Barnstorming Notre Dame!

It looks like Notre Dame will return to its glory day roots when they barnstormed around the country to make 'the Irish more accessible to their fans' ala the days of Knute Rockne (who made the wise decision of an annual game with USC instead of Nebraska--somehow finishing the season in Lincoln just doesn't warm the heart like a November weekend in Hollywood).

First, the Irish have selected Washington State to play a 'home' game in San Antonio in 2009 as well as 'home games' in Orlando for 2011 and 2014. Part of the reason given was 'to help fans who have difficulty traveling to South Bend' or obtaining traditional home game tickets--yet, one has to ask some questions (most of which don't have answers yet):

First, just how many Notre Dame 'fans' live in San Antonio and Orlando? And with the idea that these will be Irish home games--how is that going to impact those loyal purchasing customers that buy season tickets in South Bend? Obviously, they will have 'travel issues' themselves moving games 5 states away from their traditional fall haunt and exactly, who will fill the bleachers?

Filling the bleachers may answer another one of those questions---why San Antonio and why Orlando? The AlamoDome seats a 65,000 and the Citrus Bowl holds 70,000-- a good 10,000-15,000 less than Notre Dame stadium. You've got to figure that although both Orlando and San Antonio are good 'vacation destinations' with strong airport/hotel infrastructures, there will be a limited number of Wazzu fans making the trek, so demand is down on that front. Their had been rumors of the Irish playing Baylor at an expanded and refurbished Cotton Bowl- but that stadium would hold 92,000--more than 12,000 above Notre Dame stadium and 27,000 more than the AlamoDome. Even Notre Dame, who had traditionally drawn well in Dallas for Cotton Bowls, apparently has limits to what they can draw-- so they chose smaller stadiums in towns with no professional team competition to eat up corporate money and we will have to wait to see if the Irish's long held belief that "Notre Dame is a national team" is proven correct.