Oct. 30, 2008

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – It’ll be Halloween night – and Irish football standouts Sam Young, Asaph Schwapp and Scott Smith, along with Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis, will be among the speakers at the Notre Dame-Pittsburgh pep rally Friday night (Oct. 31) at the Joyce Center.

Young is a junior offensive tackle from Coral Springs, Fla., Schwapp is a senior fullback from Hartford, Conn., while Smith is a senior linebacker from Highland Park, Ill.

Irish players also will help judge a Halloween costume contest for students in attendance.

The rally also will feature a commemorative video recognizing the Hall of Fame career of former Irish coach Frank Leahy (1941-43, 1946-53). Leahy, whose son Jim and grandson Ryan (they both played football for the Irish) will participate in the coin toss Saturday prior to the game, is the fourth of five Irish national championship coaches to be honored during the 2008 Notre Dame home season. The family of former coach Knute Rockne will be honored at the final Irish home game Nov. 22 against Syracuse.

Another video showing top moments from the Notre Dame-Pittsburgh series also will be shown.

The rally will feature performances by the Notre Dame pom squad, as well as dorm championship league competition.

New for rallies in 2008 is a specially produced video introduction shown just prior to the Irish team entering the arena at 6:30 p.m.

To simplify the process of accessing arena seating for rallies, tickets for admission are no longer required. The Joyce Center doors open to the public Fridays at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time. Student host dorms can enter Gate 1 of the Joyce Center beginning at 6:00 p.m. Other students enter Gate 11 any time after 6:05 p.m.

— ND —