“Apologies to You and Your Guests”
by Jay , San Diego, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 17:35 (17 days ago)
Dear Notre Dame family and friends,
In my entire career, I've rarely encountered a situation more challenging than the On to Victory pregame party. You deserve better.
Standing in the endless TSA lines at the Atlanta airport yesterday was especially rough because I knew so many members of our Notre Dame family had endured a similar situation just the day before at an event, our event, that fell so far short of our Notre Dame standard of excellence. I’m embarrassed and heartbroken.
Our organization exists to enrich the connections among the Notre Dame family, a collection of amazing individuals who accomplish so much together. Yet those same family members, you included, were justifiably disappointed in the experience. So many traveled a great distance to cheer on the Irish in Atlanta. You made plans with your friends and family, many of whom also traveled from across the country and world, to connect with each other at our event. You counted on the Notre Dame Alumni Association and our partners to uphold our standard by offering an unforgettable afternoon filled with merriment and celebration. Truth is, it may be unforgettable for the disappointment it became. That truth sits heavy on my heart today.
I have already engaged in multiple conversations with many members of the ND family and I hear you. You deserve better. We deserve better. Notre Dame deserves better.
Please know I am actively working on understanding how this happened and why the experience we contracted for with our onsite partners was not delivered. We will be back in touch with you, as soon as possible, with next steps. Restoring your trust is our top priority and we will not rest until that happens.
In Notre Dame,
Dolly Duffy ’84
Executive Director
Notre Dame Alumni Association
Questions/observations after reading below:
by Grantland, y'allywood, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 11:55 (16 days ago) @ Jay
1. Atlanta was unprepared - at least near the stadium. that seems unforgiveable.
2. But Atlanta downtown just sucks - always has. They need to move the stadium up near baseball park but that is bad for other reasons - social, political, economical...
3. ND Alum was unprepared. Seems more forgivable with a week to prepare. I wonder if OSU alum had same problems?
4. The Atlanta Club is pretty large (1,000+) Did the AA get them involved? Seems like there would be locals in the Club who could leverage some relationships.
2 will never happen.
by Bryan (IrishCavan), Howth Castle and Environs, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 12:30 (16 days ago) @ Grantland
There was enough complaining about moving the Braves to the Cobb Co. part of "Atlanta." MARTA doesn't go there (other than buses) and the Falcons fan base (based on anecdotal observation of attendance) is a bit different than the Braves. The latter seems more suburban.
Does the stadium even count as "downtown"?
by CK08, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 12:12 (16 days ago) @ Grantland
To the east is the huge convention center/Centennial Park area, and to the west is just a random neighborhood (and not a particularly nice one...)
It is the western edge of downtown
by Bryan (IrishCavan), Howth Castle and Environs, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 12:22 (16 days ago) @ CK08
It is on Northside which is probably the western boundary.
And therefore we are refunding you 100% of what you paid...
by Greg, seemingly ranch, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 08:51 (16 days ago) @ Jay
...and giving you Sorin Society status for tickets in 2025.
No?
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The 2007 ND-UCLA game was a once in a lifetime experience, I hope
Seemed like a total, city-wide breakdown.
by KGB, Belly o. the Beast, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 08:26 (16 days ago) @ Jay
edited by KGB, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 11:40
Three anecdotal entries:
We had friends who were told on Sunday that Hudson Grille downtown would be designated an OSU backer bar the following day only to show up and discover that someone affiliated with ND had rented the whole place out and footed the bill for Monday's pregame activity. My Buckeye friends somehow got in and ate & drank for free for several hours, though many others could not even get in the door.
On Sunday, we went to a taproom downtown (Skol?) and friends meeting us were forced to stand outside for nearly a half-hour in lousy conditions bc they were "at capacity". Even though there was plenty of empty space and several open tables inside and our group was already there waiting to greet them.
Saturday evening, a buddy and I went to a sports bar (McCray's on the Beltline) to watch the Lions game and were explicitly told that they would be open on Monday for the game. A friend meeting us for lunch on Monday around noon showed up first and the place was closed.
Still had a good time and found a few great spots, but you'd have thought that tens of thousands of people had just randomly descended on the city of Atlanta over the weekend based on response, staffing, communication, everything.
Not the Alumni event... but
by AlDogg, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 08:50 (16 days ago) @ KGB
A hand full of my friends were able to meet at a bar right across from the team hotel for a bit on game day.
