Notre Dame and Navy have been playing each other 93 straight seasons with episode 94 now coming Labor Day weekend. As announced earlier, that game will take place on Navy’s actual home turf for the first time in the history of the rivalry.
If you’re like me at all you have an interest college football road trips and want to experience as many of the unique venues as you can. For me Navy is high on that list and Notre Dame now playing there makes it that much more compelling for me to try and get to.
But before I or we can go, do we know if there will be fans allowed in the stands?
Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk was on the ABC News affiliate in Washington, DC on Tuesday and discussed exactly that.
Gladchuk on @ABC7News regarding the Navy-Notre Dame game: Because of the likely limitations on social gatherings in Sept., the size of Navy-Marine Corps Stadium makes it a perfect location and it will be a once in a lifetime event for those that are able to join us.
— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) June 2, 2020
On a visit with the Baltimore ABC station he shared a little more information on the Labor Day weekend affair.
Gladchuk on @WMAR2News regarding Navy-Notre Dame: It's history in the making. It's a first and it will probably be a last. It will never happen again. COVID-19 has thrown a curve ball in so many ways. We are anticipating a limited crowd with social distancing and restrictions.
— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) June 2, 2020
So a limited crowd is what it appears to be. Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium seats roughly 38,000 people and the pandemic means for this possibility. If Navy goes the route that Iowa State did just over a week ago it’d mean that roughly half of that would be allowed in attendance, 19,000 in this case.
Let’s hope that Gladchuk is right (since he wasn’t for much of the spring) and that fans are in the stands. Even if it’s just at half or a quarter capacity, it’d still mean for a memorable experience for those able to go because like he said, it won’t be happening again.