Strike 3: Thanks to conference realignment, it’s the end of (another) era in college football. This one hits home locally.

On Saturday, the Colorado State Rams and the Air Force Falcons will meet for the 63rd and potentially final time in their long and storied rivalry. With CSU moving to the new Pac-12 next year, the series is ending. Maybe it comes back at some point, but nothing is on the schedule through 2038.

Time was when CSU, led by Sonny Lubick – would meet Air Force, led by Fisher DeBerry – on a Thursday night in October on national TV and put on a show. It was must-see TV for America’s football fandom. There have been a whole lot of memorable games between the two, starting in the Western Athletic Conference and continuing into their days in the Mountain West, a league they helped co-found back in 1999.

This year, the end of season match up is between two struggling teams that will be ending lousy seasons. CSU can’t score and Air Force can’t stop anybody. With the game happening during Thanksgiving break, they won’t be able to give away tickets outside Canvas Stadium.

This year’s game is anti-climactic and unlikely to be worthy of what this great rivalry has meant to local football fans over the years. It’s a damn shame.

Maybe Lubick and DeBerry can show up and be honorary coaches? CSU currently has an opening…

It’s not all bad news. CSU and Wyoming, who’s also remaining in what will be a new look Mountain West, have already made arrangements to continue their series, including starting next season with a non-conference game for the Bronze Boot. It was an easy fix for the two Border War rivals to secure a yearly game and continue their series. But as things stand, AFA can’t make future meetings with CSU work schedule-wise. With only four non-conference openings, and Army and Navy taking up half of those, schedule space is limited every year for the Academy.

But is it though?

You’d think that the Falcons could boot Duquesne off the 2026 schedule, or Lafayette off the 2027 slate, right? They do have openings starting in 2028. It would take some adjustments on Colorado State’s part too, with their non-conference slate already full, but what Ram fan would miss Southern Utah or Sam Houston if those games had to be axed to make room for Air Force?

CSU has openings starting in 2029.

Just sayin.’

Perhaps there are bad feelings in Colorado Springs about CSU’s defection from the conference? Remember, CSU and the other MW schools haven’t done much to schedule BYU after the folks in Provo bolted the MW in 2011 and went independent, and in need of football opponents. It’s possible, right? That stance and the hurt feelings have softened over the years. CSU and BYU are scheduled to play in 2029 when the Rams will also play Colorado and Wyoming. Imagine that. Regional rivalries!

Or perhaps the folks in charge of the new Pac-12 should make a better effort and a better offer to get Air Force to join the new conference? That would solve everything.