Michigan State and Connecticut have agreed to play this year's college basketball opener at an overseas military base on Friday, Nov. 9, prior to Veterans Day.

The Spartans and North Carolina played on the deck of an active aircraft carrier in California to tip off last season.

Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the home of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and also a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation, is the proposed location, pending formal approval by the U.S. Department of Defense, which negotiated the game with ESPN programming.

The game would start late, sometime after 10 p.m. local time in Germany, for an early evening East Coast start time. It would be televised on ESPN.

"I asked my players if they wanted to do it and they were jacked," said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. "Has a college team ever played a regular-season game in Europe? I don't think so. It will be cool. We're going to a base in another country. That's pretty cool."

Izzo said that after he went to Kuwait with a coaching group early in the Iraq war, he found an "an incredible appreciation for the military."

That's why he jumped at the chance a year ago when athletic director Mark Hollis pushed through the inaugural game on the USS Carl Vinson on Nov. 11. The game was a huge success with plenty of fanfare, including the presence of President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama.

Hollis issued a statement late Monday night to ESPN.com saying: "During Coach Izzo's outreach trips to visit and coach our troops overseas, along with our recent experience in San Diego aboard the USS Carl Vinson, we have all developed deep admiration and respect for the men and women that serve in our armed forces. Those troops, many the same age as our student-athletes, protect the freedom that we enjoy every day. It is our responsibility to give reflection and support to these men and women that currently serve and have served in the past. As such, we appreciate the consideration by the Department of Defense to allow NCAA competition to be a reflection of the support our entire nation feels for our troops."

Hollis said the game would be played in front of 2,500 to 3,000 enlisted men and women at the base.

Hollis said he applauded ESPN for the commitment to programming aimed at "providing our veterans with the respect they deserve. Once again, Michigan State is honored to be a part of that programming and we look forward to sharing America's pride with those stationed at Ramstein in November."

UConn coach Jim Calhoun said he couldn't think of a more appropriate place to play a game since the last official U.S. combat troops withdrew from Iraq in December, and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan is continuing.

"With so many of our [servicemen and women] coming from the war front, it's appropriate for our kids to honor them," said Calhoun. "This is a great thing for us and for the kids, especially on Veterans Day."