USS Carl Vinson's (CVN 70) flight deck began its transformation into a complete basketball arena Nov. 1, as workers readied it for the inaugural Quicken Loans Carrier Classic basketball game Nov. 11.
Carl Vinson will host the Spartans of Michigan State University and the Tar Heels from the University of North Carolina on Veterans' Day. The game, to be aired live on Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN), was conceived as a way to show appreciation for active duty service members and military veterans.
The nine-day process of constructing an arena to seat 7000 spectators is estimated to involve more than 150 construction personnel. Pieces of the arena, such as the floor, bleachers, lights and tents will be brought from all over the United States in preparation for the event.
"There are thousands of moving parts that we're trying to fit together, between the Navy, the Morale Entertainment Foundation, the schools, and ESPN. The real challenge is seeing how all the parts will mesh," said Jim Preston, a Morale Entertainment Foundation volunteer. "We have the right people for the job - people who have helped coordinate past Olympics and Super Bowl halftime shows. The end result is going to be something to see."
In addition to all the moving parts and intricacies of setting up a basketball court on the carrier's flight deck, the construction crew will produce a secondary arena in the ship's hangar bay, to be used in the event of inclement weather.
This is going to be awesome to see once it is done.
As to the question of what happens if there is rain, the answer is a second court on the hangar deck which will seat fewer people but allowed the game to be played. It would be an understatement to say that the USS Carl Vinson is a big freaking ship.
According to The Weather Channel the forecast for San Diego on November 11th is 65 F and cloudy.