UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley recently made headlines when he teased the possibility of his college basketball team playing a game at the White House.
His comments came as Hurley attended the massive spectacle that was Dana White’s UFC Freedom 250 which was held outdoors on the White House South Lawn. The event featured a custom-built set, fighter entrances from inside the White House, fancy graphics displays and pyrotechnics.
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The United States Marine Band also played live entrance music rather than having fighters’ walk out songs blaring over speakers like they do at indoor UFC events.
Regardless of one’s view of the sport, the one-of-a-kind show drew a lot of attention to the UFC, and it’s possible Hurley has a vision for something similar with UConn. He explained his comments further in a recent interview.
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – APRIL 04: Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies looks on during the National Semifinal game of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
“That was a walk-by with a phone, and somebody asked me, ‘Hey, would you like to play here?’” he explained of the TMZ comments. “I mean, I would love to play there.”
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“As a basketball fan, watching some of those college games get played on aircraft carriers … military bases. Those things were cool as hell,” he said. “If there’s a way to get a court there to create that atmosphere that I saw at the fights. That atmosphere, I mean, it was amazing.”
“It was amazing to be in a sporting event surrounded by service men and women, first responders, people in sports, people in business, people in politics. I mean, it was an incredible setting,” Hurley said. “If we can ever play a game in that type of setting, sign me up.”
A November 2011 season-opener between Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans and Roy Williams’ North Carola Tar Heels occurred on an outdoor hardwood court constructed on the USS Carl Vinson, stationed in San Diego, California. UNC won the game 67-55 to start their season, which was seven years before Hurley became UConn coach, and a college basketball legend.
It would be a lot of fun to see UConn have a season-opener against another top-ranked or contending team, and it would shine further light on how far the program has come since the days of Jim Calhoun coaching. That said, this season’s schedule seems pretty packed as it is, due to the quality of opponents that are stacked for Hurley’s squad.
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Non-conference opponents include rematches against several teams they faced in the NCAA Tournament, including Illinois, Duke, and the champion Michigan Wolverines. Those games have some pretty big venues, too, which include UConn playing in Las Vegas, at TD Garden in Boston, and the United Center in Chicago.
Still, having the possibility of something built outdoors on the White House South Lawn for a college basketball game could provide a historic and memorable environment in the future.
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For more about UConn and college basketball, visit Newsweek Sports.
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