Notre Dame football is a special thing, and with a program like this that has so much tradition, there is a long list of things every fan should experience before they leave this world.
Notre Dame fans are pretty lucky. If you are an admirer of history, a connoisseur of lore, and a lover of tradition, the University of Notre Dame has it all covered for you football fans. No other school in the country has quite near as much pomp and circumstance as Notre Dame on gameday. It starts on the Friday before the game and continues on hours after the final whistle has been blown.
It’s not just the gameday experience at Notre Dame when it comes to soaking up all of what the school has to offer, as there is so much to see and do.
I’m a huge fan of bucket lists and it only seems right to get a list together for Notre Dame fans to use as a guide to enhance their experience. Perhaps you have seen or done most or all of what will be listed. That’s great as you can pat yourself on the back- but maybe you haven’t quite tallied up the score yet. Now you can use this as a guide.
There is no particular order here, and because we are human beings (kind of) we are prone to make a mistake from time to time. With that said, if you believe we missed something, please make a note of it in the comment section below. In fact, we would LOVE to hear your stories about any of the hings listed as well, so if you are so inclined please share with us your experiences in the comment section below.
The entire staff her at Slap The Sign lent a hand in this, so sit back and take some notes as we list the 30 things every Notre Dame fan should see or do before they die.
GO IRISH!
Next: The Best Fun
Joyce Lot
If you’re going to a Notre Dame football game, then you better be tailgating immediately before the game. The parking lots closest to the stadium are the Joyce Lots, and that is where Irish fans congregate to gulp down light beers, devour elaborate spreads of every tailgate food imaginable, and engage in friendly beer pong, cornhole, and other fun competitions.
Once you’ve covered all the other items in this list that you can before a game, head to the parking lots and just walk around amongst the Irish faithful. Odds are, someone with way too much food and beer will invite you under their tent or to their table and offer you things to eat and drink as you chit chat about which players should be benched, which coordinators should be fired, and whether or not we should actually stop saying “Terry Jillery” when that name is clearly the best thing ever.
Strategically choosing the right group of porta-potties to get in line for and getting good at emphatically swatting little kids’ passes as they attempt to play catch with a foam football in a crowded parking lot are just a couple of the various skills that you will not have mastered the first time you tailgate in the Joyce Lot, but you’ll eventually work your way up to the point where you are confidently tailgating like a champion and having an incredible time before going into Notre Dame games.
-PS
Next: Start The Season
Opening Game
Whether is be Major League Baseball, the NFL or college football, there are few traditions better than opening day. No matter how bad or good the season’s outlook is for your team, there is always hope for a successful season on opening day.
One thing every Notre Dame football fan should experience before they die is opening day at Notre Dame Stadium. As someone who has attended 15 of the last 16 opening days, I can say there are few games that generates as much of excitement than opening day. Everyone is all charged up for the season to start. Everyone is excited to see the new players. Everyone is just happy their Irish are back in action. Opening day marks the end of summer and the beginning of an exciting fall of Irish football.
The 2011 opening day withstanding, another reason why going to opening day is a must is the weather. Since it is usually around Labor Day, we are still experiencing the effects of the warm summer weather.
One of the most intriguing opening days in recent memory was last year’s game against Texas. It was intriguing not because of the final score (the Irish won 38-3), but because the Irish were finally playing one of the sport’s most historic programs in Texas. The game was also featured in primetime, which is something we had not seen on opening day in quite some time.
The Irish will open up the home slate this season in a week two matchup with the Nevada Wolfpack.
-BN
Next: Ramblers
Road Game
Traveling for a college football game is typically a fun experience, regardless of the team that you follow. There are new campuses, new college towns, and new bars and restaurants to try out. The opportunity to learn about and experience other schools’ traditions is always pretty cool, too. When it comes to the schedule, Notre Dame plays at some of the best colleges a fan could visit. From modern, high tech and electric venues such as Clemson, to the most traditionally iconic arenas such as USC, Texas, and in the future Ohio State and Georgia, just to name a few.
There is another aspect to Notre Dame’s schedule that makes an away game an absolute must on any fan’s bucket list. As a result of its’ early independence, Notre Dame was forced to play a national schedule, traveling to and building rivalries with schools all across the country. Fans get the opportunity to see other regions of the country, check out some pretty cool college campuses outside of whatever region they are from. Need an excuse to fly to LA? Go when Notre Dame visits the Trojans. What about Palo Alto, Tallahassee or Austin? Chances are, you won’t be the only fan donning blue and gold on game day when the Irish play the likes of Stanford, Florida State or Texas. Or anyone else on the schedule, for that matter.
