<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3Srnib_1H17qpPE00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3Srnib_1H17qpPE00" width="1600" height="1037" ><figcaption>Nov 7, 2026; West Point, New York, USA; The Air Force Falcons celebrate a 24-21 win against the Army Black Knights at Michie Stadium. Air Force sealed the Commander in Chief’s trophy with the victory. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>While the more notable college football programs in Boulder and Fort Collins continue to struggle, guess who will be heading back to a bowl game again this season? That would be the newly minted owners of the 2026 version of Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, Troy Calhoun’s Air Force Falcons… you know, the program that can rightfully boast being about the best one in the state of Colorado.Sitting now at 7-2, Air Force is back to being the program that had been to 15 bowls in the past 25 years, winning nine of them – including their past five in a row. For context, Colorado last won a bowl game in 2004, Colorado State in 2013.And AFA has dominated head-to-head matchups with those in-state rivals.And for the “if we can just stay healthy, we’ll contend” crowd, understand this: The Falcons are now playing behind their backup quarterback, Evan Medders, who stepped in for injured star Liam Szarka. Medders has battled an injury as well, with Kemper Hodges also taking meaningful snaps. Through it all – and with three different signal-callers – the offense hasn’t missed a beat.The Falcons parachuted into West Point this past Saturday and took out Army 24-21, after having sunk Navy 14-9 earlier in the season. That means that the most prized trophy a service academy team can own returns to Colorado Springs for the first time since 2022… and it’s likely to remain in the Springs for a while.Keep in mind that while CU and CSU are now in more prestigious conferences and continue to garner most of the state’s media attention, the Falcons beat the Buffs twice (the only games played between the two schools since the late 1960s) in 2021 and 2022, the second game featuring the largest margin of victory (41-10) in series history. They’re also 15-3 against the Rams since Calhoun took the reins at the Academy, and AFA is unbeaten in Fort Collins at Canvas Stadium.This success is particularly noteworthy in the era of NIL. While the rest of college football is consumed by the transfer portal and millions of dollars being paid out to players, the services academies do not indulge. No transfers, no NIL paychecks. And yet success on the field, even against bigger programs, has been plentiful for all three of them. It’s fair to say that Colorado’s Big 12 schedule is considerably more difficult than Air Force’s Mountain West slate. But a watchful eye will tell you that the Falcons pass an eye test CU and CSU do not.There’s one thing that has eluded Calhoun and his program to this point: A Mountain West conference championship. Following an inexplicable loss to Wyoming two weeks ago, they aren’t – due to tiebreakers – in a great position to earn a spot in the MW title game this year, either. But with San Jose State, UTEP and nationally ranked New Mexico left on the schedule, another nine or even a 10-win season is possible. A win over the Lobos could earn them a national ranking. A nine or 10-win Falcons team should receive a bowl bid that doesn’t involve the Armed Forces Bowl (yet again) on another with a military tie-in. AFA has a national brand, and deserves to be rewarded with a higher profile bowl game against a Power Four opponent this time around.That would give Air Force another chance to prove who the big dog in Colorado college football still is.</div></body>

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While the more notable college football programs in Boulder and Fort Collins continue to struggle, guess who will be heading back to a bowl game again this season? That would be the newly minted owners of the 2026 version of Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, Troy Calhoun’s Air Force Falcons… you know, the program that can rightfully boast being about the best one in the state of Colorado.

Strike 3: Air Force is flying high again

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While the more notable college football programs in Boulder and Fort Collins continue to struggle, guess who will be heading back to a bowl game again this

Strike 3: Air Force is flying high again

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