Having to wait 10 years for it to happen is a downer/bummer.

PS In 1976 they "rolled" into South Bend. We were out of the NC hunt with 2 losses having lost the opener to Pitt and to Ga Tech the week before the 'bama game. Anyway, the morning of the showdown we had 6 1/2 kegs at the Greenfield backstop nearest the circle. It was a glorious day. Later on, as members of 'bamas band (pre-game) walked by we offered them free beers. They spat at us and we laughed at them. 21-18 ND win.... I have blurred memories of Sprack singing Neal Young's "Southern Man."

I would bet easily 40k.

NCAA like to let the good times roll until they stumble a bit. Thats when they get tough, after it matters.

In there on openening night. There is going to be a lot of yellow.

1st game is at ND so tv rights will belong to PBS. Gametime is 10AM
eastern before major powers like Brooklyn College,NYU,and Medgar
Evers take over ESPN:

This will be a warmup game for Alabama along the lines of Troy, Mercer or Louisiana-Lafayette. The Irish will treat the contest as an opportunity to prepare for the Ivy League season that will commence with the following week's showdown against Princeton.

I don’t see many people selling their tickets. Saban will probably be gone, Kelly will probably be gone. Nama might be going through their version of the Weis years.

of the $$$ from the Holtz domination years will have dried up.

You’d have said the same exact thing about Georgia fans last year and that turned out just great. If ND isn’t regarded as a great team going into that game the sea of crimson will be overwhelming.

We kicked their ass in 1987, but be careful for what you wish for.

after we skull fucked USC, the students going down the ramp with us were chanting “we want Bama.” And that team could have hung with Bama and made it a hell of a game. Too bad their coach is a small minded D2 prick with a love for slinging the ball no matter the circumstances and a resentment for everything ND football is supposed to stand for.

When was the chanting?

had a great coach.

Y’all that day but the alternative had its benefits as well

Unseasonably warm sunny day in November and all hell broke loose on Green field

Particularly fond memories of classmates that turned a station wagon into a cooler by taking the roof off and filling with ice

It was the first game I took my then-girlfriend (now wife) to see. Green Field was in its glory because of the unusually warm November weather. After the game, we went to the house of a nephew of her landlady and drank Polish vodka.

CBS showed the game-time temperature to be 58 but the "feels like" temperature had to be much warmer.

The pregame show featured a young Jim Nance and Ara Parseghian.

For the remainder of our junior and senior years

As was our usual, we set up shop the night before, slept in the car with a sign on the window that said "first person to read this sign wake us up"

A couple of guys that looked like college students were walking around videoing the festivities, cheering people on. We had never really sobered up from the night before, and were well into the tailgating that day, so our judgment was not 100% on, and we invited them to film us doing an upside down beer bong thinking they were seniors filming the last home game of the year. One roommate holding feet, another holding the bong, more pouring beers in, it was glorious. They applauded us when we were done.

Tuesday we get a knock on our door from campus police, with individual letters from Dr Goldrick and our personal copies of Dulac with the appropriate violations highlighted. Obviously, they weren't fellow students they were undercover ND police and they nabbed a ton of students hosting illegal tailgaters that day

Violations we were guilty of:
1. Students hosting a tailgater at which alcohol is served
2. Excessive use of alcohol
3. Using alcohol in a manner deemed dangerous
4. Using an instrument of alcohol abuse

Fines, alcohol abuse screening, community service, and probation until graduation. It was still glorious

We had a party at our house that following summer that was busted. We had exactly one roommate that wasn't on probation, and the poor guy had to take the entire rap for the party because the rest of us had to bolt the house.

for transfer to Michigan State.

We brought it to tailgaters because you could smash it into the back of the car.

And giant foam couches are fire retardant. We checked.

Now, over 30 years later I get confirmation. Incredible!

There "may have been" a funnel at our tailgate as well. Don't know how we dodged Goldrick.

I also remember stories about a custom van parked in green field that took some significant damage with the crowd craziness.

and was already on double secret probation, so Goldrick knew who he was and coincidentally he had a meeting with Goldrick that morning. Instead of sitting down and talking about the usual, Goldrick just popped the VHS tape into the player and told him that if he didn't identify the remaining people in the video, he could count on being permanently expelled.

They nabbed a ton of students for hosting illegal tailgaters by videotaping license plates. We didn't even know that was illegal. Apparently hosting a tailgater at which alcohol is served was a violation of Dulac. Many were able to get around it if their parents were in town by saying it was their parent's tailgater, but unless you could prove the parents were there you were screwed.

I refer to myself as having been drunk three times that day. Before game, after game, and after volleyball match.

It was simply f-ing awesome.

The Alabama fans were awesome - walking around with bottles of Irish whiskey and taking in the scene. We were parked at the backstop on Green Field - parked the car the night before. It was an amazing day. If I recall correctly, my roommate (a senior) got pulled in to student affairs the following week. The rule that prohibited “student sponsored” tailgates was not enforced to our knowledge. That day after things got crazy I guess they collected the numbers on the student parking stickers. The following year we’d rent a car for the day just to tailgate so there would be no sticker. Great days.

Alabama was held to two first half field goals. A helluva way to go out!

and said "the best is yet to come!" and then introduce the captains.

I was thinking "NC this year!" but he really meant NEXT year.

Students were throwing oranges on to the field and Lou said "I'm sure glad they don't want us to go to the Gator Bowl."

It’s a great series. I wish we played them sooner, but c’est la vie.

Kelly, Saban, Swarbrick, et al will be nowhere in the picture when the game is actually played.

Credit for being tough and not having to be tough.

He will find a way to get into the television picture.