-BW
Next: It's A Fair Catch
Fair Catch Corby
There are monuments all over Notre Dame’s campus but none may have as much significance to Notre Dame and American history. Father William Corby was a ND grad, served as the president of Notre Dame twice, was a priest, and best known for his involvement in the bloody battle in Gettysburg, Pa. Father Corby led his min in a moment of prayer on July 2nd pronouncing general absolution. A picture was captured of this moment as Corby was delivering the absolution with his right hand raised, like a fair catch.
The first statue was placed in the same spot where Corby delivered the absolution in Gettysburg. Outside of Corby hall, another was erected on Notre Dame’s campus. After the war, Corby was Notre Dame’s president from 1866-72 and 1877-81. Corby past away in 1897. Corby made his mark in American history and at Notre Dame as his statue was raised just 14 years later. If you want to show respect to someone who truly had an effect on Notre Dame, then I would recommend seeing Fair Catch Corby.
-CE
Next: A Shirt?
The Shirt
Notre Dame has and always will be about tradition. Some of the traditions include the team playing in an iconic stadium, wearing blue jerseys for home games, having the Notre Dame band play their halftime songs before games and lining the sidewalks as players walk to the stadium. All of these are special traditions that occur on game day.
There is also a tradition that will be 27 years old this year and that is The Shirt Project. This project was started in 1990 by Brennan Harvath, an ND student who graduated in 1991. Harvath was a marketing major who was the chair of An Tostal Spring Festival committee for the student Union Board. He wanted to raise money for the festival but he also wanted to unify the student body for football games. He had the idea of selling t-shirts and he lobbied Notre Dame decision makers and students about it.
Notre Dame’s first home game for the 1990 season was Michigan on September 15. 9,000 t-shirts were sold by game time. A second shirt was created that Fall but this one was used to pay for the medical expenses of Zhengde Wang, a doctoral student who was seriously injured when he was hit by a car. 17,000 t-shirts were sold by the October 20, 1990 game with Miami. A third shirt with the score of the game – a 29-20 Fighting Irish victory in the weeks after the game. The sales for the third shirt was 15,000 for a total of 32,000. The sales from the two shirts raised $100,000 for Wang’s medical expenses.
In the last few years the shirts have been introduced and sold the weekend of the Spring football game. 9,000 t-shirts were sold in 1990. Approximately 150,000 are sold today and the shirt has become the number one, highest selling piece of collegiate apparel in the country. It can only happen at Notre Dame!
-WK
Next: Holy Ground
The Grotto
The University of Notre Dame is, first and foremost, the premier Catholic university in the country. Along with all of the football-related events and activities and sights and sounds, Notre Dame offers various awe-inspiring must-sees for anyone religiously or spiritually inclined, including the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the old log chapel (a replica of the first building on campus, which was built as a headquarters for missionaries in northern Indiana – masses are regularly held there nowadays), and my personal favorite, the Grotto.
The Grotto is a reproduction of the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, where Mary appeared to St. Bernadette and asked her to build a chapel there. Notre Dame’s version is tucked into a little hillside very close to the Basilica and Admin building, and features the same cave-like feel with hundreds of candles, kneelers facing the candles, lots of beautiful flowers and trees helping create a beautifully isolated and private feel, and a statue of Mary watching over the whole scene from a cut-out in the rock wall.
There is no better place to go on campus for a moment of peace and quiet and careful reflection, as countless people will go there to light a candle, say a prayer, and think about the important things. I know I personally visited there during various tough times in my four years at ND, and cannot speak highly enough about how powerful of a scene it is to walk to the Grotto at night, illuminated with hundreds of candles, each lit with a specific petition or prayer or thought in mind. It’s a beautiful, impressive reminder that sometimes slowing down and reflecting on things can make all the difference. This is an absolute must-see, whether you are religious or not, as the beauty and serenity alone will make you happy you visited.
-PS
Next: Where Are The Books?
The Bookstore
There is an animal in all of us, and if you are willing to get a little dirty, you can unleash that inner animal on gamedays at The Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore. If you have ever seen or been a part of a Black Friday sale, then you may understand what a trip to Hammes on gameday is all about.
It’s pure madness.
