Notre Dame Stadium has hosted national title runs, Heisman moments and nearly a century of Saturdays in South Bend. It has never hosted a baseball game. That changes next summer.
The Savannah Bananas are bringing Banana Ball to Notre Dame for two games during their 2027 World Tour, according to WSBT. The station reports the June 26 game will be the first baseball game ever played inside Notre Dame Stadium. If you want a shot at tickets, the clock is already running: the ticket lottery closes October 31.
Two games, two stadiums
The Bananas play the Texas Tailgaters twice in three days on Notre Dame's campus, per the official Banana Ball schedule.
| Date | Stadium | Matchup |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, June 24, 2027 | Frank Eck Stadium | Texas Tailgaters vs. Savannah Bananas |
| Saturday, June 26, 2027 | Notre Dame Stadium | Texas Tailgaters vs. Savannah Bananas |
Game times are still listed as TBA. Frank Eck Stadium is home to Notre Dame baseball, so Thursday is the more traditional ballpark experience. Saturday is the one people will be talking about.
The Tailgaters are no pushovers either. They won the league's first Banana Bowl championship this fall, the Boston Globe reported.
Baseball inside a football stadium
So how do you fit a ballgame into the House That Rockne Built? Banana Ball's answer is to build two.
For the June 26 game, crews will set up two baseball fields on opposite corners of the stadium, and the teams will switch fields every inning, according to the Associated Press. It's a fresh twist even for a team that already plays in front of sellout crowds at big-league parks.
Notre Dame is one of 10 football stadiums on the 2027 tour, which also includes 23 MLB ballparks and stops in Mexico and Canada for the first time. In all, the tour hits 79 stadiums across 74 cities.
How to get tickets
Banana Ball doesn't do a typical on-sale. Every ticket for the 2027 World Tour goes through a lottery, and you need to be on the list before it closes.
Join the Banana Ball Ticket Lottery List by Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Wait for the random drawing, which takes place before each event.
If you're selected, you get the chance to buy available tickets.
Joining the list doesn't guarantee you a seat. WSBT reports tickets start at $35.
If you strike out in the lottery, you can still watch. Every Banana Ball game streams free on the home team's YouTube channel, no subscription needed.
Never been to Banana Ball? Here's the quick version
The Bananas play real baseball with rules built to keep things fast and a little chaotic. A few from the official rulebook that you'll see in action:
Win the inning, get the point. Each inning is worth one point. Only the final inning counts every run.
Two-hour time limit. No new inning starts after the two-hour mark.
No bunting. Bunt and you're ejected.
No walks. Ball four turns into a sprint while every defender has to touch the ball.
Batters can steal first. On any pitch, including a wild pitch or passed ball.
Fans can record outs. Catch a foul ball cleanly in the stands and the batter is out.
Then there's everything between pitches: dancing players, trick plays and the kind of in-game stunts that got the team its own exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2023. Our episode with the Savannah Bananas on the Get IN. Podcast is a good listen before you go.
More Banana Ball in and around Indiana
Can't get Notre Dame tickets? Indiana has its own Banana Ball team, and the 2027 schedule brings it home.
| Dates (2027) | Stadium | City | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 30 to May 1 | Victory Field | Indianapolis | Firefighters vs. Indianapolis Clowns |
| June 25 to 26 | Fifth Third Park | Detroit | Party Animals vs. Indianapolis Clowns |
| July 9 to 10 | Louisville Slugger Field | Louisville | Texas Tailgaters vs. Indianapolis Clowns |
| July 10 to 11 | Soldier Field | Chicago | Savannah Bananas vs. Party Animals |
| July 23 to 24 | Great American Ball Park | Cincinnati | Savannah Bananas vs. Party Animals |
Source: Banana Ball 2027 schedule. All of these go through the same ticket lottery. For more of the state's ballparks, check out our guide to baseball in Indiana.
Make a South Bend weekend out of it
With games on Thursday and Saturday, Friday is wide open. Our South Bend and Mishawaka travel guide is the place to start. A few ways to fill the gap:
Dinner downtown: Grab a pint and a plate at Fiddler's Hearth.
Something green: Wander the Potawatomi Conservatories or head out to Potato Creek State Park.
A postgame drink: Swing over to Mishawaka for Hop Station.
Want to know the second more Banana Ball details drop, like game times and lottery results? Sign up for the Get South Bend newsletter and we'll keep you posted on everything happening in Michiana.
Sources: WSBT · Associated Press via WCAX · Boston Globe · Banana Ball schedule · Banana Ball tickets · Banana Ball rules
