The first College Football Playoff game of the 12-team era will begin in a winter wonderland.

Notre Dame hosts Indiana in South Bend, Indiana, where there was three inches of snowfall this morning and is expected to continue until around 11 a.m. ET. Forecasts do not predict it will snow at kickoff at 8 p.m. ET, but players will face chilly conditions with winds of 11 mph and the weather dropping to 29 degrees early in the game, according to Weather.com.

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— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) December 20, 2024

Indiana is prepared for the weather, and coach Curt Cignetti said Wednesday he was hoping for a snow game because quarterback Kurtis Rourke, an Ontario Canada native, does well in cold conditions.

“I hope it snows a foot and a half,” Cignetti said. “We have a Canadian quarterback. Did you see him throw the ball against Purdue? This guy grew up like in the cold north. He looked pretty good to me that night. So I don’t think it will bother him much. … Everyone else will find a way to stay warm, but that’s not a problem.”

Indiana defeated Purdue 66-0 in snowy conditions in the regular season finale, with Rourke throwing for 349 yards and six touchdowns.

Notre Dame is coming off a 49-35 win over rival USC.

Friday night’s game has huge national implications; The winner will play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinals. It is considered locally to be the first meeting between Indiana and Notre Dame since 1991. And it has historic value as the opening game of the 12-team playoff era at Notre Dame Stadium, one of the sport’s most historic venues.

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