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Come Fan with UsThursday, August 6, 2026

Carrier Classic: UNC Vs. Michigan State Game Time, TV Schedule And More

North Carolina and Michigan State will square off in the Carrier Classic, rain or shine, on Veteran’s Day.

The Michigan State Spartans are set to take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first-ever college basketball game aboard a United States Navy Aircraft Carrier, The USS Carl Vinson, on November, 11, 2011, Veterans Day, in the 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic

The season opener for both teams, the game will be televised on ESPN at 7:00 pm.

North Carolina enters the game as the No. 1 team in the nation according to both the AP and Coaches Polls. Michigan State is unranked and expected to be in the midst of a rebuilding year. The game is a rematch of the 2009 National title game and features legendary coaches Roy Williams (UNC) and Tom Izzo (MSU).

Former Los Angeles Lakers teammates Magic Johnson (MSU) and James Worthy (UNC) will be on-hand as honorary captains for their alma maters. Other notable guests include President Barack Obama, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, 2,000 Navy sailors and a collection of wounded service members that have been invited.

There is a chance of rain late Friday night or early Saturday morning, disrupting the event. However, If rain is in the forecast for San Diego around game time, the game will be played in the USS Carl Vinson’s hangar bay. Unfortunately, not all of the 7,000 expected-spectators would be able to watch the game in the hangar bay. Organizers will make the final call of “indoor or outdoor” at 3 pm on Friday.

Check out the time-lapsed footage of the Carrier Classic court set-up. For more information on the North Carolina Tar Heels, visit Carolina March. For more on the Michigan State Spartans, visit The Only Colors.

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