The message to Fighting Irish fans desperate to see Notre Dame play in the BCS championship bowl game in Miami is simple – prepare to be shocked. Internet sites are quoting as much as $1400 and more for a single game ticket.

And one suite is available on the official BCS ticket exchange – for a whopping $112.500.

The South Bend Tribune reports that even University of Notre Dame alumnus, employees and student have only a ‘modest’ chance of winning the right to buy a ticket through the university lottery.

Ticket requests have been arriving hard and fast at the Notre Dame athletic ticket office in the Joyce Center.

Senior assistant athletic director for event marketing and guest relations Josh Berlo told the Tribune: “Most of us have hardly slept since we got back from the USC game.

“There’s so much excitement right now around the football team and what it’s accomplished, both athletically and academically.

“The buzz is going to last for the next 42 days until kickoff.”

Berlo has confirmed that the Notre Dame ticket office received more than 5,000 e-mail inquiries about tickets in a 60-hour span while staff answered more than 2,500 phone calls on Monday alone.

“Staff members are answering e-mails at all hours. There is somebody here nearly 24 hours a day,” added Berlo.

Notre Dame will receive 17,000 tickets to the BCS championship bowl game on January 7 at the 75,540 capacity Sun Life Stadium.

Opponents Alabama or Georgia will also receive 17,000 tickets.

Notre Dame will sell their 17,000 allocated tickets at their face value of $350 per ticket.

The report says that those eligible to enter Notre Dame’s bowl ticket lottery include everyone who is eligible to apply for tickets to regular football home games: contributing alumni, Monogram Club members, faculty, staff, parents of current undergraduates, season ticket holders, benefactors and others with close ties to the university.

Each application requires a non-refundable $25 application fee.

Over 40,000 applications for the tickets have been received with the deadline set for 5 p.m. Monday.

Some of the 17,000 tickets will be reserved for a ticket lottery to be held next week for students with each student entitled to apply for one ticket.

Student winners will be required to present identification and pick up their tickets at Sun Life Stadium before the game.

No tickets will be sold to the general public such is the demand.

Berlo explained: “There isn’t a stadium big enough in the country to accommodate just the Notre Dame constituents that would like to attend.”

Berlo recommends that fans only buy tickets from a service that provides a guarantee.

The Notre Dame athletic ticket office web site is: www.und.com/tickets/nd-tickets.html. The phone number is 574-631-7356.