You “walk” damn near elbow to elbow around trying to scoop up the latest Irish gear- all the while ignoring the price tags which make this writer feel as if I need to take out another student loan. It’s funny to watch some people as they must be making their first trip of the season (or ever) and see them carry these huge loads of apparel up to the cash register. Well… after they snake through the long and winding lines.
Insanity be damned, if you are looking for a good Notre Dame read, or a great Notre Dame gift, there really is no better place to go- even if it’s not on gameday. In fact, on gamedays, there are special book signings which make a great gift and a great read.
-JV
Next: Mutual Respect
Navy Game
The longest uninterrupted intersectional rivalry in college football. There is something special about watching the Midshipman of the United States Naval Academy play the Irish. They always give the Irish a good game, have been much better in recent years, and were even a quality last season. As the story goes, the University of Notre Dame was facing a financial crisis during World War II, as it was an all-male institution and many of its students were absent due to fighting in the war. The Naval Academy set up center for V-12 students on Notre Dame’s campus, like many other campuses at the time, and then paid for the usage of the center. The boost essentially saved the university, and Notre Dame responded by extending an open invitation to play an annual game as a repayment on a debt of honor.
For this reason, as well as our general reverence for those who serve in the armed forces, Navy is one of Notre Dame’s most respected rivals. This respect is demonstrated most notably in the Irish and Midshipmen standing together and singing the school’s respective alma maters at the end of the game. There’s always a surprise thrown in for good measure when the game is on campus, for example the Blue Angels flyover in 2013. Away games with Navy are typically held in an NFL stadium and include much of the same hoopla that takes place around a bowl game or Shamrock Series game.
-BW
Next: Goodbye Rock
Knute Rockne Crash Site
In one of the saddest days in Notre Dame history, Knute Rockne was killed in a plane crash in Bazaar, Kansas on March 31, 1931. Rockne left Kansas City and was bound for Los Angeles where he was going to participate in a motion picture called The Spirit of Notre Dame. The movie was released in October of 1931.
There were six passengers and two pilots aboard and all were killed. A memorial was created at the site of the crash. On that fateful day, James Easter Heathman was 13 years old and heard the explosion when the plane it the ground. He was one of the first persons to the scene. Heathman became a legend because for most of his life, he conducted tours to the crash site at no charge because he wanted to perpetuate Rockne’s legacy. He became an expert on Rockne’s life and was visited by Rockne’s family.
Heathman attended some Notre Dame football games and gave talks on campus to Notre Dame alumni. He estimated he took tens of thousands of people to the crash site. Many were Notre Dame alumni or fans and he became life-long friends with lots of them.
For those interested in visiting the crash site, it is on private property and is off road. It is accessible only by arrangement with the owners. It is an amazing story how Heathman dedicated himself to the site memorial and he ultimately was rewarded by the many friendships he developed with Notre Dame fans and alumni.
-WK
Next: Bury SC
Southern Cal Game
The University of Southern California is Notre Dame’s rival. Southern Cal is Notre Dame’s rival- not Purdue, not Navy, not Boston College, not any one of a handful of teams in which the name of Notre Dame gets used along side of the term “rival.” It’s Southern Cal.
If you have never been to a Notre Dame game, or if you have been to a hundred Notre Dame games, you have to make it to at least one matchup against the Trojans.
If you venture to the game in South Bend, by all means soak in the atmosphere of the west coast invasion. While there is a cordial hatred between these two fanbases, there is still hatred at the core. We disgust one another with our ways.
When the game matters nationally, there is no better game to watch. People throw out the OSU and Michigan game and the Iron Bowl, but this intersectional rivalry goes toe to toe with any sectional rivalry out there. It’s he one game that I wish Notre Dame would NOT play music over the loud speakers. Despite USC’s insistence on playing “that damn song” over and over and over again, it’s THE game that makes you really appreciate college football.
The series has it all: upsets, Heisman winners, eventual National Champs, great comebacks, embarrassing losses, legendary coaches, a rivalry trophy, contrasting cheerleaders, and most of all… a sense of continuing history and history in the making.
-JV
Next: Get Pumped
Pep Rally
The Notre Dame pep rallies are not the same as they used to be back in the day. The pep rally wasn’t in the stadium or in the Joyce Center, it was actually held in the Stepan Center on the north end of campus. It used be something that was only open to the students. So as you can imagine it was a rowdier crowd and it was the same thing everytime. One of the male cheerleader’s would get up on stage and get the crowd all revved up. Then the band would march in playing the Victory March. Following the band would be Ara Parseghian. Ara would talk and he would end he speech the same way every time:
“They got a great offense! They got a great defense! They got a great quarterback! They got a great coach! BUT WE’RE GONNA BEAT EM!”
