Editor's Note: This article is a part of The Observer's April Fools Special Section and is not meant to be taken seriously.
Athletic Director Melvin Black on Monday announced Notre Dame's 2009 football schedule.
The schedule will be a historic slate, with Notre Dame becoming the first team to host an opponent twice in the same season. The Irish will play Stanford in Week 9 and then again in Week 12. The second game officially will be a neutral site game at Mishawaka's Penn High School, as part of the two neutral site games in Black's new 8-3-1 scheduling model, but all gate receipts and TV revenues will go to Notre Dame.
"Stanford is perhaps the greatest school in the country for combining academic and football excellence," Black said. "Why wouldn't we want to schedule them as many times as possible? Sure, we're upset that we will be unable to fulfill our three-game commitment with the Big East, but that's because we've replaced them with an even better regional commitment."
That commitment Black mentioned is Notre Dame's new initiative: the Bayou Bungle. Notre Dame will play all five Division I football teams in Louisiana in consecutive weeks. The Irish will kick off the mini-slate in Baton Rouge against Louisiana State. They will then travel to Pyongyang, North Korea, to battle Tulane. Games against Louisiana Tech, Louisiana Lafayette and Louisiana Monroe follow in South Bend.
"We're proud to have the opportunity to represent Notre Dame in many national - and international - games," Black said. "We believe this schedule represents a true return to the barnstorming days of Knute Rockne. We also feel that this schedule is well-balanced, well-rhythmed and well-planned."
