Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

2004 Notre Dame Spring Football Festival

March 26, 2004

The Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Football Festival on April 24, presented for the fourth straight year by Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Inc., will provide your first glimpse of the 2004 Irish. “Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center is proud to once again sponsor the annual Blue-Gold Festival. Our traditions and community commitment have very similar roots dating to the late 1800s. We are very pleased to partner with Notre Dame on this exciting university and community event,” said Nancy Hellyer, CEO of Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, Inc.

Media partner for the Blue-Gold Festival is WDND South Bend’s ESPN Radio 1580, which will broadcast the game live on radio. Supporting sponsors are Chili’s, Papa Vino’s and Papa John’s.

There are plenty of activities connected with the 74th annual Blue-Gold game (1:30 p.m. EST kickoff), including several opportunities to be up close and personal with Willingham and his players:

  • A special VIP ticket ($40 for adults, $25 for youths) entitles fans to a full day of activities with the Irish, including joining the squad for its pre-game meal. A player or coach will be seated at each table for the brunch to be held at 9:30 a.m. EST in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse (north dome). All those attending the brunch also will have access to an autograph session with the current players from 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the north dome – and there will be limited public access to that event as well. Then, VIP fans can sit either in the gold chairback seats on the east side of the Stadium or they can roam the east sidelines at field level for a closer view of the action. The VIP brunch is sponsored by South Bend Orthopaedic Associates.
  • There will be approximately 150 seats available ($50 each) in the Notre Dame Stadium press box where fans can have the same view as media covering Irish football. Fans seated in the press box receive a game program, as well as the same press box lunch fare served to media (hot dogs, soup, popcorn, soft drinks). The press box is available any time after 11:30 a.m.
  • A free-to-all interactive fan fest will take place from 10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Joyce Center South parking lot.
  • Former Notre Dame football players will take part in a flag football game from noon-12:45 p.m. prior to the Blue-Gold contest. All former Irish football players will be invited back for the weekend.
  • The Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley will hold a silent auction of sports memorabilia on Saturday morning in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse, in conjunction with the VIP brunch.
  • Tickets for the game itself are now on sale. In advance, tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for youths (18 and under) and $5 for groups of 20 or more. There are a limited number of gold seats on the west side at $12 each. Area Meijer stores are selling advance tickets for $6 (adults) and $5 (youths).

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  • Tickets can be ordered by mail by writing Blue-Gold Tickets, Joyce Center, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Checks can be made payable to University of Notre Dame, or use VISA, MasterCard or American Express – and there is a $7 service charge per mail or phone order. Telephone orders will be accepted at 574-631-7356.
  • On game day, tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for youths. Proceeds benefit the scholarship fund of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley.