Gourmet Flyer I was probably bestowed by the luck of the Irish as it was a gorgeous and sunny weekend in the 30’s to 40’s in South Bend, Indiana, near the end of November. Just two weeks ago, when Navy was in town playing Notre Dame, it was snowing quite heavily throughout the football game. If that was not lucky enough, I managed to score a pair of Downes Club tickets at a bargain price. These were great seats with plenty of enviable perks which I’ll talk about later.
It was an extraordinary game against Syracuse in which Notre Dame scored 21 points before the offense even took a snap (the defense returned two pick-sixes, and the special team blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.) My wife and I had an enjoyable and memorable gameday weekend. I am excited to share with you a snapshot of our journey which you can use as a reference to plan your future trip to a Fighting Irish home game, especially if you’ve never been to the campus before.
Table of Contents
- Legends
- Tailgating
- Touchdown Jesus
- Bagpipe Band Concert
- Victory March
- Downes Club
- ND Marching Band
- Brunch at Rohr’s
- Basilica of the Sacred Heart
- The Grotto
- St. Mary’s Lake
- Conclusion
Legends
We arrived from Chicago on Friday afternoon and went to the Legends of Notre Dame for an early supper. The name of the university-owned restaurant and pub certainly fits its football program, where legends were made. This place was once the “Alumni and Senior Bar” which has been remodeled to its current form in the mid-1980’s. It is open to the public and is a very popular spot on gameday weekends.
You’ve probably seen the “Domer Burger” with the “ND” stamp posted on Legends’ website or on Instagram. Well, I was told by our server that they get so busy on gameday weekends that they do not stamp the burgers. So, I was a bit disappointed there, but the burger still tasted great. The patty was made with top quality beef and was chargrilled on open fire to perfection.
Tailgating
All the tailgating parties were concentrated in the Stadium and Joyce parking lots, in the sections nearest to the stadium. The parking lots opened at 8am and when we arrived shortly after10am this place was already vibrant and bustling. This was certainly one of the best parts of gameday atmosphere. I couldn’t imagine how lively the parties would be when it got closer to game time. As much as we loved to, we didn’t stay long as we had planned to visit other parts of the campus and participate in some Irish football traditions.
Touchdown Jesus
We explored a few landmarks and traditions on campus before the 3:30pm kickoff. Facing the north end of the stadium is the “Word of Life” mural on the façade of the Hesburgh Library with an image of Jesus with His arms raised, apparently signaling a touchdown. This is the famous and iconic “Touchdown Jesus”.
Bagpipe Band Concert
A visit to the campus of the Fighting Irish is certainly incomplete without seeing their bagpipe band. You can check the university’s website here for their gameday performance schedule. The band typically marches to the Main Quad from an area near the LaFortune Student Center and start the concert right in front of the Golden Dome.
A huge crowd always gather there so you need to arrive early to grab a nice spot. The best view is from the stairs just outside the front of the Main Building under the Golden Dome.
Victory March AKA Player Walk
The bagpipe band continued to march to various locations on campus, and eventually, they led the Fighting Irish football team to the stadium. The final stretch of the walk – from the Hesburgh Library, just in front of Touchdown Jesus, to the Rockne Gate of the stadium – is known as the Notre Dame Player Walk, sometimes also called the Victory March. For our 3:30pm kickoff, the walk to the stadium started around 1:15pm, which was the typical 2 hours and 15 minutes before game time. We were there half an hour early to grab a decent “front-row” spot to get the best view.
Immediately behind the bagpipe band were the coaches, led by head coach Marcus Freeman. They were followed by the rest of the players, apparently in no particular order. Quarterback CJ Carr was among the first group of players that followed the coaches. Near the end of this truncated video where you hear the loudest cheer was Jeremiah Love.
Downes Club
The Downes Club seats are located on the 7th and 8th floors of the Corbett Family Hall on the east side of the stadium. Doors open two hours before kickoff, half an hour earlier than the rest of the stadium. Ticket holders enter via doors 3 or 4, depending on the section you are in. There are no major differences between the two floors, except that one is obviously higher than the other, and maybe there are more dining tables available on the 7th floor. You are free to travel between the two floors but I saw no need or reason to, as the food and drinks on both floors were identical.
