The 1982 Hall of Fame Classic, part of the 1982 bowl game season, was the sixth annual contest and took place on December 31, 1982, at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The competing teams were the Vanderbilt Commodores, representing the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the Air Force Falcons, representing the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Down 28–17 entering the fourth quarter, 19 unanswered points gave Air Force the 36–28 come-from-behind victory.

The 1982 squad finished the regular season 7–5. The Falcons lost to Tulsa, Texas Tech, New Mexico, Colorado State and Hawaii. They accepted an invitation to play in the Hall of Fame Classic Bowl against Vanderbilt following their upset victory over Notre Dame November 21. The appearance was the fourth overall bowl appearance and the first in the Hall of Fame Classic Bowl for Air Force. Stanford was the original selection, but became ineligible for bowl participation following their loss California.

The 1982 Vanderbilt squad finished the regular season 8–3. The Commodores lost to North Carolina, Alabama and Georgia. They accepted an invitation to play in the Hall of Fame Classic Bowl following their 27–16 victory over Tennessee–Chattanooga November 20. The appearance was the third overall bowl appearance and the first in the Hall of Fame Classic Bowl for Vanderbilt.

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