The place opened at 11 a.m. and there was a line to get in. They just let everyone in at once (which was pretty dumb) without doing any seating, then it took us 38 minutes to get a drink order in.
And then the place was out of - Bloody Mary mix, Guinness, Coors Light, Bud Light and Miller Light to start the day. Then the place ran out of Corona, vodka?!!?, Captain, etc. It was a travesty of an early-afternoon. You should have seen the shelves behind the bar, they were all empty.
Safe to say, I don't think Atlanta bars knew (or cared?) what was coming and at least one missed out on a big day of profits.
ND got totally hosed on this - not oversold
by Dave , Memphis, TN, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 06:19 (16 days ago) @ Jay
they signed a contract for 4000 guests and sold 4000 tickets. On the day of the event, the fire marshal determine the capacity is only 2400 at a time. The fire marshal had somebody there counting people in and people out.
With less than 10 days to plan the whoe thing they were left completely at the mercy of the facility for all of the food and drink etc.
surprised if true
by Jay , San Diego, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 06:58 (16 days ago) @ Dave
That room was huge and had to have been rated for way more than 2400.
Plus, no way that Fire Marshall capacities are a surprise.
by PMan , The Banks of the Spokane River, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 07:53 (16 days ago) @ Jay
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Maybe
by Domer99, John Wesley Powell's Expedition Island, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 06:37 (16 days ago) @ Dave
But even still, say that's accurate, ND not offering refunds top paying customers that were affected seems crazy. Like Molly Duffy's disappointment apology will suffice for people a couple hundred out of pocket.
Also, how does that explain running out of Guinness in an hour? It's the only beer the university has a major marketing agreement with, and they run out? If the capacity was cut by a third, you'd think they'd have plenty of supplies.
People in Atlanta don’t drink like us
by San Pedro , Thursday, January 23, 2025, 07:14 (16 days ago) @ Domer99
They probably allocated a certain amount of beer per guest and we broke that calculation in the first hour. There are things called “dry weddings” in the south.
They've had Super Bowls, Final Fours, NBA All-Star Games etc
by BillyGoat, At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 07:15 (16 days ago) @ San Pedro
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I’m guessing those parties were planned in advance.
by San Pedro , Thursday, January 23, 2025, 07:43 (16 days ago) @ BillyGoat
With lots of input from the NFL and the teams. Not a last minute scramble like this one. But perhaps it was just incompetence?
Sure. But it's not like the relevant venues and vendors are
by BillyGoat, At Thanksgiving with Joe Bethersontin, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 08:32 (16 days ago) @ San Pedro
totally unfamiliar with the idea of what this event would involve.
I bet the strip clubs were ready.
by domer.mq
, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 11:11 (16 days ago) @ BillyGoat
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Sometimes I rhyme slow sometimes I rhyme quick.
Southerners not used to Catholic drinkers?
by bk, The Worst City in America, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 07:10 (16 days ago) @ Domer99
I assume Baptists aren’t nearly as prolific. At least not around other Baptists who might recognize them.
I now have beer in my nose from your "recognize them" line
by KelleyCook , Thursday, January 23, 2025, 18:48 (16 days ago) @ bk
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Did you clip out the part about the refund?
by Mr. Natural , Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 20:47 (17 days ago) @ Jay
I kid!!! ND ain’t giving no refund!
whole event
by Jay , San Diego, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 04:31 (16 days ago) @ Mr. Natural
must have been planned by Al Golden.
Not making an excuse
by Dallasdomer, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 20:21 (17 days ago) @ Jay
But the timing of these events was not conducive to doing it in a first class way. They basically had a week to plan something.
I got notice of this event, which was 160 bucks, and a President’s event, which was 250 bucks. Neither included hard liquor and not that I am some kind of a rummy but those price points without hard liquor told me something was not right. So I skipped both and hung out inside the stadium, which had been recommended here.
That’s definitely part of the issue…..
by bk, The Worst City in America, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 02:53 (17 days ago) @ Dallasdomer
A friend in development who was at the President's event talked about how little control they had over the vendors for these events. Control may not be the exact concept, but seeing as they were pulling together a one-off event without history of working with vendors or any particular likelihood to return, they were going in a little blind. She didn’t mention the timing of it (having to pull something together in a matter of days), but that surely played a part in it too.
