Businesses prepare for less fans in town for football games

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ST.JOSEPH COUNTY-- While Notre Dame will be buzzing during its first football game of the season on Saturday. Most fans will be watching from home, leaving the stadium and tail-gate lots and surrounding businesses pretty empty.

Augie’s Locker Room owner said this football season is going to be strange and odd for the city of South Bend.

“By now, we would have certainly have had dozens of people come in and wanna chat, talk and you know, rekindle friendships, that isn’t happening, I don’t think it’s going to happen this year,” Jim Augustine said.

On a usual football weekend in South Bend, the town would be buzzing with thousands of fans from all over the country ready to cheer on the Irish. The parking lots are filled with cars, hotels are at full capacity and people are tailgating and having a good time.

Augustine describes it to me as normal. This year, he said there is no normal.

During any given football season South Bend brings in around $20 million a week, and business owners don’t see that happening this year.

“It remains to be seen again, what develops in terms of our city's cash flow. And Augie’s is part of that. We will lose we will lose revenue, but I’m not worried concerned about us as much as I am about other businesses, restaurants, and that sort of thing,” Augustine said.

Although there won’t be many fans inside the Notre Dame stadium, fans can purchase Rally House, a new virtual VIP experience to cheer on their favorite team.

Fans can create their watch party and invite friends to virtually watch the game together.

The virtual experience lets Irish fans connect with one another-former fighting Irish football players-and Notre Dame celebrities through exclusive online watch parties before and during each home game.

You can purchase Rally House single game and season passes here 

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