Overview

• The season opener is slated for Nov. 4 at Ramstein Air Base as part of ESPN Events’ Peraton Armed Forces Classic.
• Ramstein’s guidance places many civilian workers in non-work, non-pay status and limits services, complicating event logistics.
• ESPN says it is exploring contingency plans, and stakeholders are expected to confer next week on whether to relocate.
• Options under discussion include campus venues or another neutral site, and a CT Insider report suggests a potential move to a Washington, D.C., naval base if the shutdown continues, which ESPN has not confirmed.
• The shutdown began Oct. 1 and is in its third week; if it persists to Nov. 4 it would tie the 35-day record, and Louisville coach Jeff Walz has publicly voiced concern about playing at the base.