The Confidential

The (New) Carrier Classic!

Syracuse fans will recall that they used to host a Carrier Classic in the–yep, you guessed it–Carrier Dome.  But, alas, that Carrier Classic withered away.  Not sure what is going on with the intellectual property rights, but there is going to be a Carrier Classic this Friday and it has nothing to do with the Orange.

This new Carrier Classic will be a tribute to Veterans Day and take place on an actual aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson.  The game will feature North Carolina and Michigan State, two perennially elite teams.  This game will be attended by many military personnel, up to and including the Commander-in-Chief President Barack Obama.  This, of course, rarely happens.

Also, only a limited number of fans from each school will be present. We will not see many rowdy college students with painted faces.  We will not see the Izzone.  This will not be the Dean Dome.  This will be a very odd basketball game in the sense that few fans will be watching live as these two teams play.

Of course, that is not the most of it.  The game will be outdoors!  This never happens.  Name the last outdoor college basketball game.  See what I mean?  And if you can even find one, I bet it was not on a boat.   So this is historical.

There is even a contingency in case of rain in San Diego.  This carrier is equipped to allow the game to be moved downstairs.  And, amazingly, the contingency plan is looking like a good idea given the forecast.

It gets better… North Carolina is, of course, the preseason #1 team.  While Michigan State is not ranked, you rarely see Tom Izzo get outcoached.  His teams are rarely out hustled.  A win by the Spartans would be a great way to start out the season, so you can guarantee that they will be amped up.

Of course, North Carolina has a few NBA players loitering on campus because there is no point in going “pro” if the “pros” are not even playing.  Tarheel fans can thank the NBA greed for the surplus of talent on campus this year.  The road to the Final Four begins on Friday for these returning players.

If you like college basketball, you’ll want to watch the (New) Carrier Classic.