Air Force (Mountain West) 2018

College:   Air Force Academy

Year:       2018

Game:     Air Force 35 Navy 7

Rating:    9
Cost Index:  Low

Stadium:  Falcon Stadium

If you want to make it part of a larger trip:  Colorado, Denver, Colorado State
Don't Miss:   The Air Force Academy pregame experience

Avoid:   Sitting in traffic trying to get out of the game.

Attendees:  Bones

Pre-game:  It's difficult to describe how unique the Air Force Academy is and, in turn, how unique the game day experience is over there. It starts with the campus.  The AFA campus is about 15 miles long end to end. It includes an airfield, the stadium, a golf course...there is no shortage of land.  The campus sits up against the Rocky Mountains, Pike's Peak is a few miles south.  Norad is somewhere in the area as well.

The stadium sits by itself up against the mountain side.  The tailgate is significant, the scenery beautiful.  The coolest part of the entire experience is the hour or so before the game.  There are planes everywhere and these aren't Cessna's.  They are machines of war.  At one point I looked up and there was an Osprey, a helicopter and a fighter or two.  Here is a summary:

https://gazette.com/news/flyovers-this-weekend-at-air-force-academy-along-with-home/article_c26b998a-c7dd-11e8-9b8b-8bdd514b4d06.html

Note on the tailgate:  You can rent an RV and tail gate overnight.  If I'm lucky enough to return to this wonderful spot I will try to RV for at least one night.  

The campus has only been around since the 1950s so it's more modern than most. 

Game Experience:   Game itself was actually pretty good.  Both of these squads employ a version of the option offence.  The defenses see it every day in practice so it doesn't confuse these teams like it does other squads.  The game was pretty stagnant in the early going.  The Air Force got going and started to impose their will on Navy.  

The pre-game festivities were very cool.  They have a traditional "exchanging of the prisoners" where the cadets that are on semester exchange are exchanged to sit with their home school.  They don't have one flyover, they have one for the anthem, one for the kickoff...it was too windy for this game but they usually have someone parachute into the stadium.  

Stadium:   Falcon Stadium.  It was built in the late 50s/early 60s (like much of the campus) and while it's not the fanciest place I've ever been it's a comfortable spot to watch the game and it gets pretty loud.  You can buy beer in there. 

Post Game: Only problem with the entire game was the way they managed traffic.  I left early and it still took me way too long to get out of there. 

Overall:  GREAT time.  I loved it, the whole experience was great top to bottom.  My only regret is the way the set up is over there it made it difficult to check out the main campus.  I wasn't able to do so.  I suppose I can do that next time I'm there. 

Game Recap:  http://www.espn.com/college-football/game?gameId=401019504