Irish Jam Presented by Under Armour Coming October 3
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame will informally kick off the 2025-26 college basketball season on Friday, October 3, as the Irish men’s and women’s teams will host “Irish Jam presented by Under Armour,” a new outdoor community event this year that’s open and free to the public.
A half-court will be set up in the middle of Eddy Street Commons, across from the Notre Dame campus. Community programming will occur during the day from noon to 4 p.m. and include local mini basketball tournaments and fan activations. The main event of Irish Jam will begin at 6 p.m. as Glenn and Stacey Murphy Head Men’s Basketball Coach Micah Shrewsberry and Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Women’s Head Basketball Coach Niele Ivey will address the crowd before introductions of both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.
“Irish Jam is a unique opportunity to bring Notre Dame Basketball to our fans,” Shrewsberry said. “Having an event outdoors on Eddy Street will allow us to engage with the entire South Bend community. I want to give a huge thank you to Under Armour for making this event possible. I can’t think of a better way to kick-start what should be an exciting ’25-’26 basketball season.”
“We are thrilled to host Irish Jam on Eddy Street this year!” Ivey said. “Community engagement and connectivity is extremely important to me, and this event provides the perfect opportunity to showcase our program and connect with South Bend.
“I would like to express my gratitude to Under Armour for their support of the event and making it possible to kick off the season in an exciting new way.”
Before October 3, fans will vote for two captains who will draft their Irish Jam teams. The two co-ed teams will then engage in three All-Star-esque competitions: a 3-point contest, a skills challenge and a shooting stars challenge.
Notre Dame men’s basketball emcee Alexis Ayala and Notre Dame women’s basketball emcee Sharla Lewis will host the event along with a DJ.
“We were thrilled when asked to participate,” said Todd Locklear, Director of Collegiate Partnerships for Under Armour. “The Brand is always looking for ways to engage not just the student athletes but ALL students on campus as well as the community. Irish Jam allows us to do just that.”
In addition to Under Armour, the production of Irish Jam is supported by Visit South Bend Mishawaka. Along with games and prizes, a fan fest will be held, featuring activations from Visit South Bend.
Throughout the evening, fans are encouraged to browse the Eddy Street Commons, restaurants, bars and stores. Furthermore, special Irish basketball merchandise will premiere and be made available at the event.
We advise fans to park in the Joyce and Stadium lots or other available on-campus parking across the street. In addition, the Eddy Street Commons parking garage will be available from either the Burns Avenue or Napoleon Street entrances.
This is a first-come, first-served, standing-room-only event.
