Gator Hoops in Jacksonville on U.S. Navy carrier?

[blizz01]

What carrier?

UF hoops to play Georgetown in Jacksonville on U.S. Navy carrier

Florida will be starting its season in style, right here in Jacksonville.

The Gators will face Georgetown on Friday, Nov. 9 with the game being held on a U.S. Navy ship in honor of Veteran's Day. The ship is still to be determined.

Mayor Alvin Brown will announce the event at a press conference this afternoon with U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus.

The game is being held on the first day of the college basketball season.

It will also be a homecoming for Florida junior center Patric Young, who graduated from Providence School.

Florida's non-conference schedule now features games against Georgetown, Marquette, Wisconsin and Florida State. UF is coming off a 26-11 season that included a berth in the Elite Eight.

The Gators defeated the Hoyas 57-53 in the Sweet 16 of the 2006 NCAA Tournament on their way to their first national championship.

The matchup will kick off an eventful sports weekend for UF. The football team’s homecoming game against Louisiana-Lafayette will be the following day.

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/400642/hays-carlyon/2012-06-15/uf-hoops-play-georgetown-jacksonville-us-navy-carrier

[Tacachale]

That's really cool.

[fsujax]

Probably the new one they just annouced that will be based out of Mayport the USS New York.

[simms3]

Very cool!

[thehill]

The one they had last year(UNC - Michigan State) was really cool. Glad we are getting a chance to host it.

[acme54321]

New York's not a carrier, but except for the title the article doesn't mention the ship being a carrier.  They could do it on New York's aft deck but that wouldn't leave much if any room for spectators.  A carrier could be scheduled to be in Mayport during that time period and they plan to do it on a true carrier deck, lots more room that way.

[Elwood]

Not likely to be the USS New York (LPD-21) as she is a amphiboius transport dock and does not have the deck room for the game. Something like the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), which is also shifting to Mayport in 2014 would be ideal. It's flight deck would be more than adequate.

[civil42806]

There is no aircraft carrier in jax, guess could be an assault carrier but none of those have ever ported in jax as far as I know. Some fine reporting from the times union

[blizz01]

ESPN is reporting "off the coast" of Jacksonville / "on a ship"....

[stephenc]

Too bad you can't get a carrier downtown. How amazing would that be!!

[I-10east]

ESPN is reporting "off the coast" of Jacksonville / "on a ship"....

It would be trivial to think that ESPN is trying to take away anything from the city of Jacksonville. Can we please move on from the inferiority complex?

[Rynjny]

Too bad you can't get a carrier downtown. How amazing would that be!!

What's the reason that a carrier can't be at Downtown?

[stephenc]

Too bad you can't get a carrier downtown. How amazing would that be!!

What's the reason that a carrier can't be at Downtown?

I could be wrong but I don't think the river is deep enough or the bridges high or wide enough for a carrier. It only makes since if it was that it would be downtown.  I'm sure someone like Ock knows for sure.

[Rynjny]

Too bad you can't get a carrier downtown. How amazing would that be!!

What's the reason that a carrier can't be at Downtown?

I could be wrong but I don't think the river is deep enough or the bridges high or wide enough for a carrier. It only makes since if it was that it would be downtown.  I'm sure someone like Ock knows for sure.

They still haven't decided which ship to play on, maybe they might choose a ship which they might be able to dock downtown..

[tufsu1]

UNC and Michigan State played a game on a carrier in San Diego last year....was a tip-off to the season