This week has taught me they're right down there with Tennessee, FSU, and West Virginia

the games at South Bend say the ND fans are outstanding. Maybe some get into a little more Jameson than they can handle and post to message boards.

most of the "bad" ND fans , like bad Miami fans , have never stepped foot on their respective campuses.

as well.

has never been good, though.

colder than hell, that little bar across from the stadium was a god-send. They really need to get rid of that synthetic turf and play on grass.

Thought hell is supposed to be hot. Doesn't take much to be colder.

I definitely want to see Notre Dame, but I don't have a lot of desire to stay in South Bend.

Back in the mid/late 1990s and again in the early 2000s. It was grass then. One game was frigid but clear, the other was a horrible rainy day. It’s a unique place, for sure. And if you like all the pageantry of bands and such, there are things to see. Honestly, however, it just doesn’t measure up to a lot of places I have been. I would rate LSU, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, BYU, Clemson, South Carolina and Florida State equal or superior in terms of stadium environment and most of those campuses and/or towns are superior. Back when I saw a game there in 1994, I would include Colorado in that group. The ND campus is fine, but not as fantastic as it is made out to be. And there’s not much to be said for South Bend otherwise. In my personal, overall rankings for road trips and venues I have LSU first, A&M second and a dead heat between Clemson and Nebraska for third.