MILWAUKEE — For the first time, American Family Field will host a college basketball game when the Badgers men's and women's basketball teams will play on Friday, Nov. 11.
The coaches will try to keep the wow factor to a minimum.
"If it's 75 on Nov. 11, can we open the roof? Can we play with the roof open?" Wisconsin Men's Basketball Head Coach Greg Gard says with a laugh. "I'm sure we'll get a shoot-around or a practice. I haven't talked to Mark yet and the Brewers about what the schedule is, we're a ways away. But we'll get some time in there I'm sure. But it'll be the same for the other team too. The rim will still be 10 feet high. Block out all the other distractions and I'll remind our players as Brian Anderson said, to take it all in. It'll be a really awesome experience for them."
"You want them to be able to kind of take in the gravity of the moment because I think that would be unfair to say to them like, forget like all of it. You know what I mean? It's just us," Wisconsin Women's Basketball Head Coach Marisa Moseley said.
And now American Family Field has become a versatile venue for many events.
"With our roof, we're really available for a lot of months," Brewers President of Business Operations Rick Schlesinger says. "Not just baseball season. We'll make this a success. Help showcase this venue as a forum. And again, that's great for our brand. That's great for the fans. It's great for, a reminder of what a great investment this ballpark is, and dare I say, a reminder of how important this venue is to our market and how we need to make sure we keep this in great shape and that's everybody's goal here."
Friday, Nov.11 is Veterans Day as well. Greg Gard says that will add to the special nature of the day.
Tickets for the Wisconsin men's and women's basketball programs facing Stanford and K-State will go on sale at 12 p.m.on Tuesday.
Tickets start at $29 and allow entry for both games of the doubleheader. Tickets can be bought online here, by phone at 800-933-7890, or by visiting the American Family Field box office during business hours.
