On Nov. 26, 1927, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame (6-1-1) and the USC Trojans (7-0-1) squared off in an intersectional collegiate football game before an unprecedented 123,000 rabid fans at Soldier Field in Chicago. Until the Battle at Bristol in 2016 between University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech (156,990), it was the largest attendence ever for a football game, college or pros. The name Bucky Dahlman is forever inscribed in the annals of ND football lore based on his outstanding performance that day. Both teams scored in the opening quarter, but it was fullback Dahman’s spectacular catch on a 28-yard pass from QB Charley Riley that  tied the score at six, followed by Dahman’s well-placed kick after the touchdown for the extra point that proved to be the game winner in 7-6 defensive thriller.

This lot features an ancient ticket stub from that historic game. It stands as one of only three stubs from that day authenticatd by PSA. What makes this stub even more special is the fact that New York Yankee greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, fresh off their 1927 World Series triumph, were in attendance to witness the gridiron clash. Both Ruth and Gehrig were in town for a publicity stunt organized by Ruth's famous agent Christy Walsh that included the two opposing coaches, Knute Rockne and Howard Jones. At a star-studded gala held the night before to build hype for the game, Ruth (dressed as a Notre Dame player) and Gehrig (dressed in a USC uniform) were guests of Rockne and Jones, respectively. The back of the frayed ticket shows the stadium diagram for Soldier Field. Note the original price of admission to the game--just $3. Oh how times have changed!