Notre Dame Stadium
Encyclopedia
Notre Dame Stadium is the home football
stadium
for the University of Notre Dame
Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame
in Notre Dame, Indiana
, United States
, just north of the city of South Bend
.
. Total cost of construction was more than $750,000. The original seating capacity
was 54,000. Knute Rockne
played a key role in its design, keeping the space between the playing field and the stands to a minimum. The stadium is patterned, on a smaller scale, after Michigan Stadium
, the main difference being the tunnel location. In 1929 plans were started by Osborn Engineering of Cleveland, Ohio. They were selected for their experience in designing Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. The original stadium held 59,075 people, measured a half-mile in circumference, stood 45 feet high, and featured a glass-enclosed press box rising 60 feet above ground level. The building was built by the Sollitt Construction Company of South Bend. They began earth preparation in the fall of 1929, but due to an unusually cold fall and winter, above ground construction did not begin until April 2, 1930. This building was effectively built in six months. Over two million bricks were used in the construction of the walls and the concrete was placed in a monolithic continuous placement by section. There were over 300 workers on the site at most times and they worked five 10 hour days and one six hour day on saturdays. The average worker was paid one dollar a day plus lunch with the more skilled workers earning up to five dollars a day.
The construction of the stadium project was brought to a head by the actions of Knute Rockne. 1928 had not been a stellar year for the football team, however the 1928 net profits from football for that season approached $500,000. Rockne was frustrated with the slow and cautious Holy Cross Priests and their decision making process about spending money on the new stadium. Rockne could not believe that with such a large amount of money in the bank why were they waiting. Because of this and a number of other issues Rockne submitted his resignation to Father O’Donnell, the President of the University. O’Donnell knew of Rockne’s history of submitting his resignations and he also knew that nothing would ever completely satisfy Rockne.
O’Donnell was willing to find a compromise but was also unwilling to put the University in debt to finance the stadium. O’Donnell knew that the excess receipts from 1928 season and the projected receipts from playing all the away games in 1929 on neutral fields would bring adequate cash into the University to finance the construction of the Stadium. O’Donnell also devised the scheme to finance 240 six person “reserved box seats”. This precursor of the Personal Seat License would allow the buyer to purchase tickets at face value and guarantee the same prime location for 10 years for an investment of $3000 between the 45 yard lines, $2500 between the 45 and 35 yard line and $2000 between the 35 and the 25 yard line. The University raised over $150,000 on this idea alone.
The Irish played their first game in the new stadium on October 4, 1930, beating Southern Methodist University
20–14. The official dedication was on October 11 against Navy
. Over the years, its capacity was gradually increased to 59,075, mainly by changing the average seat size from 18 inches in width to 17 inches. In 1997, 21,000 new seats were added to the stadium, bringing the seating capacity
to the present 80,795. The playing surface has always been natural grass.
was used for the first night game in the stadium's history. Permanent lights were installed as part of the expansion. The lights were paid for by NBC
, which has held the exclusive television rights to all home games since 1991. The permanent lights were added primarily to ensure sufficient lighting for mid-afternoon games in November; the university's agreement with NBC stipulates that there be no home night games. However, the stadium hosted its first night game in 21 years on October 22, 2011 when the Irish hosted USC.
The stadium is known for its view of "Touchdown Jesus", a nickname given to the large mural entitled The Word of Life by Millard Sheets
of the resurrected Jesus
. Installed in 1964 on the Hesburgh Library
, the mosaicked wall looms over the stadium mirroring the raised arms of a referee signifying a touchdown
. Installed during the spring of 1964, the stadium expansion had the side effect of partially obscuring the view of the mural from the field. The Word of Life Mural was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Howard V. Phalin of Winnetka, Illinois.
. Since 1966, attendance figures have been based on paid admissions with a fixed number of tickets available, accounting for the familiar 59,075 figure through the 1996 season. Until Ara Parseghian
arrived as coach at Notre Dame in 1964, sellouts were not the norm. Since then, tickets to a Notre Dame football game have been notoriously hard to come by. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, there have been 219 consecutive sellouts at Notre Dame Stadium, and 257 sellouts in the past 258 games dating back to 1966. The lone exception was a 1973 game against Air Force
which had been moved midseason by ABC to Thanksgiving Day and was played with the students absent. The announced attendance was 57,235. Attendance at all five home games in 1965 exceeded 59,000 as well.
The official capacity was listed at 80,225 when the stadium was first expanded. A subsequent computer revision put it at 80,012. Sideline bleachers, which had been removed during expansion, were put back in after a few years, bringing the figure to its present 80,795.
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
for the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame, Indiana
Notre Dame is a census-designated place north of South Bend in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States; it includes the campuses of three colleges: the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's College, and Holy Cross College. Notre Dame is split between Clay and Portage Townships...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, just north of the city of South Bend
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
.
History
The stadium opened its gates in 1930, replacing the old stadium Cartier FieldCartier Field
Cartier Field is a stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana. It hosted the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team until they moved to Notre Dame Stadium in 1930...
