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Michigan State wants an aircraft carrier game in 2013

RNPS IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2011

RNPS IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2011 - Michigan State Spartans center Adreian Payne (5) goes to the basket against North Carolina Tar Heels forward John Henson (31) at the NCAA Carrier Classic men’s college basketball game on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in Coronado California November 11 , 2011. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL MILITARY)

REUTERS

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis, who was recently named Athletic Director of the Year by Sports Business Journal, said on Thursday that the school is interested in playing in the 2013 Carrier Classic according to Diamond Leung of mlive.com.

The Spartans took place in the inaugural event last November, losing to North Carolina on the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego.

“There is nothing solidified,” Hollis said Thursday. “We’re looking at the possibility of something in ’13 in Florida.

“It’s difficult to tie one of those billion-dollar warships down two years in advance, but if we did so, we’d want to take it to Florida.”

Connecticut will play on a carrier in Florida this fall while Syracuse and San Diego State will play on the USS Midway in San Diego.

But who would Michigan State play on the carrier in 2013 should they get the opportunity? Hollis has stated twice that he would like to get Notre Dame back on the schedule, so maybe they’d be a fit.

The two schools haven’t met on the basketball court since 1979, playing far more often on the football field.

There’s still time before a decision’s made as to who will play in the 2013 game but it’s obvious that these games are a good idea for a sport that really doesn’t have an “opening day” of any sort.

While it’s tough to steal too many eyeballs away from college football in November, playing games on an aircraft carrier tend to bring some much-needed early season attention to college basketball.

Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.