AF/Navy game cancelled

Mikeandcris

Parents of 2014 Grad and F-15 Pilot
10-Year Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
366
Parent Club Presidents just received this notice from the Academy:

"As of now, the Air Force Falcons will not be travelling to Annapolis for the
game with Navy. A USAFA Press Release will be going out shortly. We are
all disappointed the game will not be played as scheduled."
 
I was really looking forward to the game. Will there be a refund for tickets or will they play another day? :thumbdown:
 
Is this a federal PR stunt? I thought USNA and USAFA programs were internally funded. Is the travel funded by the sports program, or with federal $$?
 
I know many of us love college sports and love to show our pride/support for the teams. So disappointment here is natural.

But that fact is these cost money.... lots.... and lots of money.


Several times on this forum the pros and cons of D1 sports at the SAs have debated. How they may not serve the core mission directly, but they bring in revenue that funds other activities/sports. The sad truth is that may be a myth.
From NCAAs own estimates, only a handful of D1 programs nation-wide actually generate net revenue for their schools. The others are "subsidized" by the schools through tuition, fees and other means. This applies to our AFA too who spends about $26,000,000 annually, according to a USA Today study of college football, to subsize the program.

When I look at AFA's published budget overview and see the footnote that reads something like "does not include the $5.5m/yr revenue generated from football", I wonder why that's omitted. Is it because they would have to then include the actual costs of the progam and show the true net result?

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/story/2012-05-14/ncaa-college-athletics-finances-database/54955804/1

So.... this is sad. Disappointing for sure. Heartbreaking even for the young mean and women affected. But in an era of belt-tightening and cutting back flight/training dollars, maybe this makes sense.
 
Last edited:
I am so sick of congressional, presidential in-fighting, playing politics instead of being statesmen or stateswomen. If you are an elected official you reprsent your whole constituency, not just your party or faction of your party. For God's sake sit down and find some common ground. :thumbdown:
 
It's very easy, as a cadet or midshipman, to wrap yourself in the protective blanket of a service academy, isolated from the world. Yes, they aren't fun places and they're preparing you to serve in the military. They also make a lot of things easy, such as picking classes or ordering books.

I'm guessing this could be one of those "big government" issues that bring home to the cadets and midshipmen, that they really are members of this big government, that can build them up or knock them down.

Ditching this game is only the first taste of it.
 
I know I am being selfish. My DD was to run in a cross country meet at Notre Dame on Friday, four hours from our home. I am so disappointed in the leadership of this country, this just adds to my frustration!!!!
 
We are ALL selfish when we want to see our kids play. :smile: Totally understandable. And totally understanable that those of us who just want to support our favorite SA team(s) would be disappointed too.

But in the face of budget cuts being made to potentially mission-critical areas... $26 million / year (probably more now) is real money that could be spent elsewhere.
 
We are ALL selfish when we want to see our kids play. :smile: Totally understandable. And totally understanable that those of us who just want to support our favorite SA team(s) would be disappointed too.

But in the face of budget cuts being made to potentially mission-critical areas... $26 million / year (probably more now) is real money that could be spent elsewhere.

The $300,000,000 to bailout Detroit has to come from somewhere (happened last Friday)!
 
Is this a federal PR stunt? I thought USNA and USAFA programs were internally funded. Is the travel funded by the sports program, or with federal $$?

It's got to be a PR stunt -- or, to put it more kindly, they are worried about the perception of "Nero fiddling while Rome burns" to have the service academies playing sports (even if funded by non-governmental $$$$) while civilian Pentagon employees are being furloughed by the thousands and the Merchant Marine Academy is shutting down. I get the thinking but it is a shame all the same.
 
Interesting that the Mountain Worst would fund a game that's not a fully in-conference matchup.
 
Term Limits

It seems to me that most of the ideologues and extremists in congress these days are the newbies. Perhaps the seasoned ones could make some progress without the distractions.
 
Interesting observation by MedB! Football must not be self supporting.
 
Back
Top