Notre Dame fans anticipate the start of football season

SOUTH BEND, Ind. –Navarre Hospitality Group President, Kurt Janowsky said Notre Dame is an important part of South Bend’s economy, and it helps drove the hospitality industry in the area.

“It certainly is better when people can be in town and go to a game and go out to eat, stay in a hotel, and it's just good for the local economy,” Janowsky said.

Janowsky said, this time last year when the blue and gold game got canceled it didn’t affect restaurants because they were already shut down due to the pandemic. It wasn’t until football season started in the fall and capacity limitations to watch the game only extended to students, faculty, and staff members along with family members of the opposing team, that they felt the brunt of it all.

“Notre Dame football is a really big part of our business, especially at O’Rourke’s our location on Eddy Street. We’re really excited and hopeful that this fall, things go back to normal,” Janowsky said.

It’s not only businesses who are ready to move forward, but Notre Dame football fans also haven’t been able to cheer on the Fighting Irish in over a year and they’re ready to get back inside the stadium and be a part of the tradition.

"Just the atmosphere and the experience is just beautiful, right. So, I think that gets us all excited and of course family,” said Kevin O’Brien

“It’s like a family tradition and connection especially with our niece being here, and it's awesome,” said Siobhan O'Brien. “It’s just being part of the Notre Dame family.”

It’s not only the fans who are missing out on the game-day energy, but many Notre Dame students attending the game are anticipating the return of a jam-packed stadium.

“The stadium gets much louder, and, you know its just a different feeling, so we’re all really looking forward to the fans coming back, whether its this year or it has to be two years from now, we’re all looking forward to this thing,” Brett McLaughlin, a student at Notre Dame said.