The 'World's Largest Drum' won't be allowed at Notre Dame football game because it is too big to fit

• Purdue's marching band will be without the "World's Largest Drum" against Notre Dame on Saturday.
• The sizable drum is too big to fit through the visiting locker room's entrance to the stadium.
• Notre Dame restricted use of their main tunnel, which would have been big enough to fit the drum.

When the Purdue Boilermakers take the field against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday, they'll be missing one of their biggest supporters - the "World's Largest Drum."

The big drum is too big to fit through the visitor's locker room entrance to the stadium, and though attempts were made to make other accommodations for getting the drum onto the field, they were shut down by Notre Dame.

According to Aaron Yoder, a spokesman for the Purdue band, Notre Dame would not allow the drum to make its entrance through the home team's locker room, where it would fit.

"Notre Dame Athletics has restricted use of their main tunnel to their own football team and band, which is the only entrance large enough for the Drum," Yoder said, per ESPN. "We have been told that visiting teams and bands have to use a separate tunnel that is much smaller. Our Drum is about 10 feet tall on its carriage and 565 pounds, so it doesn't even come close to fitting in this other tunnel."

According to ESPN, it's the first time Purdue's All-American Band will play a halftime performance without The World's Largest Drum since 1979. Making the situation even more tragic, the drum is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, with the first edition of the drum making its debut for the Boilermakers back in 1921.

On Twitter, fans expressed outrage that Notre Dame wouldn't make accommodations for the big drum.

Others encouraged Purdue to find a way past Notre Dame's treachery and get the drum on the field by any means necessary.

Photos of the visiting tunnel at Notre Dame make it clear - the drum would not fit.

If Purdue was looking for any bulletin board material, this is it. Don't let Notre Dame get away with this. If you can't have your drum on the field, drum them off it instead.