Notre Dame Stadium facts for kids

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Notre Dame Stadium
Construction
"The House That Rockne Built"

Notre Dame Stadium night game in October 2021
Notre Dame Stadium Location in Notre Dame, Indiana
Address	2010 Moose Krause Circle Notre Dame, Indiana U.S.
Coordinates	41°41′54″N 86°14′02″W / 41.69833°N 86.23389°W / 41.69833; -86.23389
Elevation	732 ft (223 m)
Owner	University of Notre Dame
Operator	University of Notre Dame
Type	Stadium
Capacity	77,622 (2017–present) Former List 54,000 (1930–1965) 59,075 (1966–1996) 80,225 (1997) 80,012 (1998–1999) 80,232 (2000) 80,795 (2001–2016)
Surface	Artificial turf (2014–present) Natural grass (1930–2013)
Current use	Football
Broke ground	1929; 96 years ago (1929)
Opened	October 4, 1930; 94 years ago (1930-10-04)
Renovated	1994-1997, 2014-2017
Construction cost	$750,000
Architect	Osborn Engineering
General contractor	Sollitt Construction Company
Tenants
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (NCAA) (1930–present)

Notre Dame Stadium is a famous outdoor football stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana. It is the home field for the University of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish football team.

The stadium was built in 1930. It was guided by Knute Rockne, a legendary coach in college football history. This is why it's often called "The House that Rockne Built." Before this stadium, the team played at Cartier Field.

For many years, the stadium could hold about 60,000 fans. Then, a big renovation from 1994 to 1997 added an upper section. This brought the seating capacity to over 80,000. Another renovation in 2014, called Campus Crossroads, changed the number of seats to 77,622. The stadium has been completely full for almost every home game since 1964.

It is one of the oldest and most recognized stadiums in college football. It's also known for its view of the "Touchdown Jesus" mural. The playing field used to be natural grass for 84 seasons. In 2014, it was changed to artificial turf. The field runs north to south and is about 732 feet (223 meters) above sea level.

In 2014, a huge $400 million project called Campus Crossroads updated the stadium. It added three new buildings: the Duncan Student Center, O'Neill Hall, and Corbett Family Hall. These buildings include student areas, dining spots, music rooms, and university departments. They also have special stadium seating and event spaces.

The stadium is used for more than just football. It hosts the university's graduation ceremonies. It has also been the site for concerts, the 2019 NHL Winter Classic hockey game, and other sports like soccer and rugby.

History of Notre Dame Stadium

Building the Stadium

Notre Dame Stadium was built in 1930 to replace the older Cartier Field. Coach Knute Rockne was a big reason the stadium was built. Even though the 1928 football season wasn't great, the team made almost $500,000. Rockne was frustrated that the university leaders were slow to decide on building a new stadium, even with so much money available. Because of this, he even offered to resign.

Postcard of Notre Dame stadium between 1930 and 1945.

The university president, Father Charles O’Donnell, wanted to find a solution. He didn't want the university to go into debt for the stadium. He realized that money from the 1928 season and future away games would be enough. O’Donnell also came up with a plan to sell "reserved box seats." People could pay a large amount of money upfront to guarantee the same great seats for ten years. This idea alone raised over $150,000.

The stadium cost more than $750,000 to build. It originally had 54,000 seats. Coach Knute Rockne helped design it, making sure the stands were very close to the field. The design was similar to Michigan Stadium, but on a smaller scale.

Plans for the stadium started in 1929 with Osborn Engineering. This company had also designed famous stadiums like Yankee Stadium. Sollitt Construction Company built the stadium. Work began in late 1929, but cold weather delayed above-ground construction until April 1930. The stadium was mostly built in just six months. Over two million bricks were used, and more than 300 workers were on site daily.

The first game in the new stadium was on October 4, 1930. The Irish beat SMU 20–14. The first touchdown was scored by "Jumping Joe" Savoldi on a 98-yard kickoff return. The stadium was officially dedicated a week later against Navy. Savoldi scored three touchdowns and became a stadium hero.

Notre Dame Stadium around 2009.

Modern Stadium Updates

Duncan Student Center and O'Neill Hall, part of the Campus Crossroads addition.

The first game shown on TV from the stadium was on November 8, 1952. Notre Dame won against Oklahoma 27–21. The record for attendance before the big renovation was 60,128 fans in 1956. In 1979, the stadium's 50th anniversary was celebrated during the Navy game. The stadium was even featured in the movie Rudy in 1993.

