Unusual venues make nonconference games more memorable

By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Two of the more notable games on Friday’s college basketball schedule are taking place on an aircraft carrier and in a baseball stadium. No. 2 Gonzaga will be facing Michigan State on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the San Diego harbor to celebrate Veterans Day. Wisconsin is playing Stanford at Milwaukee’s retractable roof American Family Field. Staging neutral-site games in non-traditional sites isn’t new. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo refers to his program as ‘Outside the Box U’ because the Spartans have played plenty of games at unusual locations over the years.