A Legacy of Valor: The History of Air Force Academy Football
The Air Force Falcons football program represents the United States Air Force Academy in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) level. The Falcons play their home games at Falcon Stadium in Air Force Academy, Colorado, north of Colorado Springs. Over more than 60 years of college football, the Falcons have had seven head coaches.
Conference Membership
Air Force has been a member of the Mountain West Conference since its founding in 1999.
Home Field Advantage
Home games are played in Falcon Stadium, which sits below the main campus at an elevation of 6,621 feet (2,018 m) above sea level. Falcon Stadium is the 2nd highest stadium in the FBS division, with only Wyoming's stadium at a higher elevation.
Game Day Experience
Air Force Academy offers many unique and fun traditions that are sure to delight fans of all ages. Home game highlights include the cadet march-on, Wings of Blue parachute demonstration team, flyovers and fireworks and pyrotechnics when the Falcons take the field, score, and win!
Family members can accompany their cadets to their squadron tailgating event before the game begins. Parking lots open four hours prior to kick-off. Guests can purchase RV parking and can tailgate directly from their RVs. Falcon Alley, located directly in front of the stadium, features vendors, interactive games and booths. This is open three hours prior to the game and is an excellent location to watch the football team arrive. Guests will not want to miss seeing the Wings of Blue sky diving team parachute into the stadium. The Academy is proud of its majestic live mascots and team namesake. During halftime, cheering spectators enjoy watching the birds soar and dive overhead. Pre-game activities include flyovers by USAF aircraft, including the F-15 and B-2. Be sure to follow the clear bag rule. All bags brought into the stadium must be transparent for security reasons.
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The Option Attack
The Falcons are not only recognized by the lightning bolt on the side of their helmets, but their traditional option attack. Air Force is one of the premier rushing teams in the nation. Since Fisher DeBerry took over as Falcons head coach in 1984, they have ranked among the nation's top 10 in rushing 19 times in 21 years.
Academic and Athletic Success
The Air Force football team has enjoyed success not only on the field but also in the classroom.
Defining Moments
1985 was the most successful season in Air Force football history. Under 5th-year coach Fisher DeBerry, the Falcons came within one win of playing for the national championship. They recorded 10 straight wins to start the season, climbed the polls to No. 2 in the nation, but lost to BYU 28-21 in the penultimate game of the regular season. Air Force rebounded with a bowl game win over Texas in the Bluebonnet Bowl and finished with a 12-1 record as the No. 8 team in the nation.
Poll Rankings
The Air Force Falcons have finished in the AP poll and/or the Coaches poll 8 times in the program's history, with the highest-ranked finishes being No. 6 in 1958 and No. 8 in 1985.
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