Air Force Academy Cancels All Games in Response to Government Shutdown

While the Air Force Academy's sporting events shutdown takes place immediately, Army and Navy have yet to follow suit.

The Air Force Academy has responded to the federal government shutdown by canceling all of their scheduled sporting events "until further notice." This includes the men's and women's basketball teams matches against Fresno State today, men's gymnastics, men's ice hockey, rifle, and men's and women's swimming meets.

"Due to the government shutdown, all Air Force Academy home and away intercollegiate athletic events have been cancelled until further notice," the academy said in a statement via ESPN. "In the event a solution is reached, the Academy will work to reschedule as many missed events as possible."

On Friday night, U.S. Senators were unable to come to terms on a last ditch deal to fund the federal government prior to their midnight deadline. "This afternoon in my heart, I thought we may have a deal tonight. That was how far we'd come," Democrat Senate Minority Leader Schumer said shortly after the shutdown officially took effect. "That's how positive our discussion felt. We had a good meeting. But what has transpired since that meeting in the Oval Office is indicative of the entire tumultuous and chaotic process Republicans have engaged in the negotiations thus far."

"Tonight, they put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country's ability to serve all Americans," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. "We will not negotiate the status of unlawful immigrants while Democrats hold our lawful citizens hostage over their reckless demands. This is the behavior of obstructionist losers, not legislators. When Democrats start paying our armed forces and first responders we will reopen negotiations on immigration reform. During this politically manufactured Schumer Shutdown, the president and his administration will fight for and protect the American people."

Navy will continue playing its games as planned on Saturday; Army hasn't responded to the shutdown but the teams are expected to play on. Air Force relies on government spending, while Army and Navy do not.

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