USS Carl Vinson may host first NCAA game on aircraft carrier

Washington (CNN) -- Hoops games happen all the time on aircraft carriers, but Tuesday officials from the Navy, the NCAA and Morale Entertainment met to discuss staging a major college basketball game on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.

The Carl Vinson has played key roles in the fight against terrorism almost since day one. The ship launched the first wave of air attacks on al Qaeda and Taliban targets in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, and most recently it was the ship from which Osama bin Laden was buried at sea.

Now the Carl Vinson is on track to make sports history, as the first ever carrier to host an NCAA basketball game.

The final deal hasn't been reached, but the plan, being promoted by Morale Entertainment, calls for the Michigan State Spartans to play the University of North Carolina Tar Heels on Veterans Day, November 11, on the top deck of the Carl Vinson at the U.S. naval base in San Diego at about 4 p.m. PT.

"The discussion with representatives is still ongoing. If we are able to come to a final agreement, we look forward to the opportunity this event presents for our Navy and the veterans," Cmdr. Danny Hernandez, U.S. Navy spokesman, said. "We're still reviewing the proposal."

The "Carrier Classic," as the game has been dubbed, would be the first televised college basketball game of the season for ESPN, which agreed to air the game if the negotiations are finalized and the Navy signs off on the deal.

But it will take more than a deal to pull the game off. First there's the game itself. Unlike indoor arenas, the deck of an aircraft carrier would mean possible winds, rain or sunshine. To cope with possible weather problems, two courts would be built on the ship: One up on the flight deck, the other below in the hangar deck, which would be protected from rain and some wind. The seating for the flight deck stadium would be wrapped with fabric to help block the wind, which college basketball players typically don't have to cope with.

As for the sunshine, the ship would be moored alongside a pier that would put the sun about midcourt, so no players would have to shoot into the setting sun. Plus a professional lighting crew that does lighting for rock concerts has been contacted about bringing in lights to help keep the court lit enough for the players and the TV cameras.

Another issue is security. An aircraft carrier is the Navy's most important asset. The game would attract about 7,000 fans. Getting them onto a secure Navy base and then on board a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier would take a significant security effort.

WNBA celebrates 15 seasons – ESPN | PAC-12 NCAA Sports

WNBA celebrates 15 seasons ESPN Smith has spent her career covering professional and college sports , and in particular women's basketball, for publications such as AOL Fanhouse, the San Francisco Chronicle and ESPN.com. She is also the editor and founder of leftcoasthoops.com, … and more?

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