The American Conference released a statement Sunday explaining why UTSA's game against Navy proceeded after a slight delay following an Air Force officer's fatal fall from the rafters during a pregame rappelling demonstration.
Nellis Air Force Base confirmed the unidentified officer's death early Sunday morning. Saturday night's game at the Alamodome was UTSA's military tribute night and featured military members rappelling from the building's ceiling.
The Air Force officer plunged from near the top of the scoreboard and violently landed on the field. He was immediately tended to by medical personnel, driven off the field on a cart and taken to a local hospital.
Sunday afternoon, the conference said that it held discussions with multiple entities over the course of the evening, but that the service member's condition was unknown during the game.
During the game, representatives of both participating member institutions, Alamodome management and local authorities met with American Conference Commissioner Tim Pernetti and a working group to review the information available and discuss next steps. At the time of those discussions, Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs had not publicly confirmed the service member's condition.
Air Force casualty notification and information-release procedures establish safeguards for notifying families and publicly releasing casualty information. In accordance with conference bylaws and with the support of both participating member institutions, the conference made the decision to continue the game. Respect for the family's privacy and adherence to the military's notification process guided the decision to mitigate speculation about the service member's medical status and avoid additional distress for his family.
Later, at 11:40 p.m. Eastern time, Nellis Air Force Base Public Affairs confirmed that the service member had been injured during the pregame demonstration and transported to a local hospital, where he later died. We are grateful to the first responders and emergency personnel who provided immediate care on the field. Our hearts and prayers are with everyone impacted by this tragedy.
We know this has been difficult for everyone involved. Per Nellis Air Force Base, the details surrounding his death are under investigation, and we have been asked to respect the privacy of the airman's family, loved ones and teammates during this difficult time.
UTSA won the game 38-34. In his postgame news conference, UTSA coach Jeff Traylor noted how somber the Alamodome crowd was at kickoff. There was an audible noise of horror from those who were in the stands at the time when the officer fell.
"There was something — you could just tell that the energy was just gone," Traylor said. "I've never had to deal with anything like that before. It just puts things in perspective. It really does."