From 1994 to 1997, the stadium was renovated and expanded. This $53 million project increased seating to 80,795 and added permanent lights. The renovation included building an upper deck, adding over 20,000 seats. The press box was also made bigger, and locker rooms were doubled in size. Two new scoreboards and a new field drainage system were installed. This made the stadium the 8th largest in college football at the time. The updated stadium was dedicated on September 6, 1997, with a 17–13 win against Georgia Tech.

Knute Rockne statue

In October 2009, a statue of Knute Rockne was placed near the stadium's north gate.

On January 29, 2014, the university announced plans for the Campus Crossroads Project. This $400 million expansion added three new buildings to the stadium. It took 33 months to complete. After this project, the stadium's official seating capacity became 77,622. A large video screen, called a Jumbotron, was also added in the south end zone.

The project was finished in January 2018. The first game in the newly renovated stadium was on September 2, 2017. The Irish beat the Temple Owls 49–16. On December 20, 2024, Notre Dame hosted its first College Football Playoff game on campus. They defeated Indiana 27-17.

Stadium Traditions

Notre Dame Stadium is known for its special traditions. One famous feature is a yellow sign with blue letters that says "Play Like A Champion Today." It's in a stairwell that leads from the home team locker room to the field.

This sign dates back to 1986. Coach Lou Holtz found an old photo with the sign and had a new one painted. Today, players touch the sign as they run out onto the field. Above the sign, you can see a list of Notre Dame's eleven national championships.

For 39 seasons, from 1982 to 2020, Michael Collins was the stadium's Public Address Announcer. He was known for saying "Here Come the Irish!" as the team ran out. This phrase is now used by many fans and announcers.

Another popular tradition involves traffic safety messages. These are given by Indiana State Police Sgt. Tim McCarthy at the end of the third quarter. He started these messages in the 1960s. To make them more fun, he added humorous driving puns. Fans loved these jokes, like "The trip home will be heavenly … if you drive like an angel." McCarthy delivered these messages for 55 years until 2015. Recordings of his messages are still played today.

Stadium Design and Features

Seating and Look

When first built, the stadium had 54,000 seats. It could hold up to 61,000 with extra temporary seats. By 1966, the capacity grew to 59,075 by making each seat a little narrower. In 1997, 21,000 new seats were added, bringing the total to 80,795. After the 2014-2017 Campus Crossroads renovation, the seating was reduced to 77,622.

The stadium has never allowed advertising or company signs. Its decorations are simple and traditional. Notre Dame wanted to keep the stadium looking like it did when Rockne built it in the 1930s.

The Playing Field

Aerial view of the stadium in 2005, before the Campus Crossroads expansion.

The playing surface was always natural grass until 2013. On April 12, 2014, it was announced that the field would be replaced with artificial turf. The athletic director said it was hard to keep the grass in good condition. The new turf also allows the stadium to be used for practices and other events. In 2013, the grass had to be replaced four times. The artificial turf was installed in May 2014. The university even sold sections of the old grass field to the public.

The field's design is simple and traditional, much like it was in 1930. Unlike most stadiums, the end zones don't have the school or team name. Each end zone has nine diagonal white lines, making 18 lines in total. These lines are at a 42-degree angle and point towards the Golden Dome. Together, they represent the year 1842, when the university was founded. This design was added with the new turf in 2014. The 2014 renovation also added the "ND" monogram at midfield and small green shamrocks at the 35-yard lines.

Stadium Lighting

Before the 1997 expansion, Notre Dame Stadium did not have permanent lights. In 1982, temporary lights were used for the first night game. Permanent lights were installed as part of the 1997 expansion. NBC Sports, which broadcasts Notre Dame home games, paid for these lights. They were mainly added to make sure there was enough light for afternoon games in November. The stadium hosted its first night game in 21 years on October 22, 2011, against USC. In 2015, new LED lighting was installed as part of the Campus Crossroads project.

Touchdown Jesus Mural

The Word of Life mural, known as Touchdown Jesus, is visible from inside the stadium.

The stadium is famous for the view of "Touchdown Jesus" to the north. This is a nickname for a large mural called The Word of Life. It was created by Millard Sheets and shows the resurrected Jesus. The mosaic mural was put on the Hesburgh Library in 1964. It stands tall over the stadium. People call it "Touchdown Jesus" because Jesus's arms are raised, like a referee signaling a touchdown. The stadium expansion in the late 1990s partly blocked the view of the mural from the field.

