Sites, Teams Announced for the 2015, 2016 Armed Forces Classic
2016 Event from Naval Base at Pearl Harbor on Veteran’s Day
The Armed Forces Classic – a series of Division I men’s college basketball games that are played on United States military bases worldwide over a five-year rotation – will originate from the Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler in Okinawa, Japan in 2015 and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu in 2016.
The 2015 Classic on Friday, Nov.13, will feature Gonzaga against Pittsburgh, marking the first-ever meeting between the two nationally-recognized programs. Gonzaga is ranked No. 13 in Associated Press preseason poll and Pittsburgh is receiving votes.
The 2016 event on Veteran’s Day on Friday, Nov. 11 – just under a month from the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor – will pit Indiana vs. Kansas and Arizona vs. Michigan State. Indiana and Kansas have not matched up since 1995, with the Jayhawks leading the series 7-6. Arizona leads the series with Michigan State 4-2, last meeting in 2005. Known for its rich basketball history, the four programs have combined to win 11 NCAA titles and advance to 34 Men’s Final Fours.
The games will be televised on ESPN as part of the network’s America’s Heroes: A Salute to Our Veterans initiative honoring the men and women who are serving and who have served in the United States military, both at home and abroad.
Armed Forces Classic History
Nov. 14, 2014: Takes place from the United States Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico and features No. 8 Louisville vs. Minnesota.
Nov. 8, 2013: Then-No. 19 Oregon topped Georgetown 82-75 from United States Army Garrison Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea.
Nov. 9, 2012: Unranked Connecticut upset then-No. 14 Michigan State 66-62 from inside a C-5 transport airplane hangar on Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
ESPN Media Contact: Rachel Margolis Siegal at 860-766-2798 or [email protected]