Nov. 9, 2000

By Meri-Jo Borzilleri
The Gazette

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Air Force's football team must win one of its last two games - one of them being Saturday's showdown against state rival and conference champion Colorado State - to qualify for a bowl game.

But just in case, the academy has appealed to an NCAA committee to allow the win over Cal State Northridge to count.

Air Force got word Monday that the 55-6 victory over the I-AA school on Sept. 2 would not count toward the minimum six wins required for bowl eligibility because Cal State Northridge didn't average 60 scholarships over the past four seasons.

Northridge reportedly had 43 this season, and according to the school's athletic director, has "never operated at 60 scholarships."

Air Force athletic director Col. Randy Spetman said the Falcons (6-3, 3-2 Mountain West Conference) sent a letter Wednesday to the NCAA Football Issues Committee in hopes it could make an exception. A decision is expected in two to three weeks.

The MWC has three bowl tie-ins this season: the Dec. 29 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn. (11:30 a.m.), the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 21 (4 p.m.) and the Silicon Valley Bowl in San Jose, Calif., on Dec. 31 (5 p.m.).

Air Force quarterback Mike Thiessen has no interest in the controversy.

"I really couldn't care less," Thiessen said. "As far as I'm concerned, if we lose our last two games we don't deserve to play a bowl game anyway."

Meanwhile, Cal State Northridge officials say Air Force is to blame for not checking to be sure the game would count.

"It was never an issue that was brought up in our discussions," Northridge athletic director Dick Dull told the Los Angeles Daily News. "We've never operated at 60 scholarships."

"I never asked," Spetman admitted. "I never thought it'd be an issue."

Spetman said the basis of the appeal is that Air Force was trying to help out a smaller program, and that Cal State Northridge was making an effort to reach the scholarship level required to qualify as a "countable" opponent for Air Force.

Cal State Northridge got $125,000 for playing at Falcon Stadium. The game drew 50,166 spectators.

"I'm not mad at them," Spetman said. "I wish I would have thought of (asking about the scholarships). It's a business world and they're trying to keep their program alive ... They had no obligation to tell me."

Matadors coach Jeff Kearin told the Daily News the school did not mislead Air Force.

"Everyone's making it sound like I should care about that and I guess I should," Kearin said. "I do and I don't. I guess that's (Spetman's) job. He gets the big bucks to do that."

Air Force traditionally has trouble lining up Division I-A opponents for its season opener because Parents Weekend requires the game be played at home.

Next season's opener is no exception. Air Force has a contract to play Division I-AA Southwest Texas. Recently, Spetman made sure to inquire about that school's scholarship status, and found the requirement was met over the last couple of years. Stung by the past week's developments, Spetman isn't stopping there.

"I haven't gotten a written statement yet," he said. "I'll get one."

If it's found Southwest Texas has not averaged 60 scholarships over the past four years, Spetman said Air Force will seek a release from the contract and will likely face a fine but isn't sure how much.

"Hopefully in the next two weeks we can take care of our own problem," he said, alluding to a win against CSU Saturday or San Diego State on Nov. 18.

MARTIN ENTERS HALL

Ben Martin, Air Force coach from 1958-77, will be inducted as a charter member of the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame tonight.

Martin, now the radio analyst for Air Force games, has the longest tenure of any Falcons head coach. Martin was the team's second coach after Buck Shaw, and compiled a record of 96-103-9.

ENGINEERING FEAT

Seniors Dallas Thompson and Scott Becker were named to the Verizon Academic All-District VII team Wednesday, making them eligible for academic all-American honors later this month.

Thompson is AFA's starting punter and has a 3.53 grade-point average as a civil engineering major. Becker, the starting fullback, has a 3.8 grade-point average, also in civil engineering. Becker recently won an $18,000 National Football Foundation postgraduate scholarship.

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE

Air Force is expecting as many as 50,000 spectators for the 4 p.m. Air Force-Colorado State game at 52,480-seat Falcon Stadium. Tickets are still available. Call 472-1895 or 1-800-666-USAF.