As a youngster growing up in rural Indiana during the 1970s it meant I pretty much had my pick of teams to root for.
The Hoosier State had no Major League Baseball team (and still doesn’t), no National Football League team, no National Hockey League team (and still doesn’t), and a nascent National Basketball Association team.
(Side Note: Sure the Indiana Pacers were a dominant force in the upstart American Basketball Association [three titles in nine season], but after joining the NBA as part of the merger before the 1976 season, the Pacers didn’t participate in post-season basketball until 1981 and then not again until 1987, by which point I was all in on the Detroit Pistons, having moved to Michigan in 1978.)
Living in a professional football vacuum like we did, I primarily turned my gridiron focus to Saturday afternoons. And to most rationale Indiana youngsters in the mid-to-late 1970s that meant casting an eye to the northcentral part of the state and the campus of the University of Notre Dame.
Admittedly, I was probably a bit too young to remember the Coach Ara Parseghian era (1964-74), but I surely remember Coach Dan Devine‘s six seasons, especially 1977 when the Fighting Irish finished the regular-season 10-1 and then upset top-ranked Texas in the Cotton Bowl, 38-10, to secure the National Championship.
Perhaps it was the ubiquitous “Word of Life” mural (aka Touchdown Jesus) always looming beyond the north endzone, but I always imagined attending a game at Notre Dame Stadium as akin to a religious experience.
And it probably was that frigid mid-November Saturday afternoon 41 years ago when my high school buddy, Jack, and I made the road trip from suburban Detroit and used a pair of tickets my father had somehow procurred for what should have been a marquee matchup (Penn State was in town), but instead featured a pair teams heading nowhere fast. By the time the Irish won, 44-7, both stood at 6-4.
Beyond being woefully underdressed and peering through the occasional snow flurry, I remember next-to-nothing from my only Notre Dame football game.
Therefore, it was with a fair amount of certainty that a Notre Dame football game was going appear on my list of 80 for the Around the World in 80 Sporting Events project.
Which one?
As I surveyed the Irish’s future schedules during planning back in the winter of 2024, there was one game in South Bend that rose above the rest: the University of Southern California at Notre Dame, October 18, 2025.
Why the Trojans?
Simply stated, one of my core sports fan memories as an Indiana youngster was the afternoon of October 22, 1977, when the Notre Dame hosted USC.
The game was telecast on ABC and I recall sitting transfixed in front of the television as a roughly constructed horse (a Trojan Horse, if you will) was wheeled out in front of the tunnel and there came the Irish … in green jerseys! Never had I seen it before and 11th ranked Notre Dame rode the emotional boost of switching to green following warm ups (and quarterback Joe Montana‘s hot hand) to a 49-19 romp of the fifth-ranked Trojans.
The series dates to 1926 and has been played every year since with the exception of 1943-45 due to World War II and 2020 because of COVID-19. It is also not scheduled beyond 2026 in Los Angeles.
All the more reason to attend this year.
Logistics
I may be an Indiana native, but my connections to Notre Dame football are limited.
The one person I knew who attended Irish football games was my cousin Michelle’s husband, Todd. He grew up around South Bend and he and a longtime friend, Brian, get to a few game’s annually.
I reached out to Todd who promised to see what he could do.
In the meantime, I booked a room in Angola, IN, which was about as close I could get without risking a missed mortgage payment and kept an eye on the secondary ticket market, just in case. By mid-May, Todd let me know they had a ticket for me. By mid-July, he mentioned that we might be able to use a family cottage on Oliver Lake in LaGrange, IN, for our post-game respite.
Without digressing too deeply, spending the night at Oliver Lake was something I hadn’t done in close to 30 years, so – regardless of how the game might turn out – it would be a memorable night, regardless.
The Mystique of Notre Dame
Any visit to Notre Dame Stadium for a game should must include ample time to wander about campus for a while to visit the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, marvel at the aforementioned “Word of Life” mural on the side of Hesburgh Library, and check out the Main Building (aka the Golden Dome). And, by all means, please make sure to take a circle tour of Notre Dame Stadium to see the various legendary coach statues (Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian, Dan Devine, and Lou Holtz).
Unlike the previous college campuses I’d visited for football during the AtWi80SE (Ole Miss and Alabama) project, there is no tailgating on the campus quad or parts of the academic grounds. Rather, the tailgating is reserved for the lots surrounding the stadium.
This allows for unencumbered touring of the campus and an opportunity to linger at the spots noted above. Though, fair warning, if the weather’s nice you’ll have plenty of company strolling this picturesque campus.
While tailgating isn’t permitted in these areas, various student groups do have grills and/or food trucks set up to sell food and soft drinks to the fans who are getting their inner-Rudy on by wandering about and taking in the sights.
This walkabout is what I know I didn’t do those 41 years ago during my previous visit. I would have certainly remembered the lengthy line of fans queued to light a candle and say a prayer at the Grotto or the hushed whispers and ornate stained glass witnessed in the Basilica.
Clockwise from upper left, many Irish fans visit the Basilica of the Sacred Heart before home games; a look at the rear of the Basilica and the organ pipes; the Irish Green was active during my walkabout; below the Basilica is the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes; Knute Rockne may be the most-famous Notre Dame coach; the Word of Life mural on the side of Hesbergh Library; one of about eight bagpipers on entertained visitors; the Clarke Memorial Fountain honors over 500 ND alums who perished in WWII and the Korean and Vietnam Wars; the Rev. Robert Dowd’s message in front of the golden dome; the Lou Holtz statue; the Frank Leahy statue; the Ara Parseghian statue; fans line up to light a candle at the Grotto; an exterior view of the Basilica.
The Tailgate
My game is lacking in this area, but Todd – an ex-Navy submarine cook – handled the cooking and even mixed me a Canadian whiskey and ginger to feel a part of the crowd. (The crowd being me, Todd, and his longtime tailgate mates Ed [an Illinois grad] and Lynne [a Notre Dame grad].
With some heavy weather in the area, we eschewed the tent but were all too willing to utilize the one our neighbors had set up.
This was an interesting group. The host was a long-time Notre Dame fan whose daughter attended the school, but during a study abroad her senior year met her future husband, who was a USC student. So the father, his son-in-law and his younger brother and father (all from San Antonio) occupied the parking spot next to ours.
They shared their ice and we shared some of our chicken and adult beverages. Their tent came in handy as well when the skies opened up about two hours before the 7:30 p.m. kickoff and became a magnet for many of the rain-soaked USC students who’d made the trek east for the game.
The Game
A soggy Doug and Todd during the fourth quarter and a view of Notre Dame Stadium from our seats.
I shouldn’t say it was everything I’d hoped it would be (I could have done without the persistent rain;-), but it was pretty dang close.
The game was competitive into the fourth quarter, we had the opportunity to witness the power and speed of Irish running back, Jeremiyah Love, up close (he finished with 228 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries); the gun-slinging offense of Trojans’ head coach Lincoln Riley and his junior quarterback, Jayden Maiava (328 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions); one of the most exciting plays in sport when Notre Dame return man Jadarian Price answered USC’s lead-taking third-quarter TD with a 100-yard kickoff return for a score; and Notre Dame ultimately won, 34-24.
A Few Final Looks
Clockwise from upper left, fans in the stands now do pushups for each point ND has following scores ala the way the Leprechaun mascot has done for years; the concourses under the stadium are eerily empty while the game is ongoing; there was a crush of people attempting to get in about 45 minutes prior to the start of the game; the Irish offense sets up deep in USC territory; this Spirit of Troy drummer passed some peace to me; Notre Dame Stadium during quieter times early in the afternoon.