Service Academy Athletics In Jeopardy Following Government Shutdown

After failing to reach its requirement, the federal government is currently shutdown, leaving many federal workers without work and funding cut for many federal agencies for the first time in 17 years. On Tuesday, it has been learned the government shutdown may have an impact on the sports world.

According to a release from the Department of Defense, all intercollegiate athletics from Army, Navy, and Air Force have been postponed due to the government shutdown. The suspensions of athletics for the service academies are expected to occur until the shutdown is resolved.

The impact has all ready been felt in the athletics world. Tuesday’s soccer game between Navy and Howard University has been cancelled. Many other athletic events, along with the weekly press conference for Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun set for Tuesday, has also been cancelled.

This Saturday, Air Force was set to travel to Annapolis to play Navy in the first game for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, a sold out game scheduled to be nationally televised on CBS. A person with knowledge told USA Today that if the government shutdown extends through the weekend, the Air Force at Navy game will be cancelled. Due to the schedule setup for both schools, there could be an opportunity to reschedule the game at the end of the regular season if needed. A decision on Saturday’s game will be determined at noon ET Thursday.

Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk called Saturday’s game against Air Force the biggest home game on the schedule for the academy, after all ready selling over 40,000 tickets for the game. Should the game be cancelled, Gladchuk feared losing millions of dollars for the Naval Academy and an impact in the local economy.

Army, who was set to travel to Boston College Saturday, may also be in jeopardy of cancellation due to the government shutdown.

Air Force associate athletic director Troy Garnhart explained to the Colorado Springs Gazette that the Air Force support staff would not be eligible to travel due to the shutdown. Upper class players are considered military personnel and could also have travel restrictions, according to Garnhart.

Follow Brandon Boles on Twitter: @BrandonBoles

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Twitter: @FullScaleSport

(Photo Credit: David Zalubowski/Associated Press)

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