Air Force coach sees virtue of perhaps going it alone (Rocky Mountain News)

Colleges and Universities A-Z Air Force Academy - Colorado Springs
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<p>By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News
October 30, 2007</p>

<p>AIR FORCE ACADEMY - Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun suggested Tuesday the Falcons should consider the options of being a member of the Mountain West Conference compared with being a football independent.</p>

<p>“It’s something we have to take a look at,” Calhoun said.</p>

<p>"I think service academies are a little bit unique when it comes to a vision for our football program, when it comes to scheduling, when it comes to securing bowl berths prior to a season, when it comes to being able to pinpoint byes at certain place throughout the year.</p>

<p>“Now do I love being in a league? Absolutely. We’re fortunate because you look at the Mountain West Conference, you get a chance to play against some very talented football teams that are extremely well-coached.”</p>

<p>Air Force, Army and Navy had a five-year agreement with the Liberty Bowl to send the Commander-in-Chief’s winner to the game.</p>

<p>After Air Force participated in the bowl for the first four years, the Liberty Bowl opted out of the deal.</p>

<p>Athletic director Hans Mueh said the Falcons are not pursuing leaving the Mountain West.</p>

<p>“We have no intent of interest in leaving the Mountain West Conference,” he said. "It’s been a great association for us and given us opportunities we would never have had without being a member. The benefits from being in the conference go beyond just athletics.</p>

<p>"I think coach Troy Calhoun’s comments come out of concern for his team being bowl eligible and the possibility of not having an opportunity to participate in a postseason bowl game.</p>

<p>“He is so passionate about this program and its players that he wants what is best for them. It’s that passion and commitment that attracted us to him.”</p>

<p>The Mountain West has agreements with four bowl games.</p>

<p>Navy has an agreement with the San Diego Poinsettia Bowl, and if the Midshipmen become bowl eligible, it would eliminate Air Force because the bowl doesn’t want teams who played against each other during the regular season.</p>

<p>The Las Vegas Bowl has the first choice of a Mountain West team and Brigham Young probably will be headed to that bowl.</p>

<p>The New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque probably will opt for the hometown Lobos, leaving only the Armed Forces Bowl, which is in Fort Worth, Texas.</p>

<p>That makes Texas Christian a logical choice to play in that bowl if the Horned Frogs become eligible.</p>

<p>“I just think there are ways that you have to be able to operate that can help you in the long term,” Calhoun said.</p>

<p>"It’s something that we need to look at thoroughly. I think we have some appeal nationally. You don’t want us to be the great insurance card.</p>

<p>“You’ve got aces showing across the table and you are asking about insurance.”</p>

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<p>By JAKE SCHALLER
THE GAZETTE
October 31, 2007 - 12:05AM</p>

<p>Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said Tuesday that there are “advantages to being independent” and that playing outside a conference is “something that we’ve got to take a look at.”</p>

<p>“You look at it for a service academy ‹ one, you have complete command of your schedule, your byes,” he said. “Now all of a sudden you can go out, and it’s something we probably need to look at big-picture wise for our school, being able to go out and secure bowl berths before a season even starts.”</p>

<p>Calhoun made the comments during his weekly press conference at Old Chicago restaurant. When pressed on the topic of potentially leaving the Mountain West Conference and becoming an independent, Calhoun said that “we want to be in this league, and that’s unequivocal.”</p>

<p>Later, athletic director Hans Mueh said, “We have no interest in leaving the Mountain West Conference.”</p>

<p>Javan Hedlund, the conference’s associate commissioner/communications, said the league had no comment on Calhoun’s statements and that a school leaving the conference would be an “institutional decision.”</p>

<p>Air Force joined the conference in 1999, when it was created. From 1980 to 1998, the Falcons played in the Western Athletic Conference. Prior to that, Air Force was an independent.</p>

<p>As a member of the Mountain West, Air Force’s schedule can be difficult to set up because of its annual games against Navy (in late September) and Army (in early November) ‹ two of the four Division I-A independents along with Notre Dame and Western Kentucky. Last year the Falcons had two byes in the
first three weeks, then played 11 straight games. This year Air Force will play 12 straight weeks without a bye.</p>

<p>Another issue is securing one of the conference’s bowl bids ‹ a topic that has become more pressing since Air Force became bowl-eligible by winning its sixth game.</p>

<p>“I just think Troy is so passionate about wanting (a bowl bid) for these seniors because they’ve been dry for the three years they’ve been here to date,” Mueh said.</p>

<p>Five other teams in the conference are either bowl-eligible (New Mexico and Utah) or in good position to become bowl-eligible (BYU, Wyoming and TCU) and the conference has only four bowl tie-ins ¬ the Las Vegas Bowl, the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas, and the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.</p>

<p>Air Force will be shut out of the Poinsettia Bowl if Navy (4-4) gets six wins because the Midshipmen have a contract with the bowl and the bowl has a policy against re-matches. The other bowls could choose league teams other than Air Force as long as those teams have seven wins.</p>

<p>“If Albuquerque says, ŒWe want to keep our home team here,’ if Fort Worth says, ŒWe want to keep our home team in place’ and Vegas says, ŒHey right up Interstate 15 is Salt Lake and Provo,’</p>

<p>“You just don’t want us to be the great insurance card,” Calhoun said.</p>

<p>The New Mexico Bowl could not pick New Mexico because the Lobos played in the bowl last year, and they can only play in it once every four years except in situations where they would be the only Mountain West team to fill the spot.</p>

<p>Still, Calhoun raised the notion of attempting to make an arrangement “in concert with the conference” that would be similar to the deal Navy has in place with the Poinsettia Bowl.</p>

<p>Air Force, Army and Navy made a five-year deal with the Liberty Bowl in which the winner of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy would earn an automatic bid to the bowl if it achieved a certain number of victories.</p>

<p>“I think there’s a way where it could be very healthy for the conference,” he said.</p>