Colorado Politics

Air Force cancels all sports events during government shutdown

Game off.

All of them.

Air Force has cancelled all athletic events as a result of the government shutdown. This includes today’s home basketball game against Fresno State and the home hockey game against Sacred Heart.

Academy teams are scattered around the country, with swimming teams in Las Vegas, rifle in Fort Worth, Texas and women’s basketball in Fresno, Calif.

None will be allowed to complete.

“In the event a solution is reached, the Academy will work to reschedule as many missed events as possible,” the academy said in a statement.

Air Force athletic officials knew this might be a possibility in the days leading up to the shutdown, but had hoped to gain exempt status for enough support staff to keep events going. They said it would be an “11th hour decision.” And that decision was announced on Saturday morning.

In the past, the Falcons had been able to find patchwork solutions to keep games going during shutdowns. In 2013, sponsor USAA provided a $230,000 check to allow Air Force football to travel to Navy for a game. In the 1990s, ways were found to allow football and basketball to play during a fall shutdown.

The Mountain West has not yet determined if any games ultimately canceled by Air Force will be considered forfeits by the Falcons.

“I do not know the details of all of that,” a Mountain West spokesman said by phone Saturday morning. “I would assume they’ll make every best effort to make them up.”

Events at Army and Navy are continuing as usual because of a difference in funding. Though all academies are supported by athletic corporations that operate as 501(c)(3) organizations, those at Army and Navy are almost all-encompassing in defraying costs away from government money.

A Navy representative said Saturday that a few coaches are paid with government money and they are not working during the shutdown, but nothing else is impacted.

Air Force’s football coaches will be able to continue to travel for recruiting during the shutdown in advance of the Feb. 7 signing day because funding comes from the Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation.

For Air Force men’s basketball, the disruption comes at a particularly lousy time. The Falcons are fresh off road wins at San Jose State and Colorado State, their first road wins in Mountain West play in three years.

Any attempt to ride that momentum was squashed.

“Bruh why do they have to cancel our game? Smh,” senior guard Jacob Van tweeted on Saturday morning.

 
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