Notre Dame Stadium
Notre Dame Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana, the home field of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.
Address
2010 Moose Krause Circle
732 ft (223 m)
University of Notre Dame
77,622 (2017–present)[1]
Former
-
- 54,000 (1930–1965)
- 59,075 (1966–1996)
- 80,225 (1997)
- 80,012 (1998–1999)
- 80,232 (2000)
- 80,795 (2001–2016)
Natural grass (1930–2013)
Artificial turf (2014–present)
1929
October 4, 1930
1994-1997, 2014-2017
$750,000
Sollitt Construction Company
It was built in 1930 under the guidance of Knute Rockne, regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history, which gave rise to the stadium's nickname "The House that Rockne Built". Prior to the stadium's construction, the Fighting Irish played in Cartier Field. The stadium seating capacity was nearly 60,000 for decades, until a major renovation between 1994 and 1997 added an upper bowl and more than 20,000 additional seats, which increased the capacity to over 80,000. In 2014, the Campus Crossroads renovation decreased the seats to 77,622. The stadium has sold out regularly for home games since 1964.
It is one of the oldest, most recognizable and iconic venues in college football. It is also famous for its view of the Touchdown Jesus mural. The playing surface was changed to artificial turf in 2014, after 84 seasons on natural grass. The playing field has a conventional north–south alignment at an approximate elevation of 732 feet (223 m) above sea level.[2]
In 2014, the $400 million Campus Crossroads expansion renovated the structure and added three buildings onto the stadium: the Duncan Student Center, which hosts student recreational and dining facilities, O'Neill Hall, which houses the university's music department, and Corbett Family Hall, which hosts the psychology and anthropology departments. In addition, the three buildings house premium stadium seating, press boxes, and event spaces.
The stadium also hosts the university's commencement, and has also been the venue for a concert, the 2019 NHL Winter Classic, and hockey, soccer, and rugby matches.
History[edit]
Construction[edit]
The stadium was built in 1930 to replace the outdated Cartier Field. The construction of the stadium project was brought to a head by the actions of Rockne. The 1928 season had not been a stellar one at 5–4, but the net profits for that football 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. He could not believe that a decision could not be made when there was such a large amount of money in the bank. Because of this and a number of other issues, Rockne submitted his resignation to Father Charles O’Donnell, the president of the university. O’Donnell knew of Rockne's history of submitting his resignations and he also suspected that nothing would fully satisfy Rockne.
Other events[edit]
Concerts[edit]
The stadium had never hosted a music concert until 2018, with Garth Brooks being the first artist to hold a concert to be held at the stadium.