Johns Hopkins and Navy will not play each other in 2018, discontinuing the historic college lacrosse series for the first time since 1949.

Conference scheduling conflicts — with the Blue Jays joining the Big Ten in 2015 and the Midshipmen competing in the Patriot League, which expanded in 2014 — forced the rivals to move the game back to a Tuesday night in early February last season. The Feb. 7 game at Homewood Field was the earliest in series history.

It also provided one of the most memorable moments of the 2017 season, a hidden-ball trick goal by Johns Hopkins midfielder Joel Tinney that ignited a 15-8 victory

The schools released their 2018 schedules concurrently Tuesday, each acknowledging the absence of their longtime rival and saying they are committed to finding a long-term solution.

“Our game against Navy always has been and always will be a priority,” Blue Jays coach Dave Pietramala said in the Johns Hopkins release.  “Unfortunately, conference play for both teams has made it increasingly difficult to find an appropriate date for this rivalry to be played.  We’ll keep what’s in the best interest of both programs in mind and continue to work with Navy to find a solution that is convenient and beneficial. Everyone is anxious to find the best date to renew this great rivalry.”

Navy added Syracuse to its schedule to replace Johns Hopkins. The Midshipmen and Orange last played a regular season game against each other in 1989. They memorably met in the 2004 NCAA championship game, when Syracuse ended Navy’s Cinderella run in a 14-13 thriller in Baltimore.

“Coach Pietramala and I worked extremely hard over the past several months to find a date that would fit a game of this magnitude. Unfortunately, conference demands did not allow for a date that would be appropriate to honor the legacy of this rivalry,” Midshipmen coach Rick Sowell said in the Navy release. “While both programs are disappointed, we are making it a priority to resume the series as soon as our schedules allow.”