The band would strike up the Victory March and the crowd would go nuts. It was truly a pep rally.
These pep rallies these days are quite as rowdy, but it is still worth something going to at least once. It has a few of the same elements as it did in the old days, such as the band marching in, the team walking in and Brian Kelly speaking. That being said, it is a much more family friendly event now. You don’t have a room fully of rowdy college students. You’ll have some notable alumni speak before Coach Kelly. Kelly will speak and then it’s over. It’s worth going to at least once because it does get you excited for game day. If there one pep rally to go to, the opening game or USC pep rally would be the one to attend.
-BN
Next: It's All Coming Back to Me Now
Linebacker Lounge
I’d like you to close your eyes and picture the scenario I’m about to describe. You’re in a crowded bar. And when I say crowded, I mean wall-to-wall, it’s an epic struggle to walk from one end of the bar to another and if you expect to both have a good time AND not bump into anyone and have drinks spilled on you then you’re a fool, crowded. Now imagine it is also very hot, and you are sweating a substantial amount as you sip on a strong Long Island and take in the scenery.
The walls are covered in framed photos and jerseys of former Notre Dame athletes, as well as celebrities with some sort of connection to the school or who have visited the bar. There are neon signs and there are TVs constantly showing ESPN, and for some reason there exists a metal pole in the middle of the dance floor. Side note, do NOT lick this pole, even if a Backer veteran claims that everyone has and does do it. It’s just not a good idea.
There’s a popcorn machine alongside a couple arcade games in the corner, and menacing security employees roam the bar and survey the scene, waiting for troublemakers to reveal themselves in the throng around them. The music is loud and varies between popular current songs and songs you would honestly never expect to hear in a college bar. The floor is layered in roughly one inch of an indiscernible sludge. Your shoes will not be clean when you leave here. In the back of the bar is a room with a pool table and the men’s bathroom, featuring a toilet that has at least 3 Coors Light cans floating in it. The women’s room has a line of roughly 10 girls waiting outside of it, perpetually. Everyone is drinking and dancing and running into each other and shouting song lyrics at the tops of their lungs, and there is a strong mix of college kids, alumni dads, and everyone in between.
What I’m describing is the Linebacker Lounge, Notre Dame’s most fun bar experience, hands down. For starters, it’s the only bar in town, possibly in the world, that regularly plays both Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and Steve Goodman’s “Go Cubs Go,” brought to the masses via a tiny cubbyhole of a DJ booth where DJ Drew, the most fickle bar DJ in the business, turns out the most consistently solid bar playlist that anyone has ever had the great fortune to dance to.
And dance, the people do. At most bars, there are people on the dance floor and then there are people hanging out off to the side, clearly not even trying to dance. At the Backer, the entire bar is the dance floor. Everyone is moving, gyrating, twirling, thrusting, wiggling, shimmying, and grooving, all while shouting songs in a passionate and impressive display of recall considering how many Long Islands and 32-ounce beers they’ve consumed/dropped on the floor. And the music played by DJ Drew isn’t even always music that people would typically dance to, but the Backer-goers find a way to make it work.
Ever cut a rug to the tune of “Africa” by Toto? What about “Calling Baton Rouge” by the Oak Ridge Boys? Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now”? If you’ve been to the Backer, you have danced to all of those, and you had a great time doing it. In fact, you danced the night away until closing time, just before 3 am, when the official nightly Backer closing ritual occurs. Another side note: if you leave before close, you have not actually experienced the Backer and I am ashamed of you for not sticking around for the night’s culmination and main event.
After last call, with just minutes remaining until the lights are flipped on and everyone is herded into the streets of South Bend to wander to Five Guys or find an available taxi, the Backer closing playlist begins. It starts with “Proud To Be An American” by Lee Greenwood, as everyone in the bar puts their arms around each other in various circles of friends and strangers alike, singing the song with vigor and lots of eyes-closed-while-slowly-pumping-your-fist moments. Then, after that incredible showcase of patriotism, the Notre Dame fight song is played, and everyone claps along and sings it as if the Irish just beat Michigan 37-0. Finally, Frankie Valli’s melodious voice rings throughout the establishment as the Four Seasons’ “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)” plays in full, with the Backer-goers getting in their last dance moves and happily/sweatily greeting the end of the night, satisfied and probably intoxicated. This three-song finale happens every single night, and it’s always stupendous. You’ll understand what I mean when you experience it.
