Though players and fans may not have been satisfied with the results of last weekend's football game against Oklahoma University, the people working behind the scenes to coordinate the weekend events said despite the influx of visitors, the weekend went well.
Mike Seamon, director of game day operations, said more than 120,000 visitors made their way to campus last weekend, the highest total yet this year.
"The near-perfect weather was a welcome change and added to the festivities of the weekend," Seamon said. "As expected, we saw an increase in visitors to campus on both Friday and Saturday."
This increase was especially apparent in the parking lots on campus, which filled early in the day, Seamon said.
"Given the spectacular weather, we found that people wanted to get to campus early and experience all of the various game day activities," he said.
Seamon said the tunnel tour of Notre Dame stadium had 4,752 visitors last Friday compared to 3,890 on Michigan State weekend and approximately 5,000 for Temple weekend. The pep rally had 7,500 people in attendance, compared to 7,000 before Michigan State and nearly 12,000 for the home opener.
Additionally, the Friday football luncheon had more than 1,300 attendees, and students operating the campus pedal cab service provided more than 250 rides for guests on Friday and Saturday, Seamon said.
Phil Johnson, chief of police for Notre Dame Security Police, said his staff made no custodial arrests Saturday but issued two citations for underage drinking.
Seamon said no estimates were available on the number of Oklahoma fans who made it to the game, though they had a noticeable presence both on campus and in the stadium.
"They obviously traveled well, but it's impossible to guess how many bought tickets," he said.
Seamon said he and his staff are currently preparing for this weekend's "away-home game" against Arizona State University at Dallas Cowboys Stadium as part of the annual Shamrock Series.
Contact Ann Marie Jakubowski at ajakubo1@nd.edu
