ND Weekend: FAQ and Site ETA
Hi everyone! We have been overwhelmed by the response from our board postings. We hope to have our website up by the end of next week. Since we are all busy volunteers, we are trying to respond back to everyone who has emailed us. To help answer all the questions, we would like to address the most commonly asked questions about the UCLA-ND weekend. We thank you for your continued patience, as we want to do the best job possible.
Why isn’t your website up?
There are several reasons for the website delay. The task was overwhelming for the assigned parties, and we started late in the game. We could slap something up fast, but we want an attractive site for several reasons. An attractive, professional site will help us attract in-kind donors, advertisement dollars and monetary donations. These are all things we desperately need, as out-of-state clubs do not receive financial support from campus. The folks who are building the site are professional art directors and web designers who also want to do it right.
Does the club know how to get tickets?
The club only received a small allotment of tickets, and we do not have any more available. In the event one of our members cannot use his or her tickets, we have a wait list for Chicago members. Here are sites we know of (not affiliated with either school or the club) that are selling tickets online:
StubHub
TonysTickets
GreatSeats
TheTicketProfessionals
You may also want to check Craigslist and Ebay.
Can you recommend a hotel?
Unfortunately, the weekend of the game falls on the same one as the Chicago Marathon, and many of the area hotels will be sold out. We don’t have any special connections or “hookups” for hotels. All of our planned events will be downtown, but we are hearing the rates are high. We urge everyone to make plans now! We recommend checking out hotwire.com or priceline.com, as they generally have lower rates than other Internet search engines.
What events do you have planned?
Right now, we are looking at a variety of fun and exciting events for the weekend. These include:
- a night at the legendary Second City improv comedy club on Thursday night
- the famous Chicago River Architecture Cruise on Friday afternoon
- a rocking Pregame Party at Joe’s BeBop Café on Navy Pier on Friday night
(just like Damon’s in Birmingham, only better)
- and a Postgame Gathering downtown after the game.
Will you be arranging transportation to South Bend?
The club is indeed organizing roundtrip luxury motorcoach transportation due to the high demand. The estimated departure time will be 8 am from Navy Pier. Exact details and bus assignments will be coming soon.
How much will it cost?
We are negotiating with several bus companies. The seats (with champagne continental breakfast and snacks on the return) will not exceed $50, but we will not know the exact amount until a contract is signed.
How long is the drive?
By car, it is a 90-minute drive to South Bend from downtown Chicago. We are estimating 2 hours due to potential construction delays and traffic.
Do I need to rent a car in Chicago?
No! You are certainly welcome to, of course, but Chicago is a very easy town to get around without a car. The Chicago Transit Authority is one of the best public transit systems in the world, and can easily get you from O’Hare or Midway to downtown with minimal hassle. Cabs are available at all hours of the day and night. Plus, parking at downtown hotels can cost up to $35-40 per night. Combine all that with the Chicago Bruins bus transportation to the game - why bother with a car rental?
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Thank you for your continued patience as we finalize details and launch our site. Please contact us at ucla_chicago@yahoo.com if you have an ND question that requires an immediate response. The ND Planning Committee is looking forward to hosting you. Have a great weekend!