For the first time in 21 years, there will be a night game at Notre Dame Stadium. The Notre Dame-USC game slated for Oct. 22, 2011, will kick off at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
“We are very excited about the opportunity to play host to a home night game. While we will do this only on a selective basis, we think it is important to occasionally use the platform of a prime-time game to promote the University and our football program,” said Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick.
The Oct. 22 Notre Dame-USC game will mark the first night game at Notre Dame Stadium since Michigan came to Notre Dame to play under the lights in 1990 (top-ranked Notre Dame won that game 28-24 over the fourth-rated Wolverines).
The other previous home night games came in 1982 against Michigan (Dave Duerson’s late interception preserved the Irish win), 1984 against Miami, 1985 and 1987 against Michigan State (Tim Brown returned two punts for touchdowns in ’87 to kick-start his Heisman Trophy bid), and 1988 against Michigan (Reggie Ho’s late, game-winning field goal opened Notre Dame’s national championship campaign) and Stanford.
A number of other late-afternoon starts between ’82 and ’96 required the portable Musco lighting system at Notre Dame Stadium before permanent lights were added when Notre Dame Stadium was expanded in 1997.
Here’s the complete 2011 Notre Dame home schedule, including both kickoff times and ticket prices
Date Opponent Kickoff Ticket Price
Sept. 3 South Florida 3:30 p.m. EDT $70
Sept. 17 Michigan State 3:30 p.m. EDT $80
Oct. 8 Air Force 3:30 p.m. EDT $70
Oct. 22 USC 7:30 p.m. EDT $80
Oct. 29 Navy 3:30 p.m. EDT $70
Nov. 12 Maryland 7:30 p.m. EST $50 to $130
(at FedExField, Landover, Md.)
Nov. 19 Boston College 4:00 p.m. EST $80