Obama to attend ‘Carrier Classic’ on board USS Carl Vinson

President Obama will attend the Veterans Day matchup between the Michigan State and North Carolina men’s basketball teams on the USS Carl Vinson, the White House announced Thursday.

The so-called “Carrier Classic” will be played in a temporary stadium to be built on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which was the vessel from which the body of Osama bin Laden was buried at sea in May after a special forces raid at his Pakistan compound.

George W. Bush was the last president to make such a notable visit to an active carrier, to mark the end of major combat operations in Iraq in 2003 -- the infamous “Mission Accomplished” speech.

The announcement came on the U.S. Navy’s 236th birthday. The president will first mark the holiday by laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery before traveling to San Diego, where the Carl Vinson will be docked for the game.

“He looks forward to a great game,” the White House said.

Obama’s passion for basketball is well known; he fills out a college basketball tournament bracket each year on ESPN, which will broadcast the game, and has played regularly with aides and special guests.

The trip will also give Obama some good exposure in two states likely to be fiercely contested in the 2012 election.

The game, a rematch of the 2009 NCAA championship, will be played at 4 p.m. Pacific time.