Tickets for the Battle on the Midway basketball game between Syracuse and San Diego State on Nov. 9 went on sale Wednesday, and they won't be cheap.
Tickets start at $150 with a limited number of seats available for $500.
Capacity for the game, to be played on the flight deck of the decommissioned USS Midway, which is now a museum, will be about 5,000. San Diego State spokesman Mike May said a ''healthy'' number of tickets will be available to the public but didn't know an exact number because both schools have held pre-sales for season-ticket holders.
Sideline seats have been offered to season-ticket holders for as much as $1,000 and baseline seats for $500.
Last Nov. 11, will President Barack Obama watching from midcourt, North Carolina beat Michigan State in the Carrier Classic on the USS Carl Vinson across San Diego Bay at North Island Naval Air Station, the first NCAA game on an active flat top. Capacity was about 8,000. Each school received only 750 tickets, with the rest given to military personnel.
The organizer of that game, Morale Entertainment Foundation, wanted to return to San Diego this fall but was told an active carrier wasn't available. When it wasn't able to book the Midway, the group scheduled a double-header for the USS Yorktown in Charleston, S.C., also on Nov. 9. A women's game between Ohio State and Notre Dame will precede a men's game between Ohio State and Marquette.
Mike Whalen of Morale Entertainment Foundation has said he hopes to bring the Carrier Classic back to San Diego in 2013.
The Battle on the Midway had been in danger of being canceled because organizers were struggling to find sponsors. Fox Sports San Diego and some local businessmen stepped in to save it. However, a fan fest was canceled and a gala and concert to benefit Strikeout for Troops, a foundation founded by San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito, was at first scaled back and then postponed.
Former NBA and college coach Don Casey, who lives in the San Diego area, is working with Nike Championship Clinics on plans for a coaching clinic on the Midway on Thursday night and Friday morning.
San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said his team will practice outdoors a time or two to get ready for the game.
''We'll find a place. If you've got an outdoor court that you have at your house or you know of, let us know because we're in the market,'' Fisher joked at a news conference. ''We're going to go at least once or twice outside to shoot. I saw where Michigan State was 2-for-20 against North Carolina from 3-point range. So that will be a challenge. But I'm not worried about that. We'll go play and the wind will blow, and we'll probably air-ball one or two. But hopefully we'll make a few.''
