Acclaimed actor and comedian Vince Vaughn will host the national "30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland" tour set to stop on campus Saturday, Oct. 8, the University of Notre Dame Student Union Board said in a statement Wednesday.
The last time Vaughn was in South Bend, his "Rudy" character Jamie O'Hara was berated by Ara Parseghian after criticizing the famed Irish walk-on Daniel Ruettiger for treating every game as if it were the Super Bowl.
But the popular funnyman will likely receive a much warmer reception when his "Wild West Comedy Show" rolls into town next month.
SUB Manager Jimmy Flaherty said organizers expect tickets will be in high-demand.
"Vince Vaughn and the comedians that come with him are big names in the comedy world," Flaherty said. "We are anticipating very high attendance. The early reviews on his shows from the West Coast have been unbelievable, so we expect that momentum to carry to campus."
Sophomore Kim Schoemaker said she is a fan of Vaughn because he rarely plays the leading role, but he makes movies "a billion times better" with his "goofy, yet witty" sense of humor.
"No one would expect someone that huge to come to school," she said. "In fact someone was saying they heard rumors that someone 'bigger than Dane Cook' was coming to campus and no one even thought of [Vaughn] because they wouldn't consider someone so monumental and hot right now to come," she said.
Vaughn - who most recently starred in this summer's successful comedy "Wedding Crashers" - appeared in dozens of feature films in the 12 years since his minor role in "Rudy," including "Swingers," "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" and "Old School."
In addition to Vaughn, the month-long tour boasts comedians Bret Ernst, John Caparulo, Ahmed Ahmed and Sebastian Maniscalco - all hailing from the renowned Comedy Store of Los Angeles.
The tour - which will be filmed for a 2006 documentary release - is scheduled to play in more than 30 cities from Los Angeles to Chicago. Notre Dame is one of only three colleges to serve as a venue for the show.
"SUB - always looking for great entertainment and programs for campus - has seized this opportunity and we're going to work hard to make it a success," Flaherty said.
The SUB statement said tickets for Notre Dame, Saint Mary's and Holy Cross students will go on sale for $30 next Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9:00 a.m. at the LaFortune Box Office.
While junior Joe Kippley thought the show will attract many students, he said the cost of admission was probably "too high."
"I think a fair price would be more like 15 or 20 dollars," he said.
The SUB statement said the price was established by the promoter.
Tickets for the event will remain available exclusively to students for one week. After Sept. 28, any extra tickets will be released for Notre Dame, Saint Mary's and Holy Cross faculty and staff members.
"[The SUB would] encourage students to get their tickets as soon as possible as it is expected that this will sell out," Flaherty said.
