SOUTH BEND – On the last day of the regular season, this was a first for the No. 3 Notre Dame women’s basketball program.
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It’s been a while since these Irish experienced a first. Like the program’s first of nine Final Fours in 1997 or their first 30-win season in 2000-01 Their first Big East tournament championship in 2013 and first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship in 2014.
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Their first of two national championships arrived in 2000-01. For Notre Dame women’s basketball, it’s often been there, done that.
Except Sunday, when the program and Purcell Pavilion hosted ESPN’s hour-long pregame show, Women’s College GameDay, for the first time.
Yes, this was different.
The ESPN GameDay experience is common around the Irish football program. The first College Football GameDay originated from Notre Dame’s Heritage Hall in 1993 on the day of the “Game of the Century” between Notre Dame and Florida State. ESPN also was on campus December 20 for the first-ever College Football Playoff game between Notre Dame and Indiana.
From a men’s basketball standpoint, GameDay last visited Notre Dame on February 9, 2013. That was the day of the five-overtime game, still the longest regular season game in Big East history, between Notre Dame and Louisville, won by the Irish, 104-101.
The show that morning/afternoon featured ESPN’s set at center court and a rather sparse fan attendance, to the point that a few Irish groaned when they walked out from the locker room to the court and saw all the empty seats.
Sunday’s set was squeezed into the east corner of the arena near the visitor’s tunnel.
It didn’t take long for early arrivers at Purcell Pavilion to realize that this day was different. Maybe it was the Women’s College GameDay bus parked curbside next to the arena. Maybe it was someone playing bagpipes six minutes after the doors opened at 10 a.m. Maybe it was seeing so many fans – and so much green – in the stands two hours before tip. Doors usually open 60 minutes before tip.
A famous (infamous?) Notre Dame hot dog for anyone at 10:15 a.m.? Anyone?
Yes, the circus was in town.
Former Notre Dame men’s basketball coach Mike Brey often referred to GameDay as the circus because the whole few days around and including it felt like a circus for him and his players and his program.
The energy was on when the show went live at 11 a.m., then waned as the hour elapsed.
Twelve minutes before tip, the show featued a live interview with sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo as the Irish warmed up. Hidalgo talked about the Irish being better defenisvely and better trusting of one another to snap that two-game slide.
Hidalgo also made sure to mention that the joy she plays with comes from the fans, which drew plenty of cheers in the arena.
Marcus Freeman stopped by the set to talk college hoops just before the national anthem because what’s a visit to Notre Dame without a visit with the football coach? Freeman and the show’s three hosts − Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter and Chimey Ogwumike − each picked Notre Dame to beat Louisville.
Sunday was different. This was not your normal Notre Dame women’s basketball game. It was supposed to be festive, but two Atlantic Coast Conference losses in five days by Notre Dame, which had still been ranked No. 1 when ESPN made the announcement the previous week to visit South Bend, took some spice out of the day.
Sunday was supposed to be a celebration, one that included one last ACC win and a possible clinching of the outright regular-season league championship.
Instead, on this day of firsts, the best Notre Dame could do was second.
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: This was a big game for Notre Dame women’s baketball for myriad reasons
