Happy birthday, Colorado — and Colorado sports.

Leading into the state’s 150th birthday Aug. 1, The Denver Gazette has partnered with the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame to publicize the definitive list of Colorado’s top 150 sports moments.

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian Dave Plati and a committee of 10 compiled and will release the list every week until the No. 1 moment on July 31. Plati and Broncos icon Jim Saccomano will unveil the list weekly on a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame podcast at coloradosports.org/podcast/.

No. 106

Jan. 1, 1959

The Air Force Academy, with a football program in just its fourth year of existence and ranked No. 6, earned its first New Year’s Day bowl berth, opposite No. 10 TCU in the Cotton Bowl. On a cool, 48-degree day in Dallas, the teams battled to a scoreless tie, combining for 458 yards of offense, as well as fumbling the ball 13 times and turning it over eight times. Air Force, in its first season under coach Ben Martin, finished 9-0-2 and was undefeated against in-state schools (CU, CSU and DU). 

— Dave Plati, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian