Notre Dame ends football luncheons, will rotate pep rally sites

No soup for you?

Or salads or entrees … or players and coaches in a luncheon setting on home football Fridays.

Notre Dame has announced the end of the longtime tradition of fan-friendly luncheons, citing declining attendance and increased exposure to Irish football players and coaches in other ways, including through digital media.

The Friday night pep rallies before home games will continue, and will have rotating venues in 2015:

• Texas (Sept. 4) – outside the Rockne Memorial Building

• Georgia Tech (Sept. 18) – Purcell Pavilion

• Massachusetts (Sept. 25) – Compton Family Ice Arena

• Navy (Oct. 9) – Joyce Center Field House (north dome)

• USC (Oct. 16) – Hesburgh Library mall

• Wake Forest (Nov. 13) – TBD

There is no admission charge and there are no tickets required for the pep rallies, which begin at 6 p.m. ET.

In addition, access will continue to Notre Dame Stadium on home football Fridays, with the north tunnel available from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. ET (unless the visiting team schedules a practice) for fans to walk to field level in the north end zone for views and photograph opportunities.