So, if you want to have a great evening out and don’t care too much about the shoes you’re wearing or what you will smell like afterward, go to the Backer. Let loose, have a good time, and make sure you find someone – anyone – to sing longingly to as “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston moves your body in ways you’ve never considered moving in public. It will be worth it, and it will be a memory you cherish forever.
Oh, and one final note: The Backer is the only bar you’re going to see Hank from Breaking Bad finish off the fight song like a champ. #Backer4Lyfe
-PS
Next: Spring Into It
Spring Game
One of the easiest and most affordable to catch a Notre Dame football game is to head to campus in April for the annual Blue-Gold Spring Game. Many diehard fans find themselves aching for football just after the college basketball season has wrapped up, and just before the NBA or NHL playoffs get underway. That makes the spring game a perfect motivator in a weekend trip to campus.
The spring game features many of the same features of a game weekend on campus, but many times with less of a crowd. You can still experience, the player walk, tailgating, Mass after the game and a trip to the grotto can all be experienced, and bookstores are open with all the gear you’d need for the upcoming season. However, there are some events that make the spring game weekend stand apart from a usual game day. If you want, you can buy a ticket to the pregame brunch, and if you’re lucky enough to be sitting at a table with a number somewhere below 80, you’ll be joined by an Irish player for brunch. A casual conversation with an Irish player gives you a new appreciation for what it means to play football at Notre Dame, and just how intelligent and hard working a lot of these kids are. You’re also treated to a speech by Coach Kelly and an allotted an hour for to get autographs. An alternative to the player brunch is the press box tour, and with your ticket for that, you can watch the game from the press box. It’s event like these that make the spring game a unique experience that all fans should try.
-BW
Next: Lead Us To The Promised Land
We’re Number One Moses
Obviously it’s a sin to go to Notre Dame and not witness Touchdown Jesus, but have you seen the Irish’s other biblical monument? Just on the edge of Hesburgh Library is a massive statue of Moses, not just any Moses, this is We’re Number One Moses.
The statue depicts Moses standing as Mt. Sinai chastising the Israelites who committed idolatry. He is holding the Ten Commandments in his left hand while his right hand is extended toward God. This of course looks like Moses is holding up a finger to say “we’re number one”.
There is a little confusion around campus as to what the name truly is for Moses. Most know him as We’re Number One Moses, which a student declared in The Observer, but others know him as First Down Moses. Whatever you want to call him, Moses is something you have to see for yourself.
-CE
Next: Go Bowling
Bowl Game
The Irish fan’s willingness to follow the team is rarely more apparent than a trip to a bowl game. Notre Dame typically gets favorable placement in away games as a result, making a bowl game trip a must for any Notre Dame fan. Win 10 games? Likely destinations include New Orleans, Glendale, or Miami, just to name a few.
It sounds like a solid four or five day getaway on its own, but throw in a Notre Dame football game, and it’s that much better. Bowl game travel packages include staying at the same hotel as the team and their families, meaning you may just run into your favorite player. In addition, the university as well as the folks running the bowl game plan all sorts of special activities, and there is never a dull moment. Many times there are famous celebrities and former athletes around to take in or participate in the festivities, too. Tack on a trip to what is likely an iconic NFL (or even MLB) stadium against a marquee foe, and a trip to a bowl game is just an Irish win away from being a near-perfect getaway.
-BW
Next: You Are My Enemy
Michigan Game
Do you want to go to a game where you just might burst into laughter if the other team and its fans just spontaneously burst into flames? If that’s your cup of tea, then the Notre Dame / Michigan game is for you. The thing is, is that these two teams won’t be playing each other for a long time.
So… this is one that you’ll have to put on the backburner. For all of the posturing we do about not calling Michigan a rival (which they most certainly are not) and not caring to play them ever again, this has been one of my favorite games to attend both in South Bend and in Ann Arbor (tramp).
I thought for a while that perhaps it was the younger version of me that felt more warlike in my attendance, was why I enjoyed this so much- the trash-talking, the rudeness, the shoulder bumps- everything that felt like a soccer game overseas. But, as I witnessed first hand, it was all still there in its hateful glory in 2014 when Notre Dame beat Michigan 37-0 (this is the only score I will accept).
So, if it comes back… get to it, as I’m sure it will be hyped up beyond belief.
