A general view of the golden dome and the stadium at the University of Notre Dame. Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Direct flight added for Boise State’s matchup with Notre Dame

Originally posted on Boise State Broncos on SI
By Bob Lundeberg | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 2:17 PM ET

South Bend, Indiana is about a two-hour drive from Chicago, but Boise State fans in the Treasure Valley now have the option to fly directly to the location of Notre Dame’s campus.

Earlier this month, United Airlines added a direct flight between Boise and South Bend with a 12:22 p.m. Mountain time departure on Friday, Oct. 3. The return flight leaves at 1:40 p.m. Central time on Sunday, Oct. 5.

Boise State plays at Notre Dame on Saturday, Oct. 4, in a matchup of 2024 College Football Playoff participants.

The four-hour trip is one of 24 nonstop flights United added for the 2025 college football season.

“From historic touchdowns to once-in-a-lifetime plays, these are the moments fans never forget and there’s nothing like being there to witness it live,” United director of domestic scheduling James Starnes said in a press release. “We’ve added flights across the country to some of the biggest college football matchups, giving fans more options to get in on the action and follow their team on the road this season.”

As of Wednesday, a fully refundable economy ticket for the flight comes with a steep price of $1,300.

The marquee non-conference game between the Irish and Broncos was initially slated to be a Peacock-exclusive broadcast. Back in May, Notre Dame announced that the matchup had been moved to a main NBC broadcast.

As part of its TV deal with NBC, Notre Dame has played one Peacock-exclusive home game per year since 2021.

Notre Dame, which made it all the way to the CFP championship game last season, has seven home games in 2025. Six of the games will be shown on NBC while the Irish’s Oct. 11 matchup against North Carolina State will air on Peacock.

The Irish finished 14-2 overall last season after falling to Ohio State in the national championship game. The Broncos are coming off a 12-2 season and their first CFP appearance.

Boise State played in a Peacock-exclusive game last season against Oregon. The Ducks rallied back at Autzen Stadium for a 37-34 victory. Both teams went on to reach the CFP.