College basketball is set to be played on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier this fall for the first time in a decade.
Michigan State and Gonzaga will square off on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of San Diego on Nov. 11, the schools announced. The game will be the first of its kind since 2012, when a string of bad weather led to multiple cancellations.
The game will be part of the Armed Forces Classic, though this matchup will be the only one played outdoors. The USS Abraham Lincoln is currently on deployment.
It will be the second time that Michigan State has played on an aircraft carrier. Coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans played in the first game back in 2011 against North Carolina on the USS Carl Vinson.
“When we played a game on the deck of an aircraft carrier just over 10 years ago to help honor Veteran’s Day, we thought it might be a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience,” Izzo . “I know our team, our players, our coaches and staff and Michigan State Athletics is very excited about getting the opportunity to play a tremendous program like Gonzaga on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln and honoring all of those who serve in our military … “This opportunity to play on an aircraft carrier in front of men and women who serve in the military and are willing to put their lives on the line is an experience that is going to mean something to the young men who will play in the game for a long, long time.
“I said it last time and I’ll say it again, we’re going to play one of the best teams in the country and we’re going to be hosted by the No. 1 team in the world.”
The 2011 matchup in the Carrier Classic finished less than an hour before rain poured in the area. The following year, only two of four scheduled games were played due to rain. One game in 2012 was called off after halftime because the court was too wet to continue.
While weather will obviously be a factor in the game this fall, ESPN’s vice president of events Clint Overby said they will have contingency plans in place.
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