four times, with the most recent occasions at M&T Bank Stadium in 2000 and 2007, and there's hope that the game will be back here again.
"It's a great event for the city and the state," said Ravens president Dick Cass. "It brings a lot of people into the city and showcases what Baltimore has to offer. I think the fact that we've had two recent Army-Navy games here and we've done well, and the event has went off really well, gives us a fighting chance to get another game."
In 2007, the game was a financial success for the city, generating about $1.8 million in combined sales and local taxes, said Hannah Byron, assistant secretary for the Division of Tourism, Film and the Arts in the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.
"This is one of the most prestigious sporting events that a city can host. It really shows that the state can host these kinds of visible and prestigious sporting venues, so we can leverage other sporting events to our city and state," Byron said.
Eight years ago, in the last contract negotiation, Gladchuk said 15 cities showed interest in getting the game. Requests for proposals have been created for bidding on games after 2009, and already there is a lot of interest.
"We've heard from San Antonio, Baltimore, the Meadowlands, Dallas, Philadelphia; a number of cities have shown preliminary interest," Gladchuk said. "One of the biggest issues for cities outside of the immediate area is that the city must provide transportation for the entire brigade, the midshipmen and the core cadets, and that's about 8,000 people. When you start getting out around the country, it makes it logistically difficult.
