Traffic piles up in snowy South Bend for Indiana-Notre Dame playoff opener 14 hours before kickoff
More than 12 hours before kickoff of the very first game in a College Football Playoff with dozens of teams, a line of traffic has piled up in the snow in South Bend awaiting Notre Dame’s kickoff against Indiana.
The rivalry game between the largest school in the Hoosier state and the independent powerhouse kicks off at 7 p.m. local time, with the Bloomington campus a three-hour drive from South Bend.
The snow on the ground and coming from the sky didn’t stop those from getting an early view of white-clad Notre Dame Stadium, also off campus.
A line of cars more than half a day away waiting to park for a football game shows the madness that is college football.
A low of 22 degrees is forecast for South Bend tonight, with showers expected throughout the day. It is currently 31 degrees in Northern Indiana.
The matchup between 11-1 teams is the biggest matchup in Indiana football history without a close second-place finish. The Hoosiers had never won games by double digits in a single season before 2024.
A line of traffic has piled up in the snow in South Bend ahead of the Notre Dame-Indiana kickoff
The domestic rivals have not played since 1991 and have faced each other just once in the last 66 years
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and his dog visit ‘Touchdown Jesus’ in South Bend
The matchup is so big that no long wait or weather conditions will stop some from being close to the stadium, with much more traffic expected throughout the day.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, who just called Chargers-Broncos on Thursday night, has already posted a video from campus, with his dog Pieter running around in the layer of snow already on the South Bend ground.
The state’s foes have met on the field just once since 1958, a measly non-conference clash in 1991, making the clash incredibly special for those who call the Hoosier State home.
Traffic should reach a fever pitch around 5 p.m. local time as those making the drive from Bloomington come into town after the commencement ceremony. Two hours before kick-off is also a typical time for those looking to arrive.
Indiana has moved its winter commencement ceremonies to 9 a.m. and noon local time to accommodate those who want to travel to South Bend for the game.