LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The University of Louisville is ready for a big season opener when Notre Dame comes to town for the first time ever on Monday.
"Opening games are always fun. Fans are excited and ready. Everybody's undefeated going into the season, but when you have a marquee opponent that has the reputation and tradition of a Notre Dame, it does matter. It does make a difference," said Kenny Klein, the Senior Associate Athletics Director for the University of Louisville.
With that said, Klein says there are a few changes fans need to know about before the home opener.
Some of the sections have been relabeled. The green lot is now purple. Parking will open two hours early, at noon, for fans with reserved passes. And that's not all.
"We've added, you know, a popular Chick-Fil-A sandwich. Ben's Pretzels — my wife loves those things — those soft pretzels," he said.
A clear bag policy and magnetic wanding will still be in effect, which is why Klein hopes those new amenities, combined with a happy hour, will get fans to their seats sooner to cut down on long lines.
"You want to leave yourself some time," he said. "That's the thing we would tell people the most."
Louisville football's first 2019 practice.
Klein knows it won't just be Card fans lining up. Beth Thomas, the leader of the Notre Dame Club of Greater Louisville, says many Fighting Irish fans will be there too.
"The attendance has been much better than we expected. We have almost a thousand people coming to our tailgate at Churchill Downs," said Thomas.
Beth Thomas and daughter Annie, 8, stock up on lots of Notre Dame gear at a pop-up shop in Downtown Louisville ahead of Monday's game against Louisville. (WDRB Photo)
Some of them are making it a whole three-day weekend of fan. Katie Kilbane is here from Sacramento.
"My mom and I have been planning this trip for like six months, and to think that we're actually here is just mind-boggling," she said.
They hope this weekend is the beginning of yet another college football tradition.
The two schools will play each other multiple times over the next decade or so. As for the game on Monday, kickoff is at 8:06 p.m.
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