March 22, 2005

Former Notre Dame football greats Tim Brown, Joe Montana, Joe Theismann and Chris Zorich will serve as honorary game captains as part of the 2005 Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Football Festival (April 23), presented by Chick-fil-A.

Several offerings and events – sponsored by the Notre Dame Monogram Club – also are on tap during Blue-Gold weekend for Notre Dame football alums, with the full schedule (tentative) available via the below link:

Blue-Gold Alumni Football Weekend Schedule of Events
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Any football alums who have signed up for the Blue-Gold weekend events (i.e. dinner, reception, luncheon and flag-football game, see below) are asked to check in with the Monogram Club on April 22 (3:00-5:30 p.m.), on the Joyce Center concourse area. The alumni flag-football game participants will practice that day (3:15-4:00) on the football practice fields while football alums may take tours of the Guglielmino Athletics Complex from 4:00-6:00 (these tours are tentative and space is limited, so please reserve your spot by contacting the Monogram Club at 574-631-5450). The tour groups will meet at Gate 4 of the Joye Center.

A spring kickoff tailgate-style dinner – sponsored by Famous Dave’s Barbecue – will be held on the night of April 22nd in the tents at Cartier Field, starting at 6:15 p.m. The casual-dress event is free to football alums and one guest (additional guests are $25 for adults and $10 for children). Please pay in advance for the dinner by sending checks to the Monogram Club (112 Joyce Center; Notre Dame, IN 46556) or by calling the Monogram Club office. A hospitality area with complimentary beverages will be available after the dinner, for adults only.

Saturday’s events include a 9:00 a.m. continental breakfast for the flag-football participants only (in the visitors locker room at Notre Dame Stadium), followed by the pre-game mass with Rev. James Riehle, C.S.C., at 9:30 (flag-football participants only). More tours of the Guglielmino Center also are slated for Saturday (10:00-11:30 a.m., open to all football alums; sign up in advance due to limited space), with the alumni flag-football game to be held at Notre Dame Stadium from 11:30-12:15.

A lunch buffet for all football alumni and their guests will be held after the game (12:30 p.m.), at the north-tunnel tent in Notre Dame Stadium. The Blue-Gold game then kicks off at 1:35.

Media partner for the Blue-Gold Festival is WDND South Bend’s ESPN Radio 1580 AM, which will broadcast the Blue-Gold game live on radio.

“The Chick-fil-A of Mishawaka Main Street is proud to partner with Notre Dame by sponsoring the Blue-Gold Game Spring Football Festival. We share Notre Dame’s passion for excellence of playing like a champion and are excited to share in this great community event,” said Kathy Wonderly,Owner/Operator of the Chick-fil-A of Mishawaka Main Street.

Supporting sponsors are Chili’s, Papa Vino’s and WMWB-TV (the local Warner Brothers affiliate – channel 25).

There are plenty of activities connected with the 76th annual Blue-Gold game (1:35 p.m. EST kickoff), including several opportunities to be up close and personal with head coach Charlie Weis and his players. In addition to the * A special VIP ticket ($40 for adults, $25 for youths 18 and under) entitles fans to a full day of activities with the Irish, including joining the squad for its pre-game meal. A player will be seated at each table for the brunch to be held at 9:00 a.m. EST in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse (doors open at 8:30 a.m. – enter Gate 3 of north dome). All those attending the brunch also will have access to an autograph session with the current players only (no coaches) from 9:45-10:30 a.m. EST in the north dome – and there will be some limited public access to the autograph event as well (enter Gate 3). Then, VIP fans can sit in the gold chairback seats on the east side of the Stadium to enjoy their first look at the Irish under their new head coach. 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, donuts, soft drinks). The press box is available any time after 11:30 a.m. EST. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. EST.

* A free-to-all interactive fan fest will take place from 10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. EST in the Joyce Center South parking lot.

* Former Notre Dame football players will take part in a flag football game from 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. EST 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 will go on sale beginning March 28. In advance, tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for youths (18 and under) and $7 for groups of 20 or more. There are a limited number of gold seats on the west side at $15 each. Beginning April 1 area Meijer stores are selling advance tickets for $8 (adults) and $7 (youths).

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 $12 for adults, $8 for youths. Proceeds benefit the scholarship fund of the Notre Dame Club of St. Joseph Valley.