Getting ready forAir Force Falcons games at Falcon Stadium, Clune Arena and Cadet Ice Arena.
Air Force Falcons football at Falcon Stadium, and basketball and hockey at Clune Arena and Cadet Ice Arena in the Cadet Field House, all on the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Grown-ups show ID at the base gate, bags must be clear, and football games use fireworks.
Know before you go. Air Force Athletics doesn't list sensory-friendly games or a quiet room. Here's what it does say about the base gates, bags, fireworks and leaving and coming back.
Hours
Falcon Stadium: parking lots open 4 hours before kickoff, the Ticket Office and Will Call 3 hours before, and stadium gates 2 hours before. Cadet Field House (Clune Arena and Cadet Ice Arena): the building and Ticket Office open 1 hour before the event, and early arrival is recommended. Base visitor hours at both gates are currently 5:30 am to 10 pm.
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 80840. Falcon Stadium; Clune Arena and Cadet Ice Arena are in the Cadet Field House (Cadet Ice Arena: 2169 Field House Drive). From I-25, exit 150 for the South Gate or exit 156 for the North Gate.
Games are on a federal Air Force base. “Spectators should always be prepared to show IDs when entering the gates.” “Spectators should always allow extra time for ID checks at the gates.”
“REENTRY: NOT permitted at Falcon Stadium.”
At the Cadet Field House (Clune Arena and Cadet Ice Arena): “RE-ENTRY: Permitted but must receive handstamp prior to exiting venue. Must reenter through metal detectors.”
“The Cadet Field House and Ticket Office open 1-hour prior to the start of the event. Early arrival is recommended.” “Be prepared to show keys, cell phones, and other metal related items during metal detection process.”
At football games: “Enhanced fireworks, pyrotechnics and stadium lighting will be used at select points during the game, including when the Falcons take the field, score, prior to the 4th quarter, and win!”
Football traditions include “the Cadet march-on, Wings of Blue parachute demonstration team and flyovers.”
“Artificial noisemakers of any kind” are on the prohibited list.
“Diaper bags with an infant present and breast pumping equipment are permitted but are subject to search.” “Certain food & beverages, bags, oxygen cannisters, epi-pens, diabetes needles, canes & wheelchairs are allowed for medical conditions/medical purposes and for infants/pumping needs.”
“Baby seats, large strollers (collapsible umbrella strollers are permitted)” are on the prohibited list.
Before football games, Falcon Alley has games, inflatables and food from three hours before kickoff. “Falcon Alley is open to fans of all ages and is free to enter and enjoy.”
At Falcon Stadium there's no re-entry, so plan breaks inside the stadium. At Clune Arena and Cadet Ice Arena you can step outside and come back in: get a handstamp before you leave, and you go through the metal detectors again.
There's no storage for items that aren't allowed, so anything that doesn't pass goes back to the car. At the Cadet Field House, be ready to show keys, phones and other metal items at the metal detectors.
For a full-size copy your child can use, open this page at squaredsteps.com, tap Make it yours, then print.
Ask before you go
sensory-friendly games
a quiet room
sensory kits or headphones to borrow
Call 719-472-1895More about Air Force Falcons games: Falcon Stadium, Clune Arena and Cadet Ice Arena
Every game is on the Air Force Academy, a federal base. For football, U.S. citizens need no base pass, but visitors over 18 need a U.S. government-issued ID or passport, and foreign nationals with a passport still register with the Pass and Registration Office. For other events, anyone without a DoD ID card needs a visitor pass; ticket holders request it once a month through the Athletics Access Link, using the information exactly as it is on the driver's license (Robert, not Bob), then show the message they get on their phone at the gate. Anyone under 18 doesn't need the QR code.
Re-entry depends on the venue: none at Falcon Stadium; at the Cadet Field House (Clune Arena and Cadet Ice Arena), re-entry with a handstamp, back through the metal detectors.
Clear bags at every venue: one clear bag per ticket holder up to 12 by 12 by 12 inches, a one-gallon clear zip-lock bag, or a small clutch or fanny pack up to 5.5 by 7.5 inches. Diaper bags with an infant and breast pumping equipment are allowed but searched, and some food, drinks, bags and medical items are allowed for medical conditions, infants and pumping needs.
Louder
Fireworks at Falcon Stadium (fireworks, pyrotechnics and stadium lighting at select points of football games, including when the Falcons take the field, score, before the 4th quarter and when they win)not stated
Football traditions (the Cadet march-on, the Wings of Blue parachute demonstration team and flyovers)not stated
Everyone 3 and older needs a ticket. Children 2 and under don't, if they sit on the lap of a ticketed adult. Tickets are at AFtickets.com or the Ticket Office, 719-472-1895, and open on your phone in the Air Force Falcons app or at AFtickets.com, not on a desktop computer.
All ticket sales are final, with no refunds, cancellations or exchanges, and Air Force Athletics can change game times, dates or locations with no refunds. The Ticket Office doesn't take back unused tickets for resale, credit or refund; you can transfer them free in your online account or list them on SeatGeek.
Water is the only drink allowed: clear, soft plastic bottles of 24 oz or less, factory sealed or empty for refilling. Food is allowed in one clear one-gallon zip-lock bag per ticket holder. All Athletic Department venues are cashless.
Baby seats and large strollers aren't allowed; collapsible umbrella strollers are. Other items not allowed include artificial noisemakers, umbrellas, balls of any kind, flash photography, camera sticks and tripods, signs larger than 18 by 24 inches, seatbacks wider than 18 inches, alcohol, glass and hard-sided containers, smoking and vaping, and pets: emotional support animals don't qualify as service animals. The full list is on each venue's entry policy page.
Football parking: lots open four hours before kickoff, and parking passes aren't needed for general parking. Fans in lots 1 and 2 use the South Gate and lots 4 to 6 the North Gate; from lot 3, follow the signs and event staff to your gate. Tailgating ends two hours after the game.
Basketball and hockey parking: the East Parking Lots by the Cadet Field House. Enter through the North Gate and follow Parade Loop and Field House Drive.
Falcon Alley, the pregame area outside Falcon Stadium, opens three hours before kickoff with games, inflatables and food, and is free to enter for fans of all ages.
For fans with disabilities that make it hard to walk long distances, a courtesy shuttle at Falcon Stadium runs from marked stops to the nearest gate, starting two hours before kickoff and for one hour after the game; waits may be longer when it's busy. Accessible seats are sold at AFtickets.com or by calling the Ticket Office at 719-472-1895.
