We departed Russia, Ohio at 6:30am. That time is typically when I leave for my Saturday morning run, so being wide awake when the trip started was no problem. Kick off was scheduled for 3:30pm, which was explained to me later is the normal starting time for Notre Dame games because of their TV agreement with NBC. The 3+ hour drive from Russia, including a coffee stop at the Villa Nova in St. Mary's, wasn't bad with a van full of people to talk to. Arriving in the city of South Bend didn't give me any indication that it's home to one of the most prestigious schools in America. Heading to our parking spot was surprisingly easy, although we did arrive plenty early which probably helped. From our parking spot in the sea of tailgate parties just getting started, I couldn't help but notice Notre Dame Stadium and the Joyce Center basketball arena, as they were the two biggest buildings in sight. There was plenty of time to tailgate, so before we even set up we were scheduled to take a tour of campus. Fortunately for us, the guy that spearheaded the whole trip and drove us to the game was also our tour guide. It also helps that he's the father of a current Notre Dame student and has given this tour several times before. Walking into campus was awesome. I've never considered myself a Notre Dame sports fan, but for a Midwest guy that grew up aware of the history and tradition, it was cool to finally see everything I'd heard about. Touchdown Jesus, the Golden Dome, Sacred Heart Basilica, the Grotto. The beautiful fall day made everything picturesque and almost made the football game we were about to see seem secondary. As we ended our campus tour and walked back to start our tailgate party, we passed the famous Notre Dame restaurant/pub called Legends, which seemed to be especially crowded on game day. The tailgate parties at Notre Dame are like most other college campuses, the smell of brats and burgers filled the air along with some footballs getting tossed across the parking lot. There was a particularly cool moment when the Irish football team was escorted right by us on some big tour buses. You couldn't see the players, but I assume they were in there. It was time to pack up our camp and head to the game.
Our seats were in section 133, which is an upper level, corner endzone view. It was the perfect seat for watching what seemed like a couple hundred Notre Dame students do push-ups after every Notre Dame touchdown over Air Force. Here are some other observations from the game: The stealth bomber that flew overhead at the conclusion of the national anthem was the best flyover I've ever seen in person. I love how there is very little sideline room on the field, making it feel like the crowd is right there in the action. There were only two small scoreboards on each end of the stadium with no video screens or TV's for replays, bummer. The Notre Dame band is really good, so good they were presented with the Sudler Award that day which is considered the Heisman trophy for college bands. Finally, the stadium was unquestionably the easiest to navigate of any stadium I've ever been in. It has two levels and it's round, simple as that.
The Notre Dame experience is definitely worth adding to your bucket list. If possible, pick a nice fall day and allow yourself enough time to tour the campus!
No comments:
Post a Comment