In early February, the University of Notre Dame’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) Detachment 225 hosted their annual “Flyin’ Irish Basketball Tournament.” This tournament has welcomed ROTCs from across the nation every year since 1985, with more than 50 teams competing in various divisions in this year’s event.
Last semester, UNO’s Detachment 470 cadets decided to form a team (the first time since pre-COVID) to compete in the tournament. The cadets arrived at Notre Dame on Friday, Feb. 2, and immediately jumped into the tournament. They played five games over the course of the next two days.
Detachment 470, also known as the Wolfpack, placed fifth out of 34 teams in their division. They initially entered the Sweet 16 as the #12 team and stunned the crowd by sending Purdue home and claiming the #5 spot. They beat Syracuse, Minnesota, and Purdue with a nail-biting 69-67 victory, and ended the tournament with a loss to Notre Dame’s Navy ROTC (48-36).
Detachment 470 held their own in the Top Eight with the likes of Notre Dame, Marquette University, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech. The cadets did a fantastic job competing against larger schools. When the detachment goes back next year, the big dogs in the house will take notice when the Wolfpack rolls into town!
Read more about the tournament in The Observer’s article: Flyin’ Irish Tournament brings ROTC community together over basketball.
