First time you went to Notre Dame

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goirish#1

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I remember the first time I went to Notre Dame for a football game. My dad told me the experience was something else. We left our house at six in the morning to get there at ten. When we got there I realized he was right seeing the Golden Dome , the air was just different from any football game I had ever been to. ND was playing Purdue who was undefeated at the time. I couldn't believe the parting and traditions that were going on aroung campus. When we got to the book store I could not believe it, but literally you could not even move in there, it was so cool. Even before the game the greatest football atmosphere had me mesmorized. I loved it, and was calling everyone I knew to tell them I was at the ND game. The band was great when it was out there and the game was about to start. Unfortunatly ND lost the game, but it was still the coolest thing I ever did. Seeing the College Football HOF was cool to. Lou Holz once said "If you haven't been to Notre Dame not explaination is satisfactory, and if you have no explaination is satisfactory." He was right! Notre Dame on a game weekend is a great place to be.

I started this because I love to go to Notre Dame, and I want to hear about Your first time going to an Irish Football Game.
 
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Nugz

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My first time was back in '98 when my girlfriend at the time bought us tickets to the LSU game on 11/21. One week before my birthday. We had a hotel room in South Bend and stayed there for the weekend. Irish won 39-36.

What a great day that was.
 
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Pete

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1987, ND v. PSU. Snowed the entire day. ND lost.
 
irishfan

irishfan

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1997 Re-Dedication Game against Georgia Tech. Everyone stood and chanted "Bob! Bob! Bob!" after the win for Bob Davie. Kind of funny I guess lol
 
IrishAlum1997

IrishAlum1997

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First game was my freshman year in '93. I was in the band and we played N'western. First play from scrimmage Petey Bercich had a pick-six and the place was electric. I was hooked.

I've shared this story before on some other thread but its certainly my first Irish football memory in person.
 
LOVEMYIRISH

LOVEMYIRISH

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1995, I was looking for grad schools and my wife and I parked right on the main drive. It was as beautiful as advertised.

That fall they offered the students 1/2 price season passes. I hated football at the time, never watched more that 10 seconds at a shot. But my wife and I realized that ND had some long tradition and that to miss it would be a mistake.

To give you an idea of my college football knowledge before 1995...I had heard of Rockne, but was not sure what team he coached for! Four Horseman, never heard of them. Holtz? Some name on ESPN between baseball game updates. The only player I knew by name was Anthony Carter.

Anyhow, we get our tickets and the morning of the game we get to campus early and buy "The Shirt". We get to our seats...and I remember thinking, "Wow, the field is so close." Not like when I would go see baseball games and sit behind first in the upper deck.

We sat about 15 rows up from the field, so we were not very high up... I remember the team coming out of the tunnel. I remember being irritated at people who stood up the whole game (which I now do, but I did not realize students did that then).

Unfortunately, this was 1995 and we lost the opener to Northwestern. Ugh.

However, from that day on I was hooked. I learned more and more each year... Now here I sit, an admin on an ND site. Talk about a turn-around. LOL
 
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tgolden

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my first time at ND, I don't remember. It was when I was very young. My first game was also the 96 air force game... at least that was my first time in the stadium. the year before, I got to tailgate, I think it was for BC, but only my parents got to go to the game. we kids went back to my uncles house and watched the game on TV.

The first win I saw was 97 vs. West Virginia. I got to go on the field b/c it was the last home game and back then the students went on the field after the final home game. I high-fived autry denson and allen rossum. I was about 9... that was one of the highlights of my young life.
 
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FleaFlicker

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The first ND game I went to was the Cotton Bowl back when I was really young. We were playing A&M I believe. It wasn't 1993 (was that when we played A&M?) but a few years before that. Anyway, all I remember is the excitement and not being able to see over other people's heads.

I guess it was the 87 season game. Played in 88. ND got waxed by A&M. I remember it being pretty cold for the Cotton Bowl.
 
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NDgettysburg

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First game was the last one played in the original config of the stadium.....guess it was 1996 vs Navy. Powlus broke his arm, I think it was. Tom Krug filled in. Being 31 at the time I had as much of a feeling of regret as I did, a great time. Hit me hard that I might have been able to have that experience for 4 years if I'd only had a little more motivation.
 
