Dec. 3, 2006

Captains Press Conference –
Sugar Bowl Conference Call w/participating coaches (audio only) –

For the first time in 15 years, Notre Dame is headed to the Sugar Bowl.

Notre Dame (10-2) meets Southeastern Conference representative LSU (10-2) in the 73rd annual AllState Sugar Bowl on Jan. 3, 2007, in one of five Bowl Championship Series college football games announced today.

It’s the second consecutive BCS appearance for the Irish (following their Tostitos Fiesta Bowl appearance a year ago) — with Notre Dame, USC and Ohio State the only teams to play in BCS games following both the 2005 and ’06 seasons.

Site of the game is 72,000-seat Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, La. FOX Sports will nationally televise the game at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. CST in New Orleans), and ESPN Radio will also carry the game.

The Irish (11th in the final BCS standings) and Tigers (fourth in the BCS) face off for the 10th time, with the two teams meeting once previously in the postseason, following the 1997 season – in a 27-9 LSU win in the Independence Bowl. Notre Dame holds a 5-4 series lead – with the Irish winning three of four meetings at Notre Dame Stadium and the two teams splitting four contests in Baton Rouge. Notre Dame won the most recent meeting, 39-36 in 1998 in South Bend.

Notre Dame will be making its 28th bowl appearance overall — its fourth overall in the Sugar Bowl – and its third in a BCS game (the Irish also played in the Fiesta Bowl following the 2000 season against Oregon State). The Irish previously played in New Orleans after the 1973 (defeated unbeaten Alabama 24-23 to win the national title), ’80 (lost 17-10 to top-ranked Georgia) and 1991 (defeated third-rated Florida 39-28) seasons. Notre Dame is looking for its first bowl win since defeating Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl to cap the 1993 season. The Irish stand 13-14 in postseason play and have lost eight straight bowl games.

LSU will be making its 38th bowl appearance overall (its seventh straight), its 13th in the Sugar Bowl (5-7 in previous games) and its third in a BCS event. The Tigers (18-18-1 overall in the postseason and winners of seven of their last nine postseason games) also have played five times in the Orange Bowl and four times in the Cotton Bowl. LSU’s previous appearances in New Orleans came after the following seasons: 1935 (lost 3-2 to TCU), 1936 (lost 21-14 to Santa Clara), 1937 (lost 6-0 to Santa Clara), 1949 (lost 35-0 to Oklahoma), 1958 (defeated Clemson 7-0), 1959 (lost 21-0 to Ole Miss), 1964 (defeated Syracuse 13-10), 1967 (defeated Wyoming 20-13), 1984 (lost to Nebraska 28-10), 1986 (lost 30-15 to Nebraska), 2001 (defeated Illinois 47-34) and 2003 (defeated Oklahoma 21-14 in the BCS title game). LSU is 2-0 in previous BCS games – the defeat of Illinois 47-34 following the ’02 season, plus the defeat of Oklahoma 21-14 following the ’04 season to win the BCS title (both in the Sugar Bowl).

Notre Dame finished 11th in the final BCS standings released today – and 11th according to the Associated Press, tied for 10th in the Harris Interactive poll, 11th in the USA Today poll. Previous final Irish BCS rankings since the current system began in the 1998 season were 11th in 2000, ninth in 2002 and sixth in 2005. LSU finished fourth in today’s final BCS poll – and also was fourth according to Associated Press, Harris Interactive and USA Today. Previous Tiger BCS rankings include 13th in 2001, second in 2003, 11th in 2004 and 12th in 2005.

Game tickets are $125 each. It is not known at this time if there will be any public sale. Notre Dame’s allotment of 17,500 tickets is expected to be sold through a 68,471-piece mailing offering an entry into a bowl ticket lottery for all contributing alumni, Monogram Club members, season-ticket holders, parents of current undergraduate students, and University faculty, staff and supporters.

If tickets are available they will be put on sale at 9:00 a.m. EST on Dec. 18. For updates as they happen and bowl lottery results beginning Dec. 18, please visit www.und.com/tickets or call the Notre Dame Ticket Office at 574-631-7356.