Home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, this stadium is one of College Football's most sacred grounds. Come take the tour of this holy field!
Notre Dame Stadium - History
The University of Notre Dame originally played their football games at Carter Field, but by the late 1920s the 30,000 seat venue was too small for the program's growing fan base. In October 1930, the brand-new 54,000 seat Notre Dame Stadium opened. The stadium went under major renovations in 1997, adding more than 21,000 seats to the venue. Now over 80,000 Fighting Irish fans can pack into the stadium!
Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium - Memorable Moments
In its 73 years of existence, Notre Dame Stadium has seen plenty of historic events. Notre Dame is one of the most storied programs in college football, producing seven Heisman Trophy winners and dozens of All Americans. Since the 1930 opening, the Irish have had a winning percentage of more than 77 percent on that field. Notre Dame has also had 25 undefeated seasons at home. Every year, capacity crowds come out to see Notre Dame play some of their biggest rivals including Purdue, Navy, Michigan and USC.
Football game at Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium - Cool Features
Watching a game at Notre Dame Stadium a truly unique experience. Like most major stadiums, there is no jumbotron - so you get the old, tradition feel. Fans also love the natural Kentucky blue grass. Being a famous Catholic university, there is also a lot of holiness around the stadium. The large mural of Jesus from the school's library is visible inside the stadium. It is known as "Touchdown Jesus" because Jesus' arms are raised like the touchdown symbol of a referee. Even after the expansion, there is still that famous stairwell from the Notre Dame locker room to the field where players still slap the famous sign "Play like a Champion" for good luck.
Aerial View of Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium – Fun Facts
- Notre Dame Stadium cost $750,000 to build in 1930.
- Notre Dame Stadium was the site for the 1993 movie Rudy.
- Notre Dame Stadium was voted as the second best College Football Stadium by the Sporting News.
- Notre Dame Stadium's 1997 expansion project cost $50 million.
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