The hospitality industry in the South Bend area will receive a nice holiday bonus in the coming weeks when the Fighting Irish host the Hoosiers in a first-round college playoff game at Notre Dame Stadium.
The College Football Playoff Selection Committee announced Sunday that Notre Dame (11-1), ranked third by the AP and in the coaches poll and seeded seventh in Sunday’s bracket reveal, will face No. 10 seed Indiana (11-1) in a first-round matchup night game in South Bend on Dec. 20.
Those in the know realized the possibility of an additional home game in South Bend shortly after the College Football Playoff Committee made the announcement about the expanded playoff format, said Jeff Jarnecke, a former NCAA employee who now serves as executive director of Visit South Bend Mishawaka.
Despite an early season upset loss to Northern Illinois University, Jarnecke said, he became more hopeful that the Irish would work their way into the playoff picture as they won game after game to finish out the season.
Because Notre Dame football is independent, it couldn’t earn a first round bye so hosting a first round game is the best it could achieve under the current rules. But that’s an advantage to the local hospitality industry because it means an infusion of millions of dollars in visitor spending.
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