One away game weekend is okay, we can all handle that. Back-to-back weekends without a home game? Now things start to feel a little off.
No questions asked if the team is playing at home we’re all watching the game from arguably the best spot on ND’s campus, the student section. When the team’s away, we actually have to put some thought into where we’re going to spend three hours, hopefully cheering as the Irish run past Purdue.
Our go-to option: a dorm.
Sounds simple enough, but dorm game watches take almost as many extremes as the number of Notre Dame turnovers this season.
Let’s break it down:
- The Social: Dorm presidents live for these weekends. Nothing like a televised Notre Dame football game to have a big social event. Call in Papa John’s, dust off the big screen TV in the lounge, and invite everyone down for a little dorm bonding. If you like being social and catching about every other play in between conversations with friends from the second floor who you haven’t seen in ages then this is the place for you.
- The Party: 8:00 P.M. kickoff? Hmm…that’s going to cut into prime party time. Solution: let’s just get the party started two hours earlier. No better excuse to party than a Notre Dame football game. Crank up the surround sound speakers with some pump up music, throw on your “tailgate like a champion” lax penny, text everyone in your phone book that your room is “where the real party’s at,” and, of course, flip the game on in the background.
- The Die-Hard Fan: Socials and parties are good and all, but that’s really going cut into seeing every play. That can’t happen. There are only 3 hours a week we can watch the Irish take the field so why miss a single second? Granted, even though watching another Irish turnover is a stab in the heart, we’d rather see it happen, than hear everyone talk about it for the next week. Plus, against Purdue, we should see a pretty solid performance all around. Our dorm room TVs will be glued on ESPN from start to finish, and don’t even think about touching the remote. All other die-hard fans are welcome to join.
- The Next Kirk Herbstreit: Sure, ND football games are great, but let’s be honest, that’s not the best game of the night. Check out this SEC showdown between #3 Alabama and #12 Florida. And #8 Nebraska battles it out in Wisconsin against the #7 Badgers. All of these teams are undefeated, but by the end of the night only the two strongest will still clinch that perfect record. We’ll be flipping back and forth between channels all night. Any one have a spare TV we could use for our room so we can watch multiple games at once?
- The Studious Fan: It’s almost midterm week so there’s pressure to be productive at all times. I’d like to be able to sit in the student section again, so failing these next few tests can’t happen. As a ND student, though, missing the game completely isn’t an option either. So, to compromise, I’ll stay in and glance over some Calculus notes while the game is on in the background. There’s nothing wrong with that.
So, all in all, in some form or another, we’re all going to be watching the game. Now, to what extent and in what form, that all depends on what type of ND fan you are. But there’s one thing that we all agree on, Go Irish, Beat Boilermakers!
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