The campuses of the Air Force Academy and the University of Colorado are separated by about 100 miles and less than a two-hour drive. But they haven't played each other in football since 1974.
The streak will end in 2020 as the schools announced Wednesday they would play at Colorado in 2020 and at Air Force in 2022.
“The renewal of this rivalry will be great for the state,” Colorado athletic director Rick George said in a statement. “Nearly two generations have come and gone since we last played Air Force in football, and I’ve often heard from fans that they’d like to see them back on our schedule. We were both fortunate enough to have available dates for the games in the not-too-distant future to make this happen. It’s an easy drive for fans of both teams and I am sure ours will really enjoy seeing Air Force once again as an opponent in football.”
Colorado won the last game between the teams 28-27 and has a 12-4 edge in the series. Air Force had a chance to win the game with a 50-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game, but the kick sailed wide. Air Force kicker Dave Lawson, who had made a 60-yard field goal earlier in the game, said in 2011 that it was the only sporting event that brought him to tears.
Air Force hasn't played both Colorado and Colorado State in the same season since 1973. The Rams and Falcons are both in the Mountain West Conference and have played each other every season since 1978.
The agreement between Colorado and Air Force also comes after George said in February it was in the "best interests" of the Buffaloes to not renew the series with the Rams after their contract to play each other expires.
The final game of the current contract between the two teams is set for 2020, meaning there's a round-robin series set for that year. Who wants to create a title belt for a mythical state championship in five years? If Colorado and Colorado State don't continue their series, the winner of the 2020 title could brag about it for a long, long time.
For more Colorado news, visit BuffStampede.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
