Syracuse VS SDSU at USS Midway

On November 9, San Diego will have its very own Battle on the Midway. The opponents: Syracuse and San Diego State. The two schools will be competing in a basketball game on the Midway’s flight deck.

For the East, Syracuse, before their loss to Ohio State, was the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.  The Orangemen’s record was 34-3.

For the West, San Diego State was on its way to winning the Mountain West championship and NCCA but then lost to North Carolina State. The Aztec’s record was 26-8.

According to the Washington Post, “The schools have met only once before, with Syracuse beating SDSU in the second round of the 2007 postseason NIT.” The game was the only time the two national championship coaches met.

The game between the two schools will start at 4PM and will be one of many ways to celebrate Veteran’s Day.

“The game is a great match-up, with west meeting east to kick off their seasons in beautiful San Diego in a nationally televised broadcast,” San Diego Sports Commission representative Al Kidd stated Tuesday. “We have a tremendous match-up that is sure to capture the interests of basketball fans and pay respect to our servicemen and servicewomen on this important national holiday.” This year’s event on the Midway will be hosted by the partnership of Syndicus Entertainment and San Diego Sports Commission.

All the proceeds earned from the game will go towards a variety of veterans’ organizations.

This is not the first time a state game has competed on a carrier. Last year for Veteran’s Day, North Carolina battled it out against Michigan State and won 67-55. The event, known as the Carrier Classic, was held on the USS Carl Vinson and was hosted by Morale Entertainment. The Carrier Classic had to move out of San Diego for this year due to lack of any active Navy ships being available for it.

The coaches from both sides of the Midway Battle are looking forward to the upcoming game. SDSU coach Steve Fisher stated, “We look forward to bringing the focus of the nation to the military, the city and San Diego State University with this wonderful event.” Jim Boheim, the Syracuse coach, believes that it will be “a tremendous honor” to participate in the holiday game.

The Veteran’s Day Battle on the Midway game will not be the only special event happening that day. According to 10 News San Diego, “Other events surrounding this November’s game include the Strikeouts For Troops gala and concert on Nov. 11 at the museum, hosted by Barry Zito, a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants who grew up in San Diego. The organizers said they expect the concert to be on national television.” Proceeds from the gala will go towards many charities that are supported by the Strikeout for Troops.

Photos courtesy of SD Dirk, Syracuse University, U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Roza Arzola, and Tenji via WikiCommons.