The extremely long drive is always worth it
Thu, 12/12/2024 - 10:36am
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By:
Nate Troy TPD Sports Editor
CRESCO - Outlined against a steel-gray November sky, a middle-aged sports writer and his wife drove 800 miles round-trip to witness the spectacular pageantry and tradition that comes from watching a specific college football game in person.
From time to time, my wife, Sara, and I enjoy traveling to different locations on a mini-vacation. A few weeks ago, we drove more than 380 miles to a destination which has been near-and-dear to my heart for almost four decades - the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Before I talk about our trip, I should give you a brief background as to why this place is special to me and my family. It all starts with my dad, or Pop, as he is known by everyone in our family. Pop graduated from Notre Dame in 1960, married my mom in 1966 and they had five kids. I am number four out of five.
While my family did go to a couple of ND football games when we lived in Ashland, Wis., from 1971 to 1980, we started going to games a lot more frequently after we moved to Dubuque, Iowa in August 1980. All of us kids have been to at least one game with my parents over the years. However, I’ve been to the most games among my siblings because I’ve been the ‘sports guy’ in our family ever since I first learned how to play football, baseball and basketball.
The first game I can remember going to with my parents was on Oct. 6, 1984. It was a night game. The Irish played the Miami Hurricanes. It rained. A lot. Plus, ND got their you-know-whats handed to them during a 31-13 loss. To say the least, it wasn’t an enjoyable and fun-filled game to be an Irish fan.
On Oct. 11, 1986, I attended a game with my older brother, Pat, and our parents. The weather was perfect for mid-October. We enjoyed walking around the campus, seeing all the sites and taking in a game. Even though Notre Dame lost to Pittsburgh that day, 10-9, I started to gain a greater appreciation for the campus and the history and tradition of the football program.
One year later, on Oct. 24, 1987, my parents took me and my younger sister, Sara (the original Sara Troy), to the game between ND and USC. Senior Tim Brown, who would win the Heisman Trophy later that year, scored a touchdown to help the Irish beat the Trojans, 26-15. Pop bought me a game program. I was officially hooked as a Notre Dame football fan.
On Nov. 16, 2024, my wife, Sara, and I attended the ND vs. Virginia game at Notre Dame Stadium. This game marked the 22nd game I had attended and the seventh game for Sara.
The day before the game, Sara and I drove from Cresco to Michigan City, Ind., where we stayed overnight. The drive itself was not too bad, except for getting caught in gridlock for about 30 minutes on the Indiana Toll Road. Otherwise, everything went smoothly. As an added bonus, once we got to the hotel, the front desk worker told us that the manager decided to give us a room upgrade, which included a small hot tub in our room, at no extra change. Sweet!
Driving to the campus on Nov. 16 was mostly OK, except for me missing the turn to Interstate 80/90 East and then seeing a sign that read ‘Welcome to Pure Michigan.’ H-E-double hockey sticks! Son-of-a-biscuit! That’s the second straight year I made that mistake!
Anyway, we found the next exit, got back on the correct road and made it to campus around 9:30 a.m. Our first stop on campus was the Hesburgh Library, or as it is universally called, ‘Touchdown Jesus.’ Because Sara is a former librarian, she has a soft spot in her heart for libraries, and the TDJ library is the mecca of all university libraries.
After that, we walked across campus to the golden dome, which has a statue of Mary on the top. About 50 yards in front of the dome, there is a statue of Jesus with his arms extended. The old saying goes that Jesus is calling out to Mary, ‘Jump mom, I’ll catch you.’
Our next stop was Sacred Heart Church, followed by the Grotto, where I lit a candle and said a prayer for my family.
Then it was off to the Knights of Columbus food stand, where they were selling steak sandwiches. Because it’s a Troy family tradition, I bought one and I was hungry. It tasted all right, despite the grizzle. It definitely gave my jaw a good workout!
Next we headed to the bookstore for some souvenirs. I would say that the bookstore is a zoo, but that would be a disservice to zoos everywhere. It’s more like being stuck in rush-hour traffic on a six-lane highway and you can only go about two miles per hour.
After the bookstore, we walked around a little bit before heading into the stadium around 2 p.m. Luckily, we did not have any problems this year accessing our tickets through the google wallet thingamajig.
The game between Notre Dame and Virginia was exciting. Despite the Irish committing nine penalties for almost 90 yards and having two touchdowns called back, they still beat the Cavaliers, 35-14. Sara and I got a few good action shots during the game from our seats two rows from the top of the stadium.
After the game, the players, the coaches, the cheerleaders and the Irish guard gathered by the student section, which was near our seats, to sing the Alma Mater (Notre Dame Our Mother) with the students. That is always one of my favorite things about attending a game in person.
The drive to Notre Dame and back never seems to get any shorter, but it’s always worth it.