Tips on South Bend road trip

[mustangj17]

I'm trying to get some tickets to the Michigan/Notre Dame game on Sat. Sept.11, and all of the prices online seem to be absurd. $184 per ticket for seats nowhere near the action or even near the 50.

How easy is it to come by tickets on gameday? I've been to plenty of Big Ten games where you can grab a ticket on the street corner for face value, or a little more, but how is it around Notre Dame Stadium? And what are the rules about scalping in Indiana?

Also, what are some places my friends and I should check out? I've been to South Bend once before to hit the College Football Hall of Fame, but it wasn't on game day and I wasn't of drinking age. Looking for some college bars, maybe a restaurant or two and a suggestion on places to stay.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

I hear they have good food in the press box.

Flaccid, flabby, soggy, sagging, splitting tubes of rotting animal flesh, floating languidly in a fetid bath of malodorous swill.

 

[93Devil]

Wear a cupcake costume and they will usher you down to the visitor's sideline.

 

[mustangj17]

Well this has been great advice. Thanks guys!

 

[93Devil]

Obviously not many of us have vacationed in SB.

 

[YankeeFan]

Every time I've been for a big game I've found someone willing to sell tickets for face value or even less.

Don't wear Michigan clothes & don't look like a drunk asshole. The folks that have tickets are rich. The tickets are paid for. They don't really need your money. If you look like a nice, respectable person that they're wiling to sit next to for four hours, they'll give you the tickets for a good price.

Even if you hate ND -- not sure if you do -- I'd recommend getting their early & walking around campus. Check out the Golden Dome, the Chapel, the Grotto. It's really beautiful.

The band plays outside on the steps of one of the buildings before the game. When I went with my buddy from BC for the game -- and he was dressed like Doug Flutie circa 1987 -- he couldn't believe how nice everyone was. The band played the BC fight song. People wished him luck & welcomed him to the campus.

He hated -- hated -- ND and came away very impressed.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Well this has been great advice. Thanks guys!

Only been there for Notre Dame games and College Football HOF. Used to live 30 minutes from there, so never had a need to stay the night and never really ate a lot down there either.

Would go down for the shopping mall too (since there wasn't a great one where I was at). Usually did what Christmas shopping I needed, stopped at 7-11 (since they didn't have one where I was at) and stopped on the way home to eat.

 

[finishthehat]

Isn't the Linebacker the big student/alumni bar?

 

[Layman]

Mustang, I'm a local, I can help you out a bit.

Ticket scalping is legal in Indiana.....not on the ND campus. The NDPD really takes that seriously. So you'll have to buy them off the ND campus. Depending on your route into town, I can help you out with locations...just PM me.

Having said that, enthusiasm is pretty high with BK in town. Expect to be gouged....particularly for the Michigan game. Online (from a reliable source) may be your best bet. Unless of course, they lose to Purdue. In which case, you'll probably see "Fire BK" billboards & be able to scoop up cheap tickets

As for local spots, depends on which night you're talking about, just how "college" you want it, and whether or not you want food (as opposed to just alcohol). Again, shoot me a PM.

Actually, sorry you didn't post this two days earlier. I had 2 I would have sold you for face value.....

 

[Layman]

Isn't the Linebacker the big student/alumni bar?

Yep....in every way. Right down to the pole in the middle of the dance floor.....and your shoes sticking to the tile. But they DID add three outdoor tables.....

 

[YankeeFan]

Actually, sorry you didn't post this two days earlier. I had 2 I would have sold you for face value.....

Ouch! That hurts.

 

[Bob Cook]

If you don't have a place to stay yet, don't expect to find one in South Bend. Heck, you might even have trouble in Elkhart. Don't be shocked if the closest place you find (as once happened to friends of mine who came for Ohio State) is Angola, Ind., home of the world-famous Butt Hut.

 

[YankeeFan]

If you don't have a place to stay yet, don't expect to find one in South Bend. Heck, you might even have trouble in Elkhart. Don't be shocked if the closest place you find (as once happened to friends of mine who came for Ohio State) is Angola, Ind., home of the world-famous Butt Hut.

You can always find a comfy chair in a Barnes & Noble to get some sleep.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

If you don't have a place to stay yet, don't expect to find one in South Bend. Heck, you might even have trouble in Elkhart. Don't be shocked if the closest place you find (as once happened to friends of mine who came for Ohio State) is Angola, Ind., home of the world-famous Butt Hut.

On Hotwire, a 2 star came up in South Bend $242/night. Also found a couple in Elkhart for $69-99, but those were also two stars.

Nothing over 2 1/2 stars came up on the quick search.

 

[Boom_70]

Tickets are pretty to come by on game day. As some have mentioned the real trick is finding a place to stay.

 

[Armchair_QB]

Stay in Chicago.

 

[YankeeFan]

Stay in Chicago.

If you're flying in, yeah.

But if you're driving in from the Detroit area, that's going the wrong way. Might as well head towards home instead of driving to Chicago after the game.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Stay in Chicago.

If you're flying in, yeah.

But if you're driving in from the Detroit area, that's going the wrong way. Might as well head towards home instead of driving to Chicago after the game.

He could always drive to Kalamazoo after the game and stay there. He'd be in a college town, so you'd still have the college bars and such.

And I'm sure a much easier time getting some place to sober up stay.

 

[Buck]

Notre Dame is in South Bend. I would recommend visitng the school, maybe catch a football game or another sporting event, depending on the season.

 

[Layman]

Actually, sorry you didn't post this two days earlier. I had 2 I would have sold you for face value.....

Ouch! That hurts.

Yeah, I probably should have just not mentioned that....sorry, 'stang

My wife gets season tix (work), we like to trade them off for other tickets (Colts, Ohio State.....swapped USC tickets for Coldplay tix last year), or sell them at face, for folks who just want to go to an ND game. Still had 2 for Michigan, as of Sunday. Swapped them for Ohio State-Wisconsin...