The cadets march onto the field in unison, the squadrons forming perfect dark-blue squares as they move into position.

Rigid during the National Anthem, they burst out of formation like ants, racing toward the stands in the northeast corner. A small plane then drifts high above the press box, dropping a half-dozen black dots that turn into parachutists who float down to the white and blue logo at midfield.

The players take the field, get loose for a few minutes and head toward their respective sidelines. A trio of F-16s then bank hard out of the Rocky Mountains and barrel over the stadium seemingly close enough to touch, the deafening roar shaking concrete beneath the fans' feet.

It's game time at the Air Force Academy, and there may not be a better place to watch a college football game.

"You have the march on at the beginning, the fly-by, the cadets filling the corner of the stadium, the live falcon at halftime — it's a lively atmosphere to watch a football game," said Cadet Fourth Class John Krzyminski, of Cincinnati.

Certainly, you'll have a hard time finding a better setting.

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THE SETTING

Though old and relatively small (47,000 fans), Falcon Stadium is carved from the side of a mountain, the stands cascading from a press box that appears to be hundreds of feet above the field. Pine trees blanket the area surrounding the stadium, and the Rockies hover just to the west, with the snowcapped tip of 14,111-foot Pikes Peak jutting up just behind the foothills.

But this is more than just a pretty place.

Stroll through the parking lot before a game, and you won't find the Jell-O-shot-and-beer-bong crowd. Sure, there's tailgating and fans drinking beer — a large, white tent just below the stadium serves it on tap — but it's much more of a family atmosphere than you find at bigger colleges.

There are kids tossing footballs around every 15 feet or so in the dirt-and-grass parking lots, a fanfest that has slides and games, and far more families eating hot dogs than fraternity guys doing shots.

"There is no comparison," said retired Air Force officer Tim McMahon of Colorado Springs. "This is a fun atmosphere. It's clean, it's wholesome. You can come here, have a good time, hopefully see a good football and it's a good place to have kids and a family."

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SERVICE ACADEMY PRIORITIES

Go to a game at a perennially strong football program like Tennessee or Michigan and there's a win-at-all-costs, scream-til-you-drop attitude.

At Air Force, the focus is on training officers, providing the skills to lead and defend our country. While football is still important at Air Force, it's nowhere near the top of the priority list.

"Everybody realizes this is about a game," said retired Air Force officer Tom Cullen of Colorado Springs. "It's sport and it's used as a leadership lab so when those young men walk off that field it's all about walking off as adults and contributing to society. People don't live and die for a game here."

There's also a respect factor.

Because it's a military academy, the fans — many of them retired Air Force — and particularly the cadets are more subdued than at other colleges in deference to what the place represents. With all of the men and women in uniform, particularly the generals (a half dozen on this game) and high-ranking officers around, even nonmilitary fans feel like they need to keep the rowdiness in check.

Besides, it's not like you're going to pull a girls-gone-wild moment with guys in camouflage walking around with assault rifles and snarling dogs.

"It's respect for the academy itself, its history," said Cadet Fourth Class David Asche, of Maryland's Eastern Shore. "It hasn't been around as long as some of the other academies, but it has it's own history that sets a bar that needs to be met."

But don't get us wrong. This isn't a buttoned-up, don't-you-dare-have-any-fun kind of place.

The pregame features the at-attention-to-boisterous antics of the cadets, the parachutes, the F-16 flyover. During the game, there's the rowdy, shirtless lacrosse team in the front row with the vocal, bluecoated cadets cheering behind them.

The halftime show includes a falcon swooping inches above the crowd at up to 200 mph, and the postgame features both teams gathering in the corner of the north end zone as the Air Force band plays a chill-inducing song to honor servicemen who have been killed in action.

There's too many cool things going on to not have a good time at an Air Force game.

"You can see it as more low-key because there isn't much wild stuff going on, but everybody's still into it, real excited for the game," said Cadet First Class Will Meister of Denver. "It's just a lot of fun."

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John Marshall is asap's sports writer, based in Denver. Click on the photo below for video.

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