NOTRE DAME, Ind. (WSBT) — The hype and talk is over today, it’s finally game day.

Notre Dame will face IU in a team’s first-ever College Football Playoff home game.

As the hours leading up to kick-off draw to a close this evening, police want everyone to stay safe.

The police recommend that fans arrive early.

Courts will open at 8 a.m. and police say those not going to the game should take alternative routes.

Traffic patterns will be the same as normal match days, just at different times.

The police are also expecting delays, so give yourself a little extra time.

Major streets near campus will be converted back to one-way from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and after the game.

Since this is still a work day for many, if you typically drive somewhere near traffic on the way home, it’s a good idea to find an alternate route outside of campus.

“We’re also going to have a lot of leisure travel, so we’d also like to encourage people who aren’t going to the game to use Cleveland Road heading east or west if they’re going to the mall because if you’re coming if you’re coming along Douglas towards “If you drive to the mall, you will be turned around at the intersection of Ironwood and Douglas because there is only one-way traffic on the exit side,” said Sergeant Aris Lee.

For fans without prepaid parking, there are paid parking spaces that only accept credit cards.

Buses will also run from downtown South Bend to campus.

Tailgating runs from 8 a.m. until kickoff and reopens for 3 hours after the game.