-JV
Next: Guarding The Gates
Championship Coaches Statues
Bob Davie. Tyrone Willingham. Chuck Weis. Gerry Faust. George O’Leary.
These are all coaches that definitely did not earn the right to have statues of themselves erected outside of Notre Dame Stadium. However, there have been a couple semi-decent coaches to work for Notre Dame, and those men have been forever enshrined and commemorated in large statues depicting them outside of the various gates leading into the stadium.
Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian, Dan Devine, and Lou Holtz all earned statues thanks to the national championships they brought to South Bend, and so you should be sure to take a lap around the outside of the stadium and pay your respects to these wonderful coaches who established Notre Dame as the greatest (at least, historically) college football program in the country. Read the plaques, take a picture with them, and truly appreciate everything they accomplished with the Fighting Irish.
P.S. These statues also serve as excellent meeting points for groups of people after games, when cell service is quite difficult to come by and a simple “meet at Lou after the alma mater” is easy and efficient in terms of regrouping with your scattered friends and family after a big victory.
-PS
Next: Irish Guard
Irish Guard
One of the coolest parts of the pageantry of a Notre Dame football game is the Irish Guard. The Irish Guard is a group of 10 students that dress in full Irish regalia. The Guard was formed in 1949 and is part of The Band of the Fighting Irish. They lead the band out of the tunnel at every home game and at select road games. After every touchdown and Notre Dame victory the Guard will perform the Victory Clog.
Until 2014 there used to be a height requirement for all Guardsmen. Then band director came out with new requirements. He removed the height requirement and added an element of community service. Guardsmen also now required to have some experience in music or band managerial service. Guardsmen are also held to one to two year term limits. The Guard may have changed, but one thing that remains the same is that the Irish Guard is a very important part of Notre Dame football lore.
-BN
Next: Mr. Notre Dame
Moose Krause
If there is one legend not told enough- especially to the young and new Notre Dame fans, it’s that of “Mr. Notre Dame” Moose Krause. Moose was Notre Dame’s athletic director from 1949 until 1981, and he still held an office at Notre Dame until his death in 1992. Moose played for Knute Rockne and coached for Frank Leahy. He lettered in Football, basketball, baseball, and track while at Notre Dame.
Moose was THE athlete at Notre Dame, and basically an ancient day Bo Jackson. He eventually landed in both the college football and college basketball Hall of Fames.
So, what photo could be better than one of you sliding up next to a cigar-smoking Moose sitting on a bench. He was a gentle giant, and an enormous part of what Notre Dame is all about and what the school and the football program has become.
-JV
Next: Arms Raised Up
Touchdown Jesus
Aside from the golden dome atop the Admin building, this is easily Notre Dame’s most iconic symbol.
Titled “The Word of Life” and completed by American artist Millard Sheets in 1964, Touchdown Jesus is a 134-feet-high, 68-feet-wide mural covering one side of Hesburgh Library. It’s made up of over 300 panels made from numerous types of stone sourced from 16 different countries. It depicts saints and scholars through the ages and features a triumphant-looking Jesus at the top, arms raised in the same fashion that a referee would signal a touchdown.
The mural is visible from Notre Dame Stadium, and thus it naturally earned the Touchdown Jesus nickname. It’s a wonderful mural and the area below it includes benches to enjoy a lovely fall afternoon and a shimmering reflecting pool that many freshmen had to run through during dorm hazing activities the morning of the first football game of the season.
Due to its size and location right next to the stadium, you can’t miss Touchdown Jesus as you walk around campus, and you definitely shouldn’t. It’s something that everyone has to go see, and obviously you are required to then take a dopey photo of yourself in front of it with your arms raised, mimicking Jesus. It’s just a rite of passage as an ND fan and something you have to do.
-PS
Next: Walk This Way
Players Walk
A Saturday tradition that gives fans an up-close-and-and personal experience with the team, the player walk is the team’s procession from the Gug to the stadium before the game. Fans swarm the sidewalks from the library all the way to the stadium to catch a glimpse of, get a high five from, and encourage the team before they enter the locker room before the game.
The players are focused on the task at hand, giving the procession a bit of edge and intensity that is enough to get most fans pumped up and ready for some football. The Irish guard and the Fighting Irish band lead the team and coaches with bagpipes and the fight song. Visiting recruits join the procession, giving them a glimpse of just how faithful and supportive the Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans are, and player families bring up the rear. When it’s the Notre Dame football team we’re talking about, players’ families may even include a celebrity or former pro athlete. The player walk embodies the pageantry surrounding college football that so much of us love, and the tradition that draws so many of us to Notre Dame. It’s an experience that any fan, die-hard or casual, old or young, will enjoy.
