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Air Force Vs. Navy Football Game Will Be Played Despite Government Shutdown

By Robert Jonathan
Published on: 14:51 PST, Oct 2, 2013

The government shutdown will not affect college football action after all — at least for now.

As of yesterday, it appeared that the Air Force versus Navy football game on Saturday was at risk for being canceled. But the game will apparently go forward. Navy will host Air Force at Annapolis, Md., on Saturday in a nationally televised game that is sold out. Army will take the field against Boston College on Saturday as well.

It’s unclear how the government shutdown will affect future games this season, however.

Yesterday, the Department of Defense suspended all intercollegiate athletic competitions at the service academies as a result of the government shutdown, subject to a further announcement.

ESPN now reports, however, that the US Secretary of Defense has approved this weekend’s football activities by the service academies. According to an ESPN source, the expenses for the games will be covered by non-government funding.

In a statement before the Defense Secretary made his decision, Boston College Athletic Director Brad Bates said “We have been considering and engaging all possibilities in order to play Saturday’s football game, including offering financial assistance to Army for travel.”

According the Naval Academy’s athletic director, the football program is essentially self-sustaining: “… a Navy home game brings in about $4 million from tickets, sponsorship, television and radio rights fees and other revenues such as parking and concessions. The game essentially pays for itself.”

According to US Sen. Rand Paul, only 15 percent of the government is actually affected by the two-day-old shutdown.

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