A full buffet, beer, wine, and soft drinks were available from opening time to about an hour after the end of the game. There were plenty of foods and they were all good quality – definitely not the typical stadium food. The carving station was serving turkey which was certainly appropriate on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. One particular entrée which I highly recommend is the famous Irish Guinness Stout beef stew. It was delicious and full of Irish flavors.
Don’t miss the seafood bar as the crab claws and shrimp cocktails were fresh and delicious. The section was paired with a charcuterie board offering a wide variety of meats. Other goodies include soups, chili, salads, hot dogs, desserts – really, too numerous to mention.
We were seated on the 8th floor, and the view was great, and we were able to see all the actions. We were also high enough that we were at almost eye-level with the big screen TV so we could see the picture clearly. Not only were the theater-type seats comfortable and covered, but the best part was that there were overhead heaters that made watching a game in the 30’s truly enjoyable.
ND Marching Band
If you are a fan of marching bands then you are in luck. Get seated early and be ready to experience the epic performance of the country’s first university marching band. They enter the stadium around 20 minutes before kickoff and return for another round of music at half time. If you are really a fan, then don’t leave early as they will return for one final appearance as they march off the stadium after the end of the game.
Brunch at Rohr’s
We returned to the Notre Dame campus Sunday morning and thoroughly enjoyed our brunch at Rohr’s in the Morris Inn. This is a great restaurant for any meals if you are looking for a moderately priced but slightly upscale option on campus. Note that reservation is highly recommended and could be very difficult on gameday. The chicken and waffle were excellent. The chicken breast was boneless and coated with a buttermilk batter that was thin and crispy. It was fried to a perfect golden brown while the meat was tender and flavorful. The Belgian waffle was crunchy on the outside while maintaining its fluffiness inside.
Let me let you in on a little secret: If you remove the chicken, you’ll see an “ND” logo molded onto the waffle.
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
After brunch, we went to mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful liturgies enhanced by a vibrant choir and the tunes of a pipe organ. Originally known as the Church of the Sacred Heart, it was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1992. It’s a majestic building with Neo-Gothic architecture decorated with a multitude of spectacular stained-glass windows. The nave is adorned by tall, solemn columns and a vaulted ceilings with painted angels.
The basilica is also the site of Thunder from the Sky Organ Concert on gameday Fridays, as well as mass 30 minutes after the game for 3:30pm kickoffs. Go here for complete mass and event schedules.
The Grotto
The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is a one-seventh replica of the original shrine in France where 18 Marian apparitions occurred in the year 1858. This is a great place for prayers, meditation, and reflection. It is widely regarded as a symbol of Catholic life by the students at Notre Dame, as evidenced by the abundance of candles lit there during finals week.
Hundreds of candles are also lit throughout the year by students and visitors alike. The Grotto is always very crowded on Gameday, so we chose to visit on Sunday and managed to enjoy some peaceful moments in prayers.
St. Mary’s Lake
There are two lakes on the Notre Dame campus – St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s – and the latter has a more scenic trail and is more popular among students and visitors alike. On this particular Sunday, we were blessed with the most favorable weather in South Bend near the end of November with sunny blue skies and temperatures in the 40’s. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely and relaxing stroll along the beautiful lake.
The loop is about 2.2 miles long and is punctuated with plenty of great photo spots. This is the kind of walk that you want to do it slowly, smelling the roses along the way. If you pay attention, you’ll get to see many parts of the campus from a different perspective. About halfway through the loop, you’ll find the perfect place to take that Instagram-worthy shot of the two most iconic buildings on the campus – the Golden Dome and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
Conclusion
It was a blast of a football game where Notre Dame scored 10 unanswered touchdowns before Syracuse made the score 70 – 7 in the final closing moments. We were so fortunate to be able to grab a pair of Downes Club tickets at bargain prices. Last but not the least, we were blessed with unbelievable weather at this time of the year in South Bend. To top it off, it was an amazing opportunity for us to wrap up this gameday weekend with a reflective walk around St. Mary’s Lake.
We walked really slowly, taking the time to soak in every ounce of Fighting Irish energy, fondly remembering every snap and cheer in the stadium, and at the same time cherishing every enchanting moment and spiritual connection that we’ve made in this journey to the University of Notre Dame.