Next: Exercise
Push Ups
There are countless reasons to attend a game at Notre Dame Stadium. The player walk, the greatest marching band in the world, the Irish Guard, the Officer Tim McCarthy safety-themed puns – the festivities in and around the “house that Rockne built” are fraught with tradition and mystique and goosebump-inducing sights and sounds. However, one unique, must-experience tradition during the actual game is not what most people would probably expect from a day of watching college football. I, of course, am talking about pushups.
Now, don’t let the prospect of possible physical activity on your nice beer and bratwurst-fueled Saturday keep you from participating in this great activity, as going up for pushups is much more work for your seat mates than it is for you. As the chosen pushup king, you simply let everyone else do the work as you enjoy a brief thrill ride. Furthermore, the incredible elation one feels just because the Fighting Irish scored a touchdown is fantastic in its own right. But when you are lifted by friends and strangers alike, tossed up and down in jubilation as the amount of points the Irish have is counted out in unison? It’s phenomenal and makes it completely worth it.
So, in your ultimate ND football weekend, make sure to participate in pushups after an Irish touchdown. If you’re being lifted up, be sure to select a team of strong, reliable people to hold you up for the duration. If you’re on the ground, make sure someone has the pushup person’s legs and someone else has their arms and hopefully others can help stabilize in the middle (I know from experience that certain fans do not take too kindly to having your buddy Mike dropped on them from above). It’s just another fun, exciting tradition that makes Notre Dame football fandom unique, and a must-do experience for any true Irish fan.
-PS
Next: Grassy Field Good Times
White Field
Now you may be wondering why White Field gets thrown into this list when Joyce Lot is already represented. Well, one of the hallmarks of this list and of being a Notre Dame fan is that we can and should show a little diversity here. While Joyce Lot is fantastic and there are so many Notre Dame fans to party with, White Lot has a few ideal characteristics to it that make it a must do for any Irish fan.
The accessibility of White Lot from the turnpike is incredibly nice since the road was made from the exit to the lot. It’s a very laid back and calm atmosphere. If you have been to a bunch of games before and don’t feel like walking around campus or being elbow to elbow with thousands of others, White Lot offers you that casual spot. If you have kids, the open space is great and feels safer than on campus (not that campus is dangerous, but kids wander).
For me, White is an ideal place to party with the enemy. That is where most of them are, and although a lot of them can’t wait to get on Notre Dame’s campus to see everything we have, a lot of them are ready to party- and party hard. The fans of Tennessee will always have a special place in my heart for their style and their ungodly amounts of booze that they are willing to just pour down your throat.
It’s a different world of long walks and bus trips, and opposing colors. It has its place, and should be experienced at least once by everyone.
-JV
Next: One Last Hurrah
Senior Day
The annual Senior Day game at Notre Dame is, for the most part, a typical Notre Dame game day experience. However, because it’s the final home game for the seniors on the team, you’re going to want to be sure to enter the game a bit earlier than normal in order to take in the festivities.
Before kickoff, each senior is individually announced as they run out of the tunnel for the final time. The fans pay their respects, loudly cheering for the players, who run from the tunnel to the 50 yard line, where their parents and other family members give them an emotional embrace and celebrate 4 years at Notre Dame and everything that comes with that. Then, in the game, all of the seniors will find some playing time, and that can be really special, specifically for players who really hadn’t been in any games before then.
The whole day is always bittersweet, as it’s tough to watch our beloved heroes play their final home game. However, you also can’t help but celebrate with the players and their families, enjoying the contributions they’ve made both on and off the field and thinking back to the amazing memories each player gave us as fans. As a senior in 2013, I remember seeing Manti run out there to hug his parents and going bananas. I remember cheering as loudly as I could for Tommy Rees in 2014, considering the oftentimes unfair criticism brought down on him and the successful career he had regardless. I remember laughing uproariously at Sheldon Day greeting his mom, knowing how funny and fantastic their relationship is thanks to the Showtime series. I remember seeing the Martin brothers (Zack and Nick) participate twice each, meaning their parents had to attend four senior days because they both did 5th years with the team.
It’s just something you need to see at least once, because it’s really special to see your favorite players get the sendoff they deserve as members of your beloved Fighting Irish. I highly recommend seeing a Senior Day game in person.
