Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis is the king of creative ideas when it comes to sports events. He is the man behind the Cold War, Basketbowl and, most recently, the Carrier Classic. Hollis has taken Michigan State hockey outdoors and the basketball team to Ford Field and an aircraft carrier. For his next event, Hollis wants to take the Michigan State basketball team to Greece for a battle between the Spartans and USC Trojans.
↵↵↵And yes, Hollis is serious about a game between Michigan State and Southern Cal in Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, Greece – which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.
↵"We’ve been talking about Greece for a while," Hollis said.
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A football game in Greece might make more sense between Michigan State and USC, but the stadium isn't wide enough for a field. That is why Hollis is hoping for a basketball game instead. A court would easily fit in the stadium, which currently seats 45,000 people.
↵Although it probably wouldn't be quite as big of an event as playing on an aircraft carrier, you can bet a game between the Spartans and Trojans in Greece would grab a lot of headlines. And considering Hollis is the brains behind it, the chances of it actually happening someday are pretty good.