The Fighting Irish take the field for the Notre Dame Blue Gold game on Saturday, April 21, 2012, at Notre Dame. (James Brosher/South Bend Tribune)
Headed to South Bend this weekend for the Blue-Gold Spring Football game? Here are the Top 10 things to try and squeeze in during your trip to campus!
10. The Shirt Unveiling – The Shirt 2014 will be unveiled Friday, April 11th at 6:00 PM at the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore! The Shirt 2014 commemorates 25 years of uniting the Notre Dame community with a single T-shirt and supporting students in the process. What is The Shirt?
The Shirt Project began in 1990 as a means to raise money to fund Notre Dame student activities – a cause it continues to support today. In the spring of 1990, senior Brennan Harvath ’91, then Chairman of AnTostal, had the idea to sell T-shirts to raise funds for AnTostal, the Student Union Board’s spring festival. The shirt created for the fundraiser was also intended to unify the student body for the home-opener football game against Michigan on September 15, 1990. Over 9,000 shirts were sold and sales reached over $17,000.
Due to the popularity of The Shirt 1990, the program continued the following year with the successor Chairman of AnTostal once again coordinating the project. As the success and renown of The Shirt increased, revenue exceeded the needs of the Student Union Board. Thus, The Shirt Project became its own student organization, and student leaders decided to distribute annual profits to other student organizations.
Since 1990 The Shirt Project has grown to provide a major source of income to student clubs and organizations. Thanks to funds provided by the Project, the activity fee charged annually to students has not been raised since 2004. Funds are also distributed to The Rector Fund, through which rectors can request money for students who could not otherwise afford football tickets, textbooks or fees for other campus-life activities. Although The Shirt Project aims to sell as many Shirts as possible each year, its ultimate goal is to benefit the students of Notre Dame.
Authors Note: Not everyone is all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to “The Shirt.”
See: Time to Fix The Shirt!
And while some are not fans of “The Shirt,” others can’t live without it … All Aboard: The Subway Alumni
9. Dinner at CJ’s Pub – Looking for a Friday night dinner destination? Look past Eddy Street Commons and venture downtown to CJ’s Pub. CJ’s is well-known for their great pub burgers, and has been a student favorite since 1984. Previously CJ’s was just a hole in the wall. They had a fire a few years back and had to rebuild. The new CJ’s is bigger and better than ever! Now we not only include CJ’s in our Friday night dinner plans … but also for a little dancing on Saturday night as well, as they now have a dance floor!
8. Tippecanoe Place – Looking for something a bit more formal? Also downtown is Tippecanoe Place. Tippecanoe Place is the former Studebaker mansion. It is one of the premiere landmarks in the heart of South Bend’s historic district, and the mansion is teeming with the charm and grace of yesteryear. The gracious spirit of the past still thrives in the mansion’s 40 rooms with their wealth of fine antiques, 20 gorgeous fireplaces, and hand-crafted woods. This also works well for brunch on Sunday, too.
7. The Linebacker Lounge – Relive your college memories … and make some new ones at The Linebacker Lounge.
The Linebacker Lounge is a favorite of students and alumni alike! The Linebacker Lounge was founded in 1962 by former Notre Dame football player Myron Pontios, and local businessman Stan Pisek. They converted the building which had been an old drive inn into the now famous bar. The Linebacker has been featured on the Travel Channel, “College Towns”, and in October 2006 was the remote location for the television broadcast of ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the morning” show. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be on a football weekend (even spring football) than at the ‘Backer singing “Oh What a Night!”
6. Brothers Bar & Grill – Look for something a little less dorm-party-ish? Try Brothers Bar & Grill. Located close to campus in the Eddy Street Commons, Brothers is great not only to grab a bite to eat, but also for late night fun. The place is huge, the menu is eclectic, and the music is loud but it’s a great time to hang out and people watch after some Irish football.
5a. Blue-Gold Game Brunch (Tickets Required)
Brunch tickets are only available for sale via telephone at 574-631-7356 or in person at the Murnane Family Ticket Office, located between gates 8 and 10 of Purcell Pavilion beginning on March 4.
Included with each brunch ticket is a pre-game meal with the Notre Dame football team, exclusive access to an autograph session with the current team members and general admission seating at the game. The Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley will conduct a silent auction of sports memorabilia in conjunction with the brunch.
Doors open at 9:30 a.m. with brunch beginning at 10 a.m.
5b. Tailgating
If brunch is not your thing there are plenty of opportunities to meet people and get to know your fellow fans and alumni tailgating in the stadium parking lot. Keep your eyes open as you walk through the lot, you may see some alumni football players hanging around as well. If you happen to be interested in a signed copy of “The Men We Became” you just may spy me signing books at a couple of tailgates near Legends! If you want more info leave a comment below or hit me up on Twitter!
4. 85th Annual Blue-Gold Game
The 12:30PM EDT Blue-Gold football game at Notre Dame Stadium is a great opportunity to get a sneak peek at the 2014 Fighting Irish football squad, coming off its’ victory in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
On game day, tickets can be purchased at the stadium ticket office on the East side of Notre dame Stadium.
General admission adult tickets are $15 each
General admission youth tickets (18 years and under) are $10 each
Children age 3 and under do not require a ticket for general admission seating areas
Group sales of 20 or more general admission tickets (adults and/or youth) are $8 each
RV and Bus parking will be in the White Field North Lot
Proceeds from the Blue-Gold Spring Football Festival help support the scholarship fund of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley.
3. Annual Notre Dame Football Alumni Flag Game
Following the Blue-Gold game, Notre Dame football alumni will take the field for the annual flag football game. Fans are encouraged to stay and watch their former favorites in a friendly game of flag football.
2. On Sunday, catch some Olympic Sports at Notre Dame
11:30 AM
Men’s Tennis vs. Florida State
Frank Eck Indoor Tennis Center
Men’s Tennis vs. Florida State – 11:30 a.m. at Frank Eck Indoor Tennis Center
12:00 PM
Softball vs. Florida State
Melissa Cook Stadium
Softball vs. Florida State – Noon (DH) at Melissa Cook Stadium
1:00 PM
Women’s Soccer vs. Valparaiso
Notre Dame Practice Field
Women’s Soccer vs. Valparaiso – 1 p.m. at Notre Dame Practice Field
6:00 PM
Men’s Tennis vs. Valparaiso
Frank Eck Indoor Tennis Center
Men’s Tennis vs. Valparaiso – 6 p.m. at Frank Eck Indoor Tennis Center
1. Swing by some campus landmarks – Before you head home don’t forget to head by some campus landmarks. No trip to Notre Dame is complete without visits to the Dome, Basilica, Grotto and Badin Log Cabin Chapel. If you plan to go to Palm Sunday Mass on, please note special Palm Sunday weekend Mass times:
9:45 AM
ends: 11:00 AM
Palm Sunday Mass
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
12:00 PM
ends: 1:15 PM
Palm Sunday Mass
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Campus photos courtesy of Kathleen Souder and Lisa Kelly.
Hope your trip back to campus is everything you want it to be and more!
Cheers and GO IRISH!
Her Loyal ... Daughter
Lisa Kelly is a multidimensional marketing professional. She has over two decades of marketing experience and earned a bachelor of business administration and marketing from the University of Notre Dame (Class of 1993 ... Siegfried Hall!). She is a Digital Publishing Manager by day and by night is writing her third book, a continuation of "Echoes From the End Zone: The Men We Became" and its sequel "The Men We Became: MORE Echoes From the End Zone." In 2012, Lisa was crowned the "Biggest Fan of the Big East" in a blogging and social media contest, representing Notre Dame.
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