-PS
Next: Music All Around
Trumpets Under The Dome
If you are looking for that “hair-raising” experience while at a game at Notre Dame, than might I suggest- nay DEMAND that you attend the playing of the trumpets under the dome. The trumpet section gathers inside the Golden Dome and plays the Alma Mater and the Victory March on the different levels.
What’s unique about this experience is that you are right up next to the band members rather than looking at them from a fixed spot. The crowd gathers in and around the band as they play with amazing acoustic sound. It’s like rallying to the center of your castle ready to defend it and its people.
If you’ve ever been, you’re ready to walk out and trounce any and all wearing the other teams colors.
-JV
Next: Sacred Ground
Basilica of the Sacred Heart
Here is another one on the list that doesn’t necessarily have to do with football, but everything to do with Notre Dame and the spirit that lives within the University (yes, I’ll go full cheese here). It really is amazing and if you didn’t know, it is open on gamedays to walk around and enjoy as well as offering Mass after the game.
On one trip to Notre Dame (the Michigan game in 2004), I was with a couple of fellow fans and friends that have never been to Notre Dame. While showing the two around, we may have drank a little too much from this odd jug of “apple juice” and I took them to the Basilica. Once we walked inside, one of them was so overwhelmed that he stated in a louder than church voice, “this is f**king BEAUTIFUL!” The priest walking past us just chuckled and shook his head.
My friend was right though- it IS. And if you need more goosebumps and more spiritual awakening before the game, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart doesn’t disappoint.
-JV
Next: Here Come The Irish
Band Marching Into the Stadium
One of the truly great sights to witness at Notre Dame for a game in the fall, is the band marching across the campus and into the stadium. The Irish Guard lead the charge, and the same type of two line wall that develops for the players walk, is there for the band. The climax comes right before they enter the stadium under the ever watchful eye of Touchdown Jesus. They all line up, get that chanting on- and then BAM… away we go.
There are two different ways to see this event. One, you can be outside the stadium and dwell among the band, or you can watch it from one of the landings inside the stadium for an eagle eye view. Either way, it’s another “war-like” pomp and circumstance moment that gets everyone pumped and ready for battle.
-JV
Next: LIGHT IT UP
Grace Hall #1 Sign
One of the more rare sights to see at Notre Dame is the 8 foot tall #1 sign that sits on top of Grace Hall lit up in all its glory. It was first placed outside Moreau Seminary in 1973 after Notre Dame won the national title, but has since found a permanent home on top of Grace Hall.
The sign is lit when any Notre Dame athletic team is currently ranked number one- not just the football team. Still, it is for the football team that we reserve that aura for when the sign is lit. I remember back in November of 2012 when Notre Dame found itself number one in the country, I made a phone call to a friend and we almost drove from Fort Wayne to South Bend just to see it lit up. We ended up staying home, and because of that, this still remains on my personal bucket list.
-JV
Next: Take A Tour
Stadium Tour
Notre Dame Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in sports, so getting a tour of the facility should not only be on the bucket list of Irish fans, but also sports fans in general. The House that Rockne built offers year round tours Tours and tickets range from $10-$15. This is a pretty reasonable price for one of sports most historic venues. The tour lasts about an hour and offers fans the opportunity to walk about the locker room, touch the famed Play Like a Champion Today sign, run out of the tunnel and even step on the field. The only downside of the tour is that for some reason Notre Dame does not allow cameras on the tour.
The stadium is currently under construction and won’t be fully done until 2017. I would recommend waiting until the construction is fully finished to take the tour. The renovations will feature press boxes on both sides of the stadium as well as video board. The improvements should only enhance the tradition and experience of Notre Dame Stadium.
-BN
Next: Late Night Beat
Midnight Drum Circle
One of the least known traditions of Notre Dame football weekends is the midnight drum circle. On Friday nights of home football weekends the Notre Dame drum line will circle up in front of the Golden Dome and perform for about 45 minutes. They’ll play their usual tunes and lead some cheers as well. They usually end their performance by playing the Victory March.
It’s mostly a crowd of Notre Dame and St. Mary’s students along with a few local high school students. You may have a few alumni, but for the most part it is mostly students. Since it is a youthful crowd it is a much more rowdy atmosphere than the pep rally.
Next: 30 Greatest Notre Dame Football Players Ever
The drum circle is aimed to get ND fans and students excited to cheer on the Irish It serves as the official kickoff to game day. The drum circle is something a diehard Notre Dame football fan should experience at least once.
-BN