HERITAGE MINUTE

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HERITAGE MINUTE Podcast

Whether a statue honoring a war hero, a display of historic aircraft, important memorabilia, a person, place or event, these memorials, artifacts and people help tell the story of the Air Force Academy through the decades.

  1. Game Day 1962 - Falcon Stadium Events

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    Game Day 1962 - Falcon Stadium Events

    The Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium has played host to countless significant events since its opening in 1962.  The first event was, appropriately, a football game.  ----more---- Cadet and later four-star general John Lorber, Class of ’64, scored the first touchdown in the 34-0 win over in-state rival Colorado State.  Navy first played here in 1966, while Army made its initial visit a year later, in 1967.  Other gridiron highlights include 1985’s fourth consecutive victory over Notre Dame, a game that turned on a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown, and the 1997 win over San Diego State that marked the first overtime game in NCAA history to end on a defensive score.  The stadium has hosted every Air Force Academy graduation since 1963, when President John F. Kennedy spoke and presented diplomas.  That was the first of eleven Presidential visits for graduation so far.  The stadium has also hosted many other events in its illustrious history.  Entertainer Bob Hope filmed a television special in the stadium in 1980 that featured Diana Ross of the Supremes.  More recently, the stadium played host to concerts featuring the likes of Tim McGraw, the rock band Train, and Blake Shelton.  Jon Stewart emceed and Kelly Clarkson sang at the Opening Ceremonies of the Warrior Games here in 2018.  In February 2020, Falcon Stadium will play host to the National Hockey League game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Los Angeles Kings.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

    2 min
  2. Falcon Stadium - Home of the Fighting Falcons

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    Falcon Stadium - Home of the Fighting Falcons

    Falcon Stadium, home of the Air Force Fighting Falcons, has a rich history.  Plans for the facility date back to 1955, the year the first cadets reported to the Academy’s temporary home at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver.  ----more---- Rather than build the stadium near the Cadet Area, designers chose a natural bowl approximately two miles southeast of the campus.  The Air Force Academy Foundation provided the funding for the $3.5 million facility.  Groundbreaking took place in October 1960, and less than two years later, the stadium was ready for action.  On September 22nd, 1962, the first football game was played, a 34-0 victory over Colorado State in front of more than 41,000 fans.  A month later, actor and Air Force Reserve Brigadier General Jimmy Stewart emceed the official dedication, an event that also saw the Air Force Thunderbirds make their first Falcon Stadium appearance.  The first graduation in the stadium took place in 1963, with President John F. Kennedy the guest speaker.  Every Air Force Academy graduation since has been held here.  The first night game in Falcon Stadium was played in 1989, using rented lights.  The stadium was fitted with permanent lights three years later.  Four years after that, in 2006, artificial turf was installed.  The press box and the scoreboards have received multiple expansions and upgrades.  At 6,621 feet above sea level, Falcon Stadium is the second highest facility in major college football, with only our northern neighbor, fellow Mountain West Conference-member Wyoming having a stadium at a higher altitude.  In addition to football and graduation, Falcon Stadium has played host to concerts and special events, and is home to Falcon lacrosse.     The Heritage Minute Channel is a production of the Long Blue Line Podcast Network and presented by the U.S. Airforce Academy Association and Foundation

    2 min

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Whether a statue honoring a war hero, a display of historic aircraft, important memorabilia, a person, place or event, these memorials, artifacts and people help tell the story of the Air Force Academy through the decades.

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