. Total cost of construction was more than $750,000. The original seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
was 54,000. Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
played a key role in its design, keeping the space between the playing field and the stands to a minimum. The stadium is patterned, on a smaller scale, after Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
, the main difference being the tunnel location. In 1929 plans were started by Osborn Engineering of Cleveland, Ohio. They were selected for their experience in designing Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. The original stadium held 59,075 people, measured a half-mile in circumference, stood 45 feet high, and featured a glass-enclosed press box rising 60 feet above ground level. The building was built by the Sollitt Construction Company of South Bend. They began earth preparation in the fall of 1929, but due to an unusually cold fall and winter, above ground construction did not begin until April 2, 1930. This building was effectively built in six months. Over two million bricks were used in the construction of the walls and the concrete was placed in a monolithic continuous placement by section. There were over 300 workers on the site at most times and they worked five 10 hour days and one six hour day on saturdays. The average worker was paid one dollar a day plus lunch with the more skilled workers earning up to five dollars a day.
The construction of the stadium project was brought to a head by the actions of Knute Rockne. 1928 had not been a stellar year for the football team, however the 1928 net profits from football for that season approached $500,000. Rockne was frustrated with the slow and cautious Holy Cross Priests and their decision making process about spending money on the new stadium. Rockne could not believe that with such a large amount of money in the bank why were they waiting. Because of this and a number of other issues Rockne submitted his resignation to Father O’Donnell, the President of the University. O’Donnell knew of Rockne’s history of submitting his resignations and he also knew that nothing would ever completely satisfy Rockne.
O’Donnell was willing to find a compromise but was also unwilling to put the University in debt to finance the stadium. O’Donnell knew that the excess receipts from 1928 season and the projected receipts from playing all the away games in 1929 on neutral fields would bring adequate cash into the University to finance the construction of the Stadium. O’Donnell also devised the scheme to finance 240 six person “reserved box seats”. This precursor of the Personal Seat License would allow the buyer to purchase tickets at face value and guarantee the same prime location for 10 years for an investment of $3000 between the 45 yard lines, $2500 between the 45 and 35 yard line and $2000 between the 35 and the 25 yard line. The University raised over $150,000 on this idea alone.
The Irish played their first game in the new stadium on October 4, 1930, beating Southern Methodist University
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
20–14. The official dedication was on October 11 against Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
. Over the years, its capacity was gradually increased to 59,075, mainly by changing the average seat size from 18 inches in width to 17 inches. In 1997, 21,000 new seats were added to the stadium, bringing the seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
to the present 80,795. The playing surface has always been natural grass.
Lighting
Prior to the 1997 expansion, Notre Dame Stadium lacked permanent field lights. On September 18, 1982, portable lighting by Musco LightingMusco Lighting
Musco Lighting is an American privately owned company, based out of Oskaloosa, Iowa that is noted for providing permanent or temporary lighting at major sports events and stadiums including the Super Bowl and Olympics....
was used for the first night game in the stadium's history. Permanent lights were installed as part of the expansion. The lights were paid for by NBC
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
, which has held the exclusive television rights to all home games since 1991. The permanent lights were added primarily to ensure sufficient lighting for mid-afternoon games in November; the university's agreement with NBC stipulates that there be no home night games. However, the stadium hosted its first night game in 21 years on October 22, 2011 when the Irish hosted USC.
"Touchdown Jesus"
Millard Sheets
Millard Owen Sheets was an American painter and a representative of the California School of Painting, later a teacher and educational director, and architect of more than 50 branch banks in Southern California.-Early life:...
of the resurrected Jesus
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
. Installed in 1964 on the Hesburgh Library
Theodore Hesburgh Library
Theodore Hesburgh Library is the primary building of the library system of University of Notre Dame. The building opened on September 18, 1963, as the Memorial Library. It was named after Father Theodore Hesburgh in 1987. The library has 3.39 million volumes, the 61st largest collection among...
, the mosaicked wall looms over the stadium mirroring the raised arms of a referee signifying a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. Installed during the spring of 1964, the stadium expansion had the side effect of partially obscuring the view of the mural from the field. The Word of Life Mural was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Howard V. Phalin of Winnetka, Illinois.
Attendance
Prior to 1966, attendance figures were based on the total in the house. The largest crowd to attend a home game prior to expansion was 61,296 on October 6, 1962, against PurduePurdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
. Since 1966, attendance figures have been based on paid admissions with a fixed number of tickets available, accounting for the familiar 59,075 figure through the 1996 season. Until Ara Parseghian
Ara Parseghian
Ara Raoul Parseghian is a former American football player and coach of Armenian descent. He served as the head football coach at Miami University , Northwestern University , and the University of Notre Dame , compiling a career college football record of 170–58–6...
arrived as coach at Notre Dame in 1964, sellouts were not the norm. Since then, tickets to a Notre Dame football game have been notoriously hard to come by. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, there have been 219 consecutive sellouts at Notre Dame Stadium, and 257 sellouts in the past 258 games dating back to 1966. The lone exception was a 1973 game against Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
which had been moved midseason by ABC to Thanksgiving Day and was played with the students absent. The announced attendance was 57,235. Attendance at all five home games in 1965 exceeded 59,000 as well.
The official capacity was listed at 80,225 when the stadium was first expanded. A subsequent computer revision put it at 80,012. Sideline bleachers, which had been removed during expansion, were put back in after a few years, bringing the figure to its present 80,795.