Oct. 10, 2002

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Former University of Notre Dame quarterback Tony Rice and former Irish tailback and current Westwood One radio broadcaster Allen Pinkett will sign autographs Saturday from 11 a.m.-noon (EST) in the Joyce Center Fieldhouse. Both men will be available to meet with visiting fans as part of the “Notre Dame Experience,” an interactive fan festival for each of the 2002 home football games. The “Notre Dame Experience” combines the Notre Dame Alumni Association Hospitality Center with interactive inflatables, photo booths, autograph sessions, Notre Dame football trivia and stage activities.

Rice was one of the cornerstones on Notre Dame’s 1988 national championship team which went 12-0 and defeated West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl. He holds the school records for rushing yardage by a quarterback in a season (884 in 1989) and a career (1,921), ranking 15th among all Irish players in the latter category. Rice also stands sixth in school history with 4,882 yards of total offense.

Pinkett is Notre Dame’s second all-time leading rusher, amassing 4,131 yards during his brilliant career from 1982-85. He still owns school records for career rushing attempts (889) and rushing touchdowns (49), and he led the Irish in rushing for three consecutive seasons from 1983-85. His 1,394-yard effort in 1983 remains the second-highest single-season total in school history. Also in 1983, Pinkett earned second-team All-America honors from the Associated Press and United Press International, and first-team plaudits from The Sporting News and Football News.

Gates to the Joyce Center Fieldhouse will open three hours prior to kickoff and will remain open until one hour after the game ends. Admission is free for all “Notre Dame Experience” events.

Notre Dame (5-0), which is ranked eighth in the latest AP and ESPN/USA Today polls, returns to the gridiron at 1:30 p.m. (EST) Saturday against Pittsburgh at Notre Dame Stadium. That game will be televised nationally by NBC.

— ND —