UConn's season opener moved from Germany to US Naval Academy

As a result of the US government’s ongoing shutdown, the Armed Forces Classic between UConn and Louisville has been moved from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

The season-opening contest will still take place on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 5:30 pm ET.

“We’ve made the decision to move the 2025 Peraton Armed Forces Classic to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md,” ESPN Events Vice President said in a statement. “For more than a decade, this event has celebrated the lives and contributions of our military, and we’re appreciative of the Naval Academy for helping provide a first-class venue for this first-ever women’s college basketball matchup that will showcase perennial powers Louisville and UConn.”

The government has been shut down since Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a spending bill to fund operations, which has impacted federal workers — including the military. According to Hearst CT’s Maggie Vanoni, Ramstein Air Base stopped communicating with ESPN on Oct. 6 as a result of the shutdown. The network, which is hosting the game, needed enough lead-in time to set up the logistics such as shipping equipment and building a basketball court in a hangar. The loss of contact made that impossible.

WDRB out of Louisville first reported the possibility last week.

This is the 10th edition of the Armed Forces Classic but the first to feature women’s teams. UConn men’s basketball played in the inaugural event back in November 2012 when it defeated Michigan State at Ramstein Air Base in Kevin Ollie’s first game as head coach.

The Huskies are 19-3 all-time against Louisville. The two schools have faced each other in five of the last eight seasons with UConn winning the most recent matchup, 88-62 in the Champions Classic at the Barclays Center last December.