Notre Dame Football: How Have Stadium Renovations Impacted Tradition?
Often times when talking about Notre Dame football, its tradition is mentioned. Notre Dame is one of the most storied programs in all of college football. With its recent stadium renovation, has it ruined decades of tradition?
First off, I do realize the stadium renovation has been completed for nearly a year now and Notre Dame football has played an entire season in it. I’m in no way trying to “break the news” of the renovation, but just discuss it now that we are a season into it. I figured I would give everyone some time to digest the big changes before hopping into this article.
Back in the day, when Notre Dame was an annual National Championship contender, every team in the country feared Notre Dame Stadium. No one wanted to come to South Bend and step foot on that field — no one. Back then, Notre Dame didn’t need two press boxes and a monster JumboTron. All it needed was a field, two goalposts and a ball.
Don’t get me wrong, the stadium renovations look very snazzy. I like how Notre Dame is trying to adapt with the times by going all-out with the huge JumboTron. It certainly appeals to the younger crowd and provides more entertainment.
That said — do these renovations change what Notre Dame is truly known for?
Outside of the gold helmets, Notre Dame has never been a flashy program. In fact, many big-time schools have had JumboTrons and big speakers for years. You also see most big football schools change up their jerseys every couple years or so. Not Notre Dame. The Irish have donned the blue jersey, white numbers, and gold pants look for decades.
And yes, I do realize the Shamrock Series jerseys are flashy and usually over-the-top, but they’re only worn for one game. Notre Dame is known for the blue and gold.
On the other hand, there is no denying that the University of Notre Dame has a ton of money. Football is one of the University’s largest sources of income and it should be invested into the team and its battleground. Notre Dame did that, and did it big.
The new stadium looks beautiful and is truly a sight to behold if you haven’t had the chance to attend a game since the remodel. The big-screen is also sight to see. As large and distracting as it may seem, when I attended the Notre Dame vs USC game last fall, I found myself only watching it for replays and during time-outs. It actually kept me pretty entertained during the seemingly hundreds of stoppages during a televised primetime football game.
A feature fans may be interested in that hasn’t caught the headlines is the creation of the visitor’s tunnel. Prior to the creation of said tunnel, both Notre Dame and its opponent would enter and exit the field through the same tunnel.
That is no longer the case.
In the Northeast corner of the stadium — right by the Notre Dame band — is the new visitors tunnel. The architects were not very slick about making this tunnel very unfriendly. When Notre Dame runs out onto the field, they run out together in a big pack and it’s an electric moment in the stadium. When the visitors make their entrance, the new tunnel only allows for them to enter the field one-by-one. This makes for a very slow entrance, and one that will surely kill the opponent’s swagger (If the band already and student section didn’t already).
While the renovation did seem a bit over-the-top at first, Notre Dame did a great job. The designers made sure to stick to the University’s roots and not stray too far from what we all know Notre Dame to be. The architects made sure to include Notre Dame’s history and tradition while making the stadium new, more appealing and much more entertaining.
Overall, tradition can’t stay the same forever. Notre Dame adapted with the times and succeeded.
Next: Ranking Shamrock Series Uniforms
What are your thoughts on the Notre Dame Stadium “Campus Crossroads” renovation? Did it tarnish Notre Dame’s tradition? Let us know your thoughts below!