What the heck was it like? Did Freak Bass play?
by JD in Portland , Portland OR, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 18:25 (17 days ago) @ Jay
Did they serve nothing but Old Milwaukee?
Did they play Eagles records?
That’s quite an email. But I do like Ms. Duffy going all Artie Fufkin on us:
https://youtu.be/T4Nh7E9BMdM?si=dLaCac7eDZAl7Vq7
the big problem is that they oversold it
by Jay , San Diego, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 18:56 (17 days ago) @ JD in Portland
by a ton. Like maybe by a thousand. Venue was a huge convention center ballroom that probably sat 5k.
Inside, they were running out of product left and right. All Guinness was gone within an hour.
Food was okay, but for $160 a head it should have been prime rib and lobster.
We got a ticket just because it seemed like a lot of our friends were doing the same and it was a convenient place to meetup right outside the stadium. That was about the extent of the positives.
Anybody go to the Compton event for the IU game?
by HumanRobot , Cybertron, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 20:01 (17 days ago) @ Jay
By the time I finalized plans they were sold out. ND generally throws decent parties, like reunions or sponsored tailgates.
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I'm a bad take machine!
I did, to get out of the cold
by Jack , Thursday, January 23, 2025, 06:06 (16 days ago) @ HumanRobot
It was fine, and the food and drinks were good, but was $125. But again, the cold and the prospect of being outside in the cold for a four hour game was the only reason I went. Any other time I'd have been outside tailgating - which I was doing for a couple hours before that.
Same
by IrishGuard, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 06:12 (16 days ago) @ Jack
Had some friends coming from out of town who didn't have the supplies to tailgate. The buffet was fine, and the open bar was nice (it wasn't a full bar, but some booze was available). Mainly it was a "get out of the cold" thing. The cheerleaders came by at some point, but although there as a stage, there wasn't live music apart form a short visit from a section of the marching band. My son almost went up to meet Jason Tuck, but chickened out. Also observed there was the serving of thousands of soft shelled tacos that were each held closed by their own little clothespin. Possibly the single most blatantly and unnecessarily wasteful thing I've ever seen in my life.
I've come to the conclusion that under normal circumstances
by Jack , Thursday, January 23, 2025, 09:26 (16 days ago) @ IrishGuard
edited by Jack, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 09:29
those pregame parties are not for me, even when well run (as the Compton event was), and not just because they're damn expensive.
Yes, they are at best boring as hell
by KelleyCook , Thursday, January 23, 2025, 18:53 (16 days ago) @ Jack
which you could make up with free booze, but I'd rather just tailgate on my own.
I cringe whenever I see some of those high cost-barrier
by IrishGuard, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 12:55 (16 days ago) @ Jack
tailgating events the university holds. A few well-dressed guys standing around talking quietly with Michelob Ultras or sodas in a huge and mostly empty pen. A couple of service folks holding up a tentpole, looking for something to do. Journey playing at a tasteful level on the stereo. It looks like the most boring thing in the world.
Meanwhile, the hoi polloi 200 feet away are blastin' tunes and chugging brews and otherwise having the time of their lives.
I've attended some sort of ND orthopedics tailgate event
by HumanRobot , Cybertron, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 13:12 (16 days ago) @ IrishGuard
It's held on the quad by Jordan Hall. That event is really well done. Likewise the reunion tents and events are well executed.
But yeah, I generally steer clear of the official 'fun' gameday events and plan with my own group.
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I'm a bad take machine!
Freeman is his name and the boy's comin' straight outta
by Chris , Raleigh, NC, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 05:39 (16 days ago) @ HumanRobot
Sorry.
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"F--- everyone who isn't us."
#Team128
Have friends who didn't ever get in.
by domer.mq
, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 19:56 (17 days ago) @ Jay
Apparently a huge hold up at the entrance, and it was long enough they just gave up.
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Sometimes I rhyme slow sometimes I rhyme quick.
I heard Grantland’s party was the place to be
by JD in Portland , Portland OR, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 19:28 (17 days ago) @ Jay
I haven’t seen any abject, pathetic blanket apology from him!
YES!!!! No Guiness but plenty of IPA's. And my car was
by Grantland, y'allywood, Thursday, January 23, 2025, 08:55 (16 days ago) @ JD in Portland
open for those who needed heat which a college-aged girl used with my 15 year old son inside. LOL.