Notre Dame basketball to host 'Irish Jam' on Eddy Street on Friday before Boise State game

The first weekend of October won’t be all about football in South Bend. Notre Dame is making it about basketball, too.

The university announced Wednesday morning it will host the first ever “Irish Jam” on Friday, Oct. 3, the night before the Fighting Irish host the Boise State Broncos at Notre Dame Stadium. It’s an event at Eddy Street Commons put on by both basketball programs with intent of getting Irish fans excited about the upcoming hoops season. Think “Midnight Madness” at Rupp Arena in Kentucky or “Tipoff at Toomer’s” at Auburn.

Eddy Street is a road directly across from Notre Dame’s campus that is home to many of the go-to restaurants in town, from O’Rourke’s Public House to Bru Burger to Brothers Bar and Grill. There will be a court set up on the street itself with fans encouraged to gather around it on the street and sidewalk to take in the festivities.

Both Notre Dame basketball coaches, Micah Schrewsberry of the men’s team and Niele Ivey of the women’s team, will take to the microphone to address the crowd before their rosters are announced as if it was pregame inside Purcell Pavilion. Two captains, elected by fans prior to the event, will draft co-ed teams that will take part in a 3-point contest, a skills challenge and a shooting stars challenge.

Irish Jam is supported by Under Armour and Visit South Bend Mishawaka. There will be games and prizes at a fan fest to keep goers engaged. Notre Dame has a link that answers frequently asked questions about the event. That can be found here.

Of note, Eddy Street’s many restaurants will be open for food and drink consumption. Outside of that, there will only be water stations available for fans. Consuming alcohol is also prohibited on Eddy Street as it is not an open-container area.

Irish Jam is standing room only. To get your best view of the court, plan to arrive early. It’s a first-come, first-served type of operation.

Community programming presented by Under Armour takes place from noon to 4 p.m. ET. From 4 to to 6, music will be played by a DJ. The Irish jam main event will be held from 6 to 8, with it ending “promptly” at 8 according to the event’s website.