The day we’ve all been waiting for is finally upon us. In just a day, we will be watching the football team run out onto the field while a sold out stadium crowd cheers them on and fighter jets fly overhead. The game day experience at Notre Dame is unmatched by any other college (and there are lots of rankings to prove it). ND games are steeped with tradition, but there are a few new additions that you should know about.
New Seating Policy:
Background: For decades, the policy for seating at football games had been the same; each class had its own section and within each section seat numbers were randomly assigned to students. On the night of April 17, 2012, Notre Dame students received an email that caused immediate uproar throughout campus. Instead of the traditional seat assignments, seating would now be on a first come, first serve basis (although each class would still have its own sections). The official statement from The Leprechaun Legion stated that this policy was intended to “allow the most passionate fans to sit closest to the field, giving our team a louder, more intimidating home field advantage.” The university will allow students to begin lining up to enter the stadium three hours before kickoff.
Pros: If you’ve had a few unlucky years in the ticket lottery, you will now be able to dictate your own fate and sit in the front if you want. You also won’t have to sit with the same people for every game if would like to change up your gameday group.
Cons: As many students have pointed out since this policy was implemented, there are a significant amount of issues present here. The majority of students are particularly upset that this will make tailgating, often considered an essential part of a game day experience, difficult if not impossible for students who want to get good seats. Students have also suggested that this will create animosity between students as they jostle for the best seats (personally, I would trample anyone who tried to cut me). There has also been the argument that students who have been tailgating (and therefore are slightly drunk and rowdy) motivate players more than students who have been standing in line for three hours.
Bottom line: As this policy is untested, there’s really no way to predict how it will turn out. Maybe it won’t be that bad, but plan for some chaos on Saturday. If you want to sit in front, don’t waste any time getting there.
New Bag Policy:
Background: In early August, the NFL implemented a new policy regarding bags that fans bring into the stadium. The full policy can be read here, but the basics are that if you’re bringing in a bag larger than your hand, it must be clear and the dimensions cannot exceed 12x12x6. Notre Dame’s adaptation of this policy says that you must use small purses and can’t bring in any large bags. These policies are designed mainly for safety purposes, but also to speed up the lines at the stadium gates.
Pros: If this policy works, it will definitely expedite the process of entering the stadium. This will be especially helpful if you’ve already been waiting in line for three hours. It’s also not as restrictive as the NFL policy.
Cons: Guys must have written this policy, because “small purse” is a completely relative term. Obviously we can’t bring in totes, but are they expecting us all to carry wristlets or are cross body bags okay? In addition, Notre Dame prides itself on being family friendly, and families with small kids need to carry large items like diaper bags, jackets, water, and snacks. This policy’s biggest problem is how vague it is—it leaves a lot to the discretion of the ushers who are checking bags.
Bottom line: The bag policy probably won’t be an issue in the long term, and it might in fact speed up some things later in the season, but initially it’s going to trip some people up.