I absolutely agree that student-athletes should be priority #1. However, prioritizing student athletes (and winning) and delivering a good fan experience are not mutually-exclusive goals. Our women's basketball program is a good example of that.

Win or lose, the atmosphere at Frank Eck stadium stinks. However, I'm not saying we should abandon the place for Four Winds; my first set of recommendations was focused on making things better on campus. Still, I see very little downside--and fairly significant upside (if marketed appropriately)--associated with using Four Winds when it's available.

Downtown South Bend has come a long way since 2014. South Bend Brew Werks, a short walk from Four Winds Field, opened in 2014. Crooked Ewe, a very short drive away, opened in 2015. Render opened last year and is within walking distance. And that's to say nothing of all of the money being plowed into the direct vicinity of the ballpark. Why not give it a shot?

I think that playing a game (or series) at Four Winds field to engage the community or the fans and give them a different experience could be extremely valuable. Absolutely. And I think your suggestions of how to do that are good. I don't think playing all games at Four Winds would necessarily change anything. There isn't a huge Notre Dame baseball fan base within the South Bend community. Getting people to come out to a game every now and then could work, though.