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Word started about two days ago that the Buckeye basketball team was looking to play against Marquette on an aircraft carrier (a la North Carolina-Michigan State) when the new season started.
Now it seems that the Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball teams plan to open their seasons on the same night at the deck of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in Charleston, S.C as was rumored.
"A contract has been signed for the women’s team to play Notre Dame on Nov. 9 in the Carrier Classic, according to Mike Whalen, founder and managing partner of the nonprofit Morale Entertainment Foundation, the event promoter.
An agreement to match the Ohio State men the same night against Marquette, also on the deck of the USS Yorktown, is close to being completed, said Miechelle Willis, an executive associate athletic director at Ohio State who oversees both basketball programs.
The games will be televised by ESPN networks, Willis added. ESPN.com first reported yesterday that Ohio State and Marquette were negotiating to play the game."
The Carrier Classic made its debut last season when the Michigan State and North Carolina men squared off aboard the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego. This will be the first such women’s game promoted by Morale Entertainment, which conducts overseas tours for American armed forces.
An official announcement is expected to be coming in June for the Men's basketball team.
The Ohio State men had been scheduled to open their season on Nov. 9 at home against Albany as part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tipoff tournament. That game will be moved to Nov. 11, Willis said.
Portable seating will be built on the carrier to accommodate about 4,000 spectators, The Post and Courier reported.
"A contract has been signed for the women’s team to play Notre Dame on Nov. 9 in the Carrier Classic, according to Mike Whalen, founder and managing partner of the nonprofit Morale Entertainment Foundation, the event promoter.
An agreement to match the Ohio State men the same night against Marquette, also on the deck of the USS Yorktown, is close to being completed, said Miechelle Willis, an executive associate athletic director at Ohio State who oversees both basketball programs.
The games will be televised by ESPN networks, Willis added. ESPN.com first reported yesterday that Ohio State and Marquette were negotiating to play the game."
The Carrier Classic made its debut last season when the Michigan State and North Carolina men squared off aboard the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego. This will be the first such women’s game promoted by Morale Entertainment, which conducts overseas tours for American armed forces.
An official announcement is expected to be coming in June for the Men's basketball team.
The Ohio State men had been scheduled to open their season on Nov. 9 at home against Albany as part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tipoff tournament. That game will be moved to Nov. 11, Willis said.
Portable seating will be built on the carrier to accommodate about 4,000 spectators, The Post and Courier reported.
Keep it at Inside The Shoe for the latest news, updates and opinions on Ohio State athletics.
