In honor of Veterans Day and to mark the 100th anniversary of the United States Navy‘s adoption of aircraft carriers, courtside for the 2022 Armed Forces Classic could also be described as portside – as Gonzaga will play Michigan State on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) in the San Diego harbor on Friday, November 11.
Game time is scheduled for 6:30 pm ET (3:30 pm PT), and it will be televised on ESPN.
Since 2012, the Armed Forces Classic has featured men’s college basketball programs competing on military bases and at Armed Services locations around the world. The first game, held on November 9, 2012, was between Michigan State and UConn at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It marked the first time that a college basketball game was played between two NCAA Division I teams in Europe.
The 2016 edition broke with tradition, however, and was actually held at the Stan Sheriff Center on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in Honolulu to mark the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Tip-Off on the Flight Deck
This week’s Armed Forces Classic – the first since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic – will also mark the first time since 2012 that a college basketball game will be played on the deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.
The first “Carrier Classic” took place on November 11, 2011, aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) between Michigan State and North Carolina, and it was attended by 8,111 fans that included members of the military as well as then-President Barack Obama. The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Michigan State Spartans, 67-55.
Temporary seating was built directly on the flight deck, along with court and lighting, while a duplicate setup was prepared in the hangar bay in case of inclement weather.
The 2012 Carrier Classic was greatly expanded, with three different flattops hosting games. A doubleheader was scheduled for November 9 on board the former USS Yorktown (CV-10), a museum ship in Charleston Harbor. It was originally supposed to feature the women’s teams of Notre Dame and Ohio State, while a second game was to feature the men’s teams of Marquette and Ohio State. Though the women of Notre Dame defeated Ohio State, the men’s game was scrubbed due to condensation on the court.
That same day, the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) also hosted a match between Georgetown and Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, but it was also canceled midway through due to a similar condensation issue. A fourth game took place two days later, on Veteran’s Day in San Diego on board the former USS Midway (CV-41), also a museum ship, between Syracuse and San Diego State. Despite having a quasi “home court” advantage, San Diego State lost 49 to 62.
Armed Forces Classic on a Carrier
Though the Armed Forces Classic has essentially replaced the Carrier Classic, this game offers the best of both for basketball fans.
“It is truly an honor that, on Veteran’s Day in the centennial year of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, we will host the Armed Forces Classic basketball game on the flight deck of one of our most renowned aircraft carriers, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72),” said Vice Adm. Kenneth Whitesell, Commander, Naval Air Forces, earlier this year when the game was announced. “Those who serve, and who have served, know that the military is the ultimate team sport, and I can think of no better way to salute our men and women in uniform than to celebrate this all-American pastime together on one of our nation’s capital warships.”
Teams Pay Tribute to the Military
This week, the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Michigan State Spartans also unveiled special-edition Nike uniforms that will be worn when the teams tip off on Veteran’s Day. The jerseys and shorts worn by both teams will feature a camouflage pattern, reminiscent to uniforms worn in the past by teams that have played in the Armed Forces Classic.
The Bulldogs’ light gray camouflage uniforms will feature the classic “Gonzaga” script across the chest in navy and red with a navy number outlined in red trim, while Michigan State’s dark green camo uniforms feature an oversized Spartans logo on the chest/stomach area and an American flag above the Big Ten logo near the left shoulder area.
The back of both teams’ jerseys will pay tribute to the Armed Forces with “U.S.A” script stitched across the nameplates where players’ last names are usually featured.
Regardless of who comes out on top, the biggest winners could be those who get a chance to see the players take to court on the Nimitz-class supercarrier.
