Carrier Classic

The North Carolina Tar Heels and Michigan State Spartans await the tipoff of the 2011 Carrier Classic on the flight deck of USS Carl Vinson.

The inaugural Carrier Classic was played on Veterans Day, November 11, 2011. The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Michigan State Spartans, 67–55, before 8,111 fans which included members of the military, President Barack Obama and his family. Harrison Barnes was the top scorer for North Carolina with 17 points, while John Henson added 12 points. Branden Dawson and Adreian Payne each scored 10 points for Michigan State. The teams wore a special camouflage pattern on their uniforms. During the first half, the game was paused while sailors on board Carl Vinson conducted the evening retiring of colors at sunset.[1]

Temporary seating was built directly on the flight deck, in addition to the court and lighting. A duplicate setup was built in the hangar bay in case of inclement weather, but was not needed.

The 2012 Carrier Classic was scheduled for November 9, 2012 on board USS Yorktown in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. It was supposed to be a double header, with one game featuring the women's teams of Notre Dame and Ohio State, and the other game featuring the men's teams of Marquette and Ohio State.

Proceeds benefited charitable organizations including the Wounded Warrior Project, and tickets were available for veterans and members of the armed forces, as well as for sale to the public.

The 2012 Carrier Classic between Marquette and Ohio State was cancelled due to condensation on the court, an issue which was not present during the earlier Ohio State–Notre Dame game.[2][3] The other men's game that day, between Florida and Georgetown, was started and played through the first half, with the Gators leading the Hoyas 27–23. However, the same condensation issue arose, and the second half was not played, with the game later cancelled and all stats accumulated during the game erased.