The Savannah Bananas are bringing Banana Ball 360 to Notre Dame Stadium on June 26, adding one of college football's most recognizable venues to a fast-growing barnstorming tour that now stretches far beyond its original footprint.
The announcement came Thursday from Jesse Cole, the Bananas' creator and owner, as he unveiled the 2027 Banana Ball Championship League tour. The schedule will visit 79 stadiums across 74 cities, another sign of how far the event has come since the group's first so-called world tour five years ago, when it included only one stop in Mobile, Ala.
What Banana Ball 360 means for Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium is one of several major venues on the 2027 itinerary, but the June 26 date stands out because it brings the new Banana Ball 360 format to South Bend. Cole said fans at the show will be able to see things they have never seen before, while also noting that every seat is a great seat. That fits the broader idea behind Banana Ball, which has always leaned into a made-for-fans experience rather than a standard exhibition.
Banana Ball has grown quickly in the years since that first tour stop. What started as a one-stop event has become a six-team league with a much larger schedule, and the 2027 rollout adds new stages, new markets and a wider range of events around the sport.
More dates in the 2027 tour
The Notre Dame announcement is part of a busy stretch for the league. On Feb. 5 and 6, the Bananas will play the Texas Tailgaters in Monterrey. On Feb. 12 and 13, the Party Animals will take on the Loco Beach Coconuts in Tijuana. On April 23 and 24, the Bananas will face the Firefighters at Dodger Stadium.
The schedule also includes a Disney-produced film premiere on June 12 at Truist Park, followed by games at Angel Stadium on July 2 and 3. Later in the summer, the Bananas will play the Indiananapolis Clowns in Toronto on Aug. 14 and 15, and the Texas Tailgaters will meet the Party Animals in Winnipeg on Aug. 26 and 28.
The expansion continues into January 2028, when the league's third cruise, Bananaland at Sea + Puerto Rico, departs from the Port of Miami and includes a game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. For now, though, the Notre Dame Stadium debut is one of the clearest markers of how much this experiment has grown.
