By Wes Emmert

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN 

In this day and age of big-time sports and the not-so-good side that often makes the headlines, I want to share with you my latest good news story about big-time college football.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit South Bend, Ind., the home of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame for a football game versus the Boston College Eagles. I was accompanied by three of my five children (Travis, 22, Brittany, 19, and Cameron, 10) as well as some friends of theirs and another father.

Like them or not, a Notre Dame home football game is more than just a game, it's an experience. For the consummate college football fan it is a mandatory pilgrimage to the hub of college football. Since I left Boston College in 1993, I have made this road trip for the BC game four previous times; every time seems better than the last.

We began our trip from Rochester Friday morning and arrived in Portage, Ind., later that evening with smooth sailing despite the rain. We did experience a minor car problem when my engine light illuminated outside of La Crosse.

After a quick pit stop to the local dealership for a diagnostic and a recommendation for a tuneup to replace worn spark plugs, we were soon back on our way. Evidently one should get a tune up every 30,000 miles as opposed to one every 83,000 miles - lesson learned.

We arrived in Portage, settled in, and got Cam and his buddy Jack into the pool to burn off some pent-up energy. Following some pool time, Travis, my oldest son, had arrived with his friends from Minneapolis. We all went out to a local establishment for a nice meal and hoped for favorable weather for Saturday's game.

Arising early Saturday morning, I discovered, much to my dismay, the weather had continued from the previous day; overcast, mid 40s and drizzling. We hit the complimentary continental breakfast and then headed for South Bend.

The last 30 miles of the trek we traveled the back roads, experienced beautiful fall colors, the northern Indiana landscapes and small towns.

We arrived at South Bend and parked across from the ND campus around 10 a.m., a full 5 1/2 hours before kickoff. From our parking lot we could see the landmark gold dome of the Main Building.

The first thing that one sees is the expanse of the quads surrounded by the buildings housing dorms and classrooms, all done in the classic gothic architecture. The smell of open charcoal fires was in the air.

As we walked along the sidewalk there were various concessions set up by a host of student clubs cooking and selling hotdogs, brats and steak sandwiches with all the fixings.

We made our way around campus and to our first destination, the Notre Dame bookstore. The bookstore is home to every piece of ND paraphernalia imaginable, from logo apparel to posters to coffee mugs. On a football Saturday the inside of the bookstore is a mass of humanity. If everyone doesn't move at the same time, no one moves. Even with so many visitors buying ND products, the lines move remarkably smoothly.

Following the bookstore, we made our way to the other end of campus, in the drizzle, while the throngs of people began to swell in anticipation of the game. There were tailgates set up in the parking lots with revelers, full of excitement, throwing footballs and playing bean bags. I wanted to show my entourage the Basilica, the Grotto, the Main Building (which is adorned with the golden dome) and the mural of Christ the Teacher on the Hesburgh Library (also referred to as "touchdown Jesus").

We took it all in, and to see the amazement in their eyes as we progressed around the campus was priceless. While it was not the best of weather, the campus was still a shining star. The academic and athletic traditions of Notre Dame were thick in the air.

Around 1:30 p.m., two hours before kickoff, we arrived at the tunnel entrance of the stadium to wait for the arrival of the teams. First the ND players arrived from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, having attended their team Mass, and walked into their stadium locker room. Soon after, Boston College arrived and made their way to their locker room.

All the time more and more people were gathering around the stadium and you could feel the energy in anticipation of the game. Helicopters and airplanes flew overhead, adding to the excitement. Before entering the stadium, we walked around the outside and saw the bronze statues in honor of coaches Knute Rockne and Frank Leahy. Inside the stadium the concourse was adorned in larger-than-life photo banners of the current players. Also in the concourse is a bronze statue of Lou Holtz.

We got to our seats in time to watch both teams go through their warmups. We had a panoramic view of the entire field. Once the teams left the field, the Notre Dame marching band made its entrance. They put on quite a show complete with the Irish Guard decked out in traditional Scottish kilts.

Following the national anthem, it was now time to watch the game that we came to see.

It was a spirited game and great effort on both sides of the ball. In the end the Irish prevailed, much to the chagrin of my pro BC party.

Following the game we made our way back to the car, hit the Indiana tollway, and arrived back in Rochester at 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning with some mighty tired campers.

In all of the venues I have had the privilege of attending, Notre Dame is one of my top three sites; not only watch a football game, but to experience everything that makes it one of the most unique game days in the country.

It was a first visit for two of my children and a few others in the party. It's a memory they will carry forever. The staff and employees of ND go out of their way to make it a wonderful time for fans on both sides of the field. It was certainly a trip I will remember and cherish until my next visit to South Bend.

Wes Emmert is fitness director at the Rochester Athletic Club and writes a regular fitness column for the Post-Bulletin. Here he ventures from his usual subject matter to tell us of an unusual experience.

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