Air Force football schedule released

  • Published

A visit to Falcon Stadium by Notre Dame Nov. 11, a season-opening game at national power Tennessee Sept. 9 and conference home games against BYU, Colorado State, New Mexico and Utah highlight the Air Force football schedule, released March 2 by the Mountain West Conference.

The Falcons sandwich the opener with the University of Tennessee between open weeks on Sept. 2, parents weekend at the academy, and Sept. 16. Following the second bye, the Falcons play 11 consecutive weeks to include games on Thanksgiving weekend and the first weekend in December.

Air Force’s first home game isn’t until Sept. 30 against the University of New Mexico, which begins a three-game home stand. The team also plays Navy on Oct. 7 and Colorado State University on Oct. 12. This season marks the seventh time the Falcons and Rams have played on a Thursday. The Falcons then play at San Diego State University Oct. 21 before returning home to take on Brigham Young University Oct. 28.

Air Force plays three of its last five games on the road beginning with Army on Nov. 4 in West Point, N.Y. The team then hosts the University of Notre Dame Nov. 11 and the University of Utah Nov. 18 before closing the season with two road games. Air Force plays at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Nov. 24 and at Texas Christian University Dec. 2.

“The schedule is very exciting and challenging. The players and coaches are really looking forward to it with great excitement and anticipation because we expect to be a much-improved football team from a year ago,” said Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry.

“Two early open dates gives us more time to develop and mature into a competitive football team. We have some concern over having only one home game in September, but we have three of four home games in October when we usually enjoy outstanding football weather," the coach said.

“I think it’s also important to have a string of four of five home games in the middle of the schedule. I believe our conference has more parity than any other, so it will be important to us to play these games in Falcon Stadium. With great fan and cadet wing support, we think Falcon Stadium is as tough a place to play as there is in America,” he said.

Playing 11 consecutive weeks is nothing new to the Falcons. Air Force played 10 straight weeks in 2001 and 2002 and 12 straight weeks in 1997. The Thanksgiving weekend game is the first since the team played at Hawaii on Nov. 24, 2001.

This season marks the ninth time in school history and the first since 2001 the schedule reaches into the first weekend in December. The Falcons played Utah in Falcon Stadium on Dec. 1, 2001, because of rescheduling caused by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

The team also played in December in 1998 in Las Vegas against BYU in the conference championship game while a member of the Western Athletic Conference. This year’s meeting with TCU is the first regularly scheduled game in December since 1994 when Air Force defeated the University of Hawaii, 37-34, in Honolulu Dec. 3.

Academy ticket prices will not increase this year from the 2005 season and there will be several packages available in all price ranges. Starting Monday, March 6, season ticket renewals and an opportunity to purchase new season tickets will be available online only at airforcesports.com. In-person and phone orders will start April 3 along with various mini-plans. The other important dates to keep in mind for tickets are:

-- May 22: Tennessee tickets on sale to general public

-- June 1: All other away game tickets on sale to general public

-- July 1: Individual game ticket sales, except Notre Dame

-- Aug. 11: Notre Dame tickets go on sale to the general public.

The Falcons open spring football practice March 13. The Blue-Silver Spring Game will conclude spring practice April 15 at Garry Berry Stadium in Colorado Springs.

2006 Air Force Football Schedule 

Day Date Opponent Series 

Sat. Sept. 2 Open

Sat. Sept. 9 at Tennessee UT 1-0 

Sat. Sept. 16 Open

Sat. Sept. 23 at Wyoming AF 21-19-3 

Sat. Sept. 30 New Mexico AF 14-9 

Sat. Oct. 7 Navy AF 25-13 

Thur. Oct. 12 Colorado State AF 24-19-1 

Sat. Oct. 21 at San Diego State AF 16-8 

Sat. Oct. 28 BYU BYU 20-6 

Sat. Nov. 4 at Army AF 26-13-1 

Sat. Nov. 11 Notre Dame ND 21-5 

Sat. Nov. 18 Utah AF 13-9 

Fri. Nov. 24 at UNLV AF 8-3 

Sat. Dec. 2 at TCU TCU 3-1-1