Football games and other sports at military institutions will proceed as scheduled until at least the end of the month, the Associated Press reported.
The decision was made by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. But next month, if the government shutdown persists, he'll have to make the call again, according to Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren.
According to the AP, Hagel acted on the advice of Pentagon lawyers and military leaders, who pointed out the potential fines faced by military institutions should they cancel games.
Most of the military academies have argued - and proved - that government funds are not used in any of their football games. According to Yahoo, games are funded by a combination of ticket sales, TV revenue, donations, and fundraisers.
Navy's football program is funded "100 percent by external revenue," academy spokesman Commander John Schofield said. "The program is not funded by government-appropriated dollars."
According to the AP, however, Navy athletic director Chuck Gladchuk is still trying to prove that.
The announcement might be more important for less profile sports, many of which had been cancelled prior to Hagel's announcement, reported Yahoo! Without conflicting reports, it could be assumed those sports will also resume as scheduled.
A portion of the money raised by football at many military academies goes to other sports, reported Yahoo.
If the government isn't running by December, the historic Army-Navy game could be in jeopardy, reported the AP, but most likely not since schools have demonstrated private funding.
