Massive crowd clogs streets of Dublin before Notre Dame football kickoff vs. Navy

In case you were wondering whether the excitement of the official launch of the college football campaign would make it overseas, the Notre Dame football fans swarming Dublin had emphatically answered your query.

It’s “Have Expectations, Will Travel” for supporters of the No. 13 Fighting Irish, a team with high expectations entering head coach Marcus Freeman’s second full season at the helm. Though they reside just outside the top 10, you try telling the Notre Dame faithful that they can’t start 4-0 by picking up a crucial win at NC State on Sept. 9, as well as a showcase game to open the campaign.

That’ll have the collegiate world buzzing heading into a matchup with Ohio State, and it’s all right in front of them … as long as their fans can find their way through the absolutely packed streets of Dublin to make it to Aviva Stadium in time for a 2:30 PM EST kickoff Saturday afternoon.

Freeman and new QB Sam Hartman will operate in front of a raucous crowd, as long as security figures out how to siphon all these people through the gates on time.

Notre Dame football fans swarm Dublin streets ahead of game vs. Navy

Week 0 and things are already this insane, huh? Noted.

For those fans who don’t have tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime matchup, the pub scene on those side streets could be mighty satisfying in its own right. Notre Dame fans, used to rushing the field after massive wins, probably have more experience navigating seas of humanity than most of us, so they should be able to stay safe.

If you’re packed in like a sardine reading this right now, congrats on having cell service, but you should probably hustle out of there before somebody starts fightin’.