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Fighting Irish To Face Washington State In 2009 Matchup At San Antonio
Game will be first in series of off-site contests for Notre Dame. NBC Sports will have the live television rights to the game. The off-site home game concept, as originated by White, came about once the NCAA opted for a 12-game regular season. We already had plans to play seven home games per year in Notre Dame Stadium," said White. "We considered the prospect of playing eight times in South Bend, but we determined we could make more effective use of that extra game by moving it around the country and playing not only in some areas very important to us in terms of recruiting, but also in some locales in which our fans and alumni might not otherwise see us as part of any future schedules. "It's a little bit like the barnstorming approach that Knute Rockne took back in the 1920s. We believe these events will provide great opportunities for fans to see our team play when they may be otherwise challenged to travel or obtain tickets for games in South Bend."
Notre Dame officials are expecting to play one "home" game per season beginning in '09 at locations in Texas, Florida and in other cities.It is a fact, in the first of a series of "off-site" Fighting Irish football games, the University of Notre Dame and Washington State University will play together on Oct. 31, 2009, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Since 2003, the Irish and Cougars will be meeting for the first time, In 2003, Notre Dame won the game 29-26 in overtime to open the season in Notre Dame Stadium. The 2009 game will be played at the 65,000-seat Alamodome, with the Valero Alamo Bowl serving as the host.
Derrick Fox, Valero Alamo Bowl president, said, "On behalf of the Valero Alamo Bowl and the Alamodome, we look forward to welcoming the history and tradition of Notre Dame to San Antonio and showing the team and their loyal fans our Texas hospitality." The Alamodome has hosted many games like the Texas A&M-Army regular-season matchup in 2006, temporary home to the NFL New Orleans Saints for part of the 2005 season in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and is now the home of NFL Dallas Cowboys preseason training camp and the '07 Big 12 Conference Football Championship as well as the NCAA men's basketball Final Four in 2003 and 2008.
Notre Dame's two most recent trips to the state of Texas produced a 27-24 win over Texas in 1996 in Austin - followed by a 24-3 loss to Texas A&M in College Station in 2003. The Irish have played in the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas on seven occasions - following the 1969, 1970, 1977, 1978, 1987, 1992 and 1993 seasons. A victory in the Cotton Bowl facility in 1977 earned a national championship for Notre Dame after the Irish defeated top-ranked and unbeaten Texas. Notre Dame also faced unbeaten and top-ranked Texas teams in Cotton Bowls following both the '69 and '70 seasons (winning in the second of those games to end a 30-game Texas win streak). The Irish are 5-2 in Cotton Bowl appearances, also winning 35-34 over Houston to close out the 1978 season in Joe Montana's final collegiate appearance. Notre Dame also has played in Dallas against SMU in 1949 (a 27-20 win for the top-rated Irish), 1954 (a 26-14 Notre Dame victory), 1956 (a 19-13 SMU win), 1957 (a 54-21 Notre Dame win) and 1958 (a 14-6 Irish triumph) - giving the Irish a 9-3 overall mark in Dallas. Other Notre Dame appearances in Texas came in Houston for games against Rice in 1915 (a 55-2 Notre Dame win) and 1973 (a 28-0 Irish victory). All that combined give the Irish a 12-4 record in games played in Texas.
Notre Dame's Alamodome appearance will be a homecoming of sorts for a number of Irish players who were invited to the Alamodome as high school seniors to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl prep high school all-star game. Notre Dame has more than 4,600 alumni in the state of Texas. "Notre Dame has never played in San Antonio, so this will be a tremendous opportunity to showcase our program in a new city, and in a state in which we have a strong emphasis in recruiting," said Notre Dame athletics director Kevin White.
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