Notre Dame will welcome Ohio State to South Bend for the first time in 27 years this September, and with the Buckeyes comes their fervent fan base.
There have been at least two memorable instances of red-clad opposing fans taking over Notre Dame Stadium in the past–Georgia in 2017 and Nebraska in 2000–and the ND administration “absolutely has concerns” about a similar display on the night of Sept. 23, says longtime Notre Dame beat writer Pete Sampson of The Athletic.
“I would describe the approach to a takeover being one more of a damage limitation than solving the problem outright,” Sampson wrote this week. “The inability for Ohio State fans to buy tickets directly from Notre Dame or even ticket brokers to really get them could be an important step. Tickets for Ohio State were never made available to the general public, which was a priority.”
Sampson added that Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick is trying, along with ticket partners and other parties, to mitigate the potential issue.
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— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) July 3, 2023
Notre Dame has already sold out its home games against Ohio State and USC for this fall. The Trojans will come to Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 14, less than one month before OSU makes its visit.
This year’s meeting will only be the eighth one all-time between the two storied Midwestern programs. Ohio State has won the last five matchups with the Fighting Irish, including a 21-10 victory in the 2022 season opener in Columbus.