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bbrennan

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My first memory is of the 1988 NC season. I was a senior in high school and went for my visit and interview. It was the Friday before they played Penn State at home. The place was a zoo. I knew right then that I was going to ND. The games as a student are somewhat of a blur. I do remember the last game in the Miami series. First time charging the field. Huge fun.

My best memory is yet to come. My son is 8 now. We went to the Navy game in Baltimore this last season - his first ND game in person. Seeing him get excited about seeing Brady Quinn come out of the tunnel and seeing CW walk on the field before kick off brings a tear to my eye today. The first time I get to take into the stadium will be best memory.
 
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NDgettysburg

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bbrennan said:
My best memory is yet to come. My son is 8 now. We went to the Navy game in Baltimore this last season - his first ND game in person. Seeing him get excited about seeing Brady Quinn come out of the tunnel and seeing CW walk on the field before kick off brings a tear to my eye today. The first time I get to take into the stadium will be best memory.
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I hear ya....my 9 year old's favorite player is Darius Walker. By some major luck we had field seats for the Army game and when the team ran down from the tunnel, DW knelt directly in front of us for his pregame prayer at the goal line. He was literally 10 yards away. The smile on my son's face made it all worth it. He couldn't have been happier.
 
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gallup21

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my first game was in 2002 at ND Mich game. 25-23 if i remember correctely ND winning....but ive been bad luck since then. 2003 BC game @ BC, 2005 MSU game, and 2006 scUM game urgh
 
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rontdtarchala

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My God I'm getting old my first was 67 dang you gentlemen must be young
 
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gallup21

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1967....my dad was 7 then haha not trying to make you feel old, that means youve graduated from HS AND college so that must be a load of your back.
 
GoshenGipper

GoshenGipper

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My first regular season game was Sr. day against SMU in '89. I had just turned 6 so I don't remember a lot of details, but I can still remember where we sat, and what the atmosphere was like. That wasn't my first time at ND, or my first time in the stadium though. I have been going to Blue/Gold games since I was 3 or 4 years old. After one game when I was still very young I was upset and crying (Not screaming or throwing a big tantrum though) because I didn't get the souvenir that I had set my hart on before I even went to the game. Well Allen Pinkett was leaving the stadium at the same time and he saw that I was upset so he came over to cheer me up and told me some stories about his time at ND because he didn't want my ND experience to be a bad one. That's part of what makes ND so great, no matter what our opinions are on various hot topics, we're all one big family that looks after each other.
 
ACamp1900

ACamp1900

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acamp must get off streets before he plan trip to Ireland...
 
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littlerick77

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2000 game vs. Purdue.........great game, ND won with a last minute field goal. Drew Brees was the QB.

The best part was taking my grandpa with me, it was his first (and probably only) time. He has been a fan since the 30's listening to games on the radio.

My next trip will be taking my 8-yr. old boy for his first time this year. he's already a huge clausen fan...........
 
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KingAdrock99

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First time I went to ND was in November of '04 to visit my gf and to take the subject test for the GRE. I saw ND lose to Pitt by 3. The next two games I went to see, they lost by 3, including the MSU game in OT and to USC. I haven't seen a loss since. Strike that, I selectively forgot about the second home game this year.
 
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NDgettysburg

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GoshenGipper said:
My first regular season game was Sr. day against SMU in '89. I had just turned 6 so I don't remember a lot of details, but I can still remember where we sat, and what the atmosphere was like. That wasn't my first time at ND, or my first time in the stadium though. I have been going to Blue/Gold games since I was 3 or 4 years old. After one game when I was still very young I was upset and crying (Not screaming or throwing a big tantrum though) because I didn't get the souvenir that I had set my hart on before I even went to the game. Well Allen Pinkett was leaving the stadium at the same time and he saw that I was upset so he came over to cheer me up and told me some stories about his time at ND because he didn't want my ND experience to be a bad one. That's part of what makes ND so great, no matter what our opinions are on various hot topics, we're all one big family that looks after each other.
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Pinkett's a great guy....every time I've seen him sign autographs he's been more than happy to spend a decent amount of time with the fan, never just sign and move on.
 
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