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Notre Dame Football: Five venues the Irish need to play in

By Andrew Hall

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 12: A general view is seen before the Green Bay Packers take on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 12, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 12: A general view is seen before the Green Bay Packers take on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 12, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 20: A general view looking east toward the end zone that can not be used due to player safetly concerns as the Northwestern Wildcats take on the Illinois Fighting Illini during a game played at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. Illinois defeated Northwestern 48-27. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 20: A general view looking east toward the end zone that can not be used due to player safetly concerns as the Northwestern Wildcats take on the Illinois Fighting Illini during a game played at Wrigley Field on November 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. Illinois defeated Northwestern 48-27. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame football and Wrigley Field are a match made in sports heaven.

The tradition of Notre Dame football pairs very well with classic, iconic venues like Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park and Soldier Field. Stadiums that rose during the same time Knute Rockne brought the Irish football program to prominence are uniquely qualified to host.

Wrigley Field is almost too perfect. Built in 1914, the predecessor to the Chicago Cubs, the Chicago Whales, first graced the diamond before Rockne even coached the Irish. The Bears played in the stadium from 1921 to 1970. This set a record for most NFL games hosted that was not surpassed until 2003 when Giants Stadium broke the record – mainly due to hosting both Giants and Jets games.

Most recently, Northwestern and Illinois played a football game in 2010. In the 2010 contest, the teams could only play in one direction due to cramped conditions in one of the end zones. Recent renovations improved the field conditions. Teams can now play comfortably in both directions. The Wildcats are slated to play on the north side in 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2026.

A large contingent of Notre Dame’s fans hail from Chicago, Illinois. The classic Windy City venue would be the best combination of home field advantage and classic sports stadium.

Notre Dame played in Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park against Army and Boston College respectively. Northwestern seems like the logical choice of an opponent for a Shamrock Series contest. However, Purdue, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois would also seem like natural fits. Regardless of opponent, Notre Dame absolutely needs to play at Wrigley Field in the near future.

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