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Report: Gonzaga, Michigan State in talks to play game on aircraft carrier on Veterans Day

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•06/14/22•

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SAN DIEGO, CA - NOVEMBER 11: An aerial view of the Battle On The Midway college basketball game played between the Syracuse Orange and the San Diego State Aztecs on board the USS Midway on November 11, 2012 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Michigan State and Gonzaga are reportedly trying to make aircraft carrier games a thing again.

The two teams are in “advanced discussions” to play a regular season game on an aircraft carrier Nov. 11 — Veterans Day — according to CBS Sports and FanDuel’s Jon Rothstein. There are still plenty of logistics to work out, especially with the military, but Rothstein reported things are looking promising.

Games were previously played on aircraft carriers in 2011 and 2012, but games haven’t been played in military settings much recently due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. That sounds like it’s on the verge of changing.

More on Gonzaga, Michigan State in 2022-23

Gonzaga is once again in position to be a top team in the nation in 2022-23 after a 28-4 overall record last year, including 14-1 in West Coast Conference play. The Bulldogs are going to have to replace Chet Holmgren, who’s a projected top-three pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but landed two big-time players from the transfer portal. However, the return of Drew Timme is a huge boost for an already loaded group.

Former LSU center Efton Reid and former Chattanooga guard Malachi Smith are both heading to Spokane after becoming top-25 transfers to hit the portal this year, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings.

Michigan State, meanwhile, went 23-13 overall and 11-9 in Big Ten play last season. The Spartans are dealing with some tough losses, though, with Max Christie, Gabe Brown and Marcus Bingham out of the picture. But Joey Hauser, Malik Hall and AJ Hoggard are all due back, and Michigan State has the No. 23 recruiting class in the nation coming in, according to the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking.

Jaxon Kohler has plenty of hype entering his freshman year, coming in as the No. 43 recruit in the nation from the class of 2022, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.