Donor cuts ticket cost for Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — An anonymous alumnus has donated enough money to cut the price of BCS championship game tickets to Notre Dame students for the game between the top-ranked Fighting Irish and No. 2 Alabama in half, dropping the price from $300 to $150.

Senior assistant athletic director Josh Berlo says the school wasn't disclosing the amount of the donation. But at a cost of $150 and with 2,500 tickets available, the donation is believed to be about $375,000. Berlo says more than 4,000 Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College students already have applied for tickets.

Berlo says the school has received more than 100,000 requests from alumni, season-ticket holders and others for the school's allotment of 17,000 tickets. Tickets for both groups are being distributed by lottery.