Campus Crossroads Project

In January 2014, the university announced the Campus Crossroads project. This was a $400 million upgrade to the stadium. It added three 8-story buildings to the west, south, and east sides of the stadium. These buildings added over 750,000 square feet of space for learning, research, and performances. They also included new premium seats in the stadium. The three buildings are the Duncan Student Center, O'Neill Hall, and Corbett Family Hall. The project was finished in January 2018.

Duncan Student Center

The Duncan Student Center is a place for students. It has a gym, a climbing wall, meeting rooms, dining options, and offices for student clubs. It also houses the career center. Duncan is a very large building, over 400,000 square feet, on the west side of the stadium.

The upper floors have special seating and event spaces overlooking the stadium. The Dahnke Ballroom is a large event area with windows facing the field. The fifth floor has the Meruelo Family Career Center, which helps students with their job searches.

The third and fourth floors have the Tripp and Sheila Smith Center for Recreational Sports. This is an 80,000-square-foot gym for students. It includes a basketball court, a large area for weights and cardio, and studios for yoga and dance. There's also a 260-meter indoor running track and a four-story rock-climbing wall. The second floor has a student media center with newsrooms and radio studios. The first floor has lounges, study spaces, and dining options like the Hagerty Family Café.

The Duncan Student Center also features cool artwork. One piece, called Edifice, is a reproduction of the campus's Main Building. It's made of 4,100 small pewter heads of students and staff. Another artwork, Prevalence: Sacred Traces, celebrates diversity with a mural inspired by stained-glass windows.

O'Neill Hall

O'Neill Hall is home to the Department of Music and Sacred Music. It has a 174-seat performance hall, a music library, classrooms, and practice rooms. It also includes stadium-related spaces and a club lounge. O'Neill Hall is built around the Frank Leahy Gate, which is the main entrance to the stadium.

The seventh floor supports the new large scoreboard outside. This scoreboard is 54.1 feet high and 95.5 feet wide. It has more pixels than any other NCAA outdoor arena. The fifth and sixth floors are for the Sacred Music Program. The fourth floor has Foley's, a fancy sports bar and restaurant. It's decorated with old Notre Dame items. The third floor has rehearsal halls and classrooms. The first and second floors house the Frank Leahy Gate and performance halls.

Corbett Family Hall

Corbett Family Hall houses the Departments of Anthropology and Psychology. It also has the Rex and Alice A. Martin Media Center. This center includes a large studio and teaching spaces for film, television, and theater. It also has stadium and sports-related areas, including the press box. Corbett is a 280,000-square-foot building on the east side of the stadium.

The first floor has the Martin Digital Media Center and Notre Dame Studios. These are production facilities for live and recorded events. They are used for student classes and for stadium media on game days. The second floor houses the Department of Anthropology with labs and offices. The third, fourth, and fifth floors are for the Department of Psychology with many research labs and classrooms. The seventh floor has the Downes Club, a large event space. The ninth floor houses the press boxes for media.

Attendance Records

A view from the east side of the Notre Dame Stadium showing (from left to right) the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the Golden Dome atop the Administration Building and the Hesburgh Library with the mural of Touchdown Jesus.

Before 1966, attendance was counted by how many people actually entered the gates. The largest crowd before the expansion was 61,296 in 1962. Since 1966, attendance has been based on tickets sold.

Tickets for Notre Dame football have been very hard to get since Coach Ara Parseghian arrived in 1964. As of the end of the 2015 season, there had been 249 games in a row that were completely sold out at Notre Dame Stadium. Only one game since 1964 was not sold out.

The official capacity was 80,225 after the first expansion. Later, it was adjusted to 80,012 and then 80,232. After some temporary bleachers were added back, it reached 80,795 in 2001. The Campus Crossroads project in 2014 aimed to increase capacity, but after wider seats were installed, the number decreased to 77,622, which is the current capacity.

Other Events at the Stadium

Concerts

The stadium did not host a music concert until 2018. Garth Brooks was the first artist to perform there.

Date	Artist	Opening act(s)	Tour / Concert name	Attendance	Revenue	Notes
October 20, 2018	Garth Brooks	N/A	Garth: Live at Notre Dame	84,000	N/A	First concert at the stadium
May 7, 2022	Garth Brooks	Mitch Rossell	The Garth Brooks Stadium Tour	80,000	N/A
June 25, 2022	Billy Joel	Andrew McMahon In the Wilderness	Billy Joel in Concert	45,000	N/A

Ice Hockey Games

The 2019 NHL Winter Classic at Notre Dame Stadium.

The stadium hosted the 2019 NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day. The Chicago Blackhawks played against the Boston Bruins. Four days later, rivals Michigan and Notre Dame played hockey on the same ice.