 Since only two teams from the Pacific-10 Conference had become bowl eligible near the end of the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season, organizers looked to the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen, who were not a member of any athletic conference, to fill the open spot. The team accepted their invitation to play in the Emerald Bowl on November 22, two days after defeating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights with a score of 54 – 21 to earn an 8 – 2 record. The Midshipmen had originally intended to play in the 2004 Liberty Bowl, but chose the Emerald Bowl when it looked as though Liberty Bowl organizers were seeking a matchup of more "high-powered offenses". After defeating the Army Black Knights with a score of 42 – 13 in that year's Army – Navy Game, the Midshipmen ended the regular season with a record of 9 – 2, the first time since the 1963 college football season that Navy had won nine or more games in a season. Wins over Army and the Air Force Falcons secured Navy's second consecutive Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Navy's previous bowl game, the 2003 Houston Bowl, had ended in a 38 – 14 loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
