Notre Dame is coordinating a fan bus trip to watch the Irish take on Boston College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday at 7 p.m. (ET) in West Lafayette, Ind. <i>(photo by Matt Cashore)</i>

Notre Dame To Offer Fan Bus Trip To NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

March 14, 2006

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame announced Tuesday that it is organizing a bus trip for fans wishing to support the Irish women’s basketball team in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, which tips off this weekend. At a cost of $33 per person, fans will receive round-trip transportation from South Bend to West Lafayette, Ind., as well as a ticket ($15 value) to Notre Dame’s NCAA first-round game Sunday at 7 p.m. (ET) against Boston College at Mackey Arena on the Purdue University campus. Expected departure time from South Bend is 3:30 p.m. (ET), with a stop in Rochester, Ind., along the way. The bus will return from West Lafayette approximately 15 minutes following the second game of the Sunday night session (9:30 p.m. ET tip between Ohio State and Oakland) and, after another stop in Rochester, is slated to arrive back in South Bend around 2 a.m. (ET) Monday.

Those fans interested in signing up for the Irish bus trip to the NCAA Tournament should contact Patricia McAdams (574-631-8747; pmcadams@nd.edu) as soon as possible and be prepared to provide the names of all persons who will be participating. Payment can be made in person or by mail to McAdams (304C Main Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556), but must be paid in full no later than Friday (March 17) at 10 a.m. (ET), with only cash or checks accepted (no credit cards).

For fans who will be traveling on their own to West Lafayette, tickets for Notre Dame’s first-round contest in the NCAA Tournament may be purchased through the Purdue Athletics Ticket Office by calling (800) 497-7678 or (765) 494-3194. The single-session price is $15 (adults)/$12 (students and youth), while all-session tickets are available at a cost of $40 for adults and $30 for students/youth. Due to limited ticket availability and high demand, the Notre Dame Athletics Ticket Office will not be selling tickets to NCAA first- and second-round games.

Notre Dame (18-11) will be making its 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, and 13th in school history, when it takes the floor against Boston College on Sunday night. The Irish are the No. 9 seed in the Albuquerque Region, while the Eagles are the eighth seed, owning a 19-11 record in their inaugural season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The winner of Sunday’s Notre Dame-Boston College game will move on to a second-round game Tuesday against the winner of the other opening-round contest in West Lafayette between No. 1 seed Ohio State (28-2) and 16th-seeded Oakland (15-15). The Irish are 1-1 all-time vs. Ohio State and took on the Buckeyes just last season, winning 66-62 at the Joyce Center in the Preseason WNIT championship game. Notre Dame has met Oakland on the hardwood once before, defeating the Golden Grizzlies, 100-51 on Dec. 9, 1987 at the Joyce Center during Muffet McGraw’s first season as the Irish head coach.

— ND —