It is now a mere handful of hours until Notre Dame kicks off the first 12 team Playoff. The city of South Bend, and the University that rests within it, will be the epicenter of the College Football world come 8 PM ET.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
The long, dark winter looms in the black shadows. The frigid grip that clenches its fists from Lake Michigan have ever so aggressively begun to throw its early punches. Featuring snow, wind, and temperatures plummeting as low as 8 degrees already- Mother nature shows no mercy for the city of South Bend. And for its residents, this is nothing new.
A stark contrast from the 66 degree temperatures that were enjoyed by Northern Illinois as they made their inaugural visit to South Bend in week 1, it is expected to be below the freezing point come kick off on December 20th, with potential for snow in the forecast. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, indeed.
ND vs IU is the most expensive ticket in the country, with the cheapest ticket prices still well above other playoff games. Regardless of the outcome, the bracket begins in “The Crossroads of America”. The price to get in is extraordinary, but the stakes at hand are even bigger than that. There is no way to overstate the significance of what will happen within College Football’s Cathedral.
As that fateful hour draws near, there’s been much discussion about Notre Dame and its fans. For the better part of two decades, its fanbase has been described as a “Wine and Cheese” crowd. Capable of limited noise, it has offered a perceived lukewarm home field advantage thru enough time for it to gain its less than stellar reputation. As all eyes pierce their gaze onto the Irish, so will they be fixed on its much Maligned fanbase.
The question at hand - will Notre Dame’s fans answer the call? It’s a nagging question that has been floating around for weeks now, and if we’re honest with ourselves, it’s been a question for much longer than that. Even one of its favorite alums, Aaron Taylor challenged the fanbase, “Here’s my gripe with the Irish fans. They’re just not loud. It’s not loud in that stadium.”
It would be disingenuous to pull up various clips from the Holtz era and point to that as evidence to contradict the premise raised by Taylor. Yes, Notre Dame was one of the hardest places to play in the country just 30 years ago. And of course, we’d be remiss to not mention that it’s one of the only stadiums that got flagged for excessive noise when Michigan’s offense was driving the ball in 1988. But that, of course, was a different time.
I have been to almost exactly 50 games at Notre Dame stadium from 2006-present. I’ll never forget the first time I walked the campus with my Grandpa. The day he told me he got tickets for Notre Dame vs North Carolina in 2006 can’t be described as anything other than a dream that I wish I could constantly relive. My Grandpa was my best friend, and a second father. As I turned 11, he began to know the time for my first game was here.
We walked into the stadium, and as we made that walk towards our seats, I turned over to my left and saw tears streaming down his cheek. I asked, “Are you okay?” and he answered “Yeah, buddy, I am.” I had personally never been better.
Seeing that field for the first time is unquantifiable in its significance. The energy was so palpable that I could feel something in me was forever changed moving forward. By the way, Notre Dame won 45-26. But if I’m honest, I was just happy to be there.
My second game was in 2007 with my Dad. I learned how to properly shake another man’s hand that day while we were at the tailgate. It’s served me well as I continue my career in sales, and was one of those days I look back on with a great deal of reverence, fondness. But let’s just say the game didn’t go as well as my first visit. Notre Dame lost to USC in embarrassing fashion, 38-0. My Dad even took a video of my reaction on his blackberry. I had very few words to describe the despair. And that would be the last time I’d ever be in Notre Dame stadium, until…
My Grandpa got season tickets as Brian Kelly got hired on as Notre Dame’s new head coach for the 2010 season. From there, I’ve had the privilege and displeasure of seeing both the good and the bad, in ways that only Notre Dame football can provide.
I was there for Brian Kelly’s first game. I can still see Armando Allen running the ball. The visions of Dayne Crist throwing to Michael Floyd. I can recall Purdue’s quarterback, Robert Marve, diving into the endzone untouched as if the game was played 30 minutes ago. The weather was perfect. The energy was rejuvenated. Hope was renewed.
There was an elderly Purdue fan sitting behind me and my Grandpa. He had the unmitigated gall to tell us to “sit down for the love of God! I can’t see anything!” My Grandpa, sharply turned back, “Hey if you wanna watch it on TV, go back to Lafayette buddy!” He turned to me thereafter, shrugging his shoulders with confusion and said something to the effect of “Why come to a game just to be miserable? I’ll never understand old people.”
Fast forward towards the end of the year, Tommy Rees threw the inexplicable interception in our endzone, where Notre Dame would completely choke the game away and ultimately lose to Tulsa. The winning field goal was there for the taking, but the already embattled Brian Kelly, was set on going for 6.
Then, just 6 days later, the Irish would host Utah. Utah was ranked 4th in the country before they dropped a game the week prior to TCU. They lost in embarrassing fashion to the Horned Frogs, 47-7. Yet still, Utah would be ranked as they came to South Bend. This was significant as Notre Dame hadn’t beaten a ranked team since 2006. The weather was about as unfavorable as it could get. Cold, dreary, rainy, and windy. It was beautiful.
And by the way, it was loud.
Having the privilege of going to the amount of games I have, I’ve experienced a lot of loud moments in the stadium. Here are the ones that stand out, and could rival any of the loudest environments across the country:
2010 vs Utah
A sustained buzz was in the stadium for the entirety of the game. The horrible weather conditions, coupled with Notre Dame’s average record (4-5) enabled the tickets to be cheaper than normal. The fans that showed up were there for two reasons- to make noise, and to see an Irish win.
2012 Michigan (The Manti Teo leigh game)
This was one of the more sustained displays of rabid, passionate noise Notre Dame Stadium had enjoyed throughout the Brian Kelly era. It was a homage to Manti Teo and the personal losses he and his family had recently endured. The weather was far from favorable, but the fans would not be deterred. Neither would the Irish. It was a special energy that spring boarded the Irish to a generational run towards a Title game appearance.
2012 Stanford (The “stand”)
Again, the weather was horrible. Rainy, cold, and windy. It was defensive slugfest that found the Irish clawing its way to overtime against a quality Stanford team. When the goal line stand occurred, it was bedlam. The people in front of us were standing in shock (We sat with these people for the better part of 9 years- they’re still there in those seats to this day). High fives all around. My Grandpa cried, I cried, everyone cried. And when the call went under review, it was silent. The crowd pop that followed after the officiating crew upheld the call, it was deafening. High fives all around. Tears again.
2012 Pittsburgh
Another day of bad weather, another defensive slugfest. It must be 2012 in Notre Dame Stadium. There wasn’t much of this game that had redeemable qualities until the 4th quarter. The fans were almost shell shocked at how bad the Irish looked for much of regulation. Pittsburgh was leading Notre Dame 20-6 at the beginning of the 4th quarter. This was one of those games you simply wanted to end. It was quiet, somber.
That all changed when Everett Golson danced around in the pocket to find some semblance of an answer. He stood behind the offensive line for what felt like minutes. Finally, he fired a missile to Davaris Daniels who was 1 on 1 with a Pittsburgh defender. All 80,000 went from sad, to psychotic. It never got quiet again as ND won in miraculous fashion in overtime.
2014 vs Michigan
It was one of those nights where everything went right. ND was clicking, and not one moment of the game was it in doubt. The fact Michigan had the short end of the stick made it all the more poetic. The weather was beautiful for a change.
2014 vs Stanford (Ben Koyack’s game winning touchdown catch on 4th and 11).
Another one of those Stanford slugfests. It was a brutal watch and admittedly, it wasn’t a game where Notre Dame fans were at their loudest. It was just one of those days where there was very little to cheer for. Until Everett Golson threw a prayer to Ben Koyack on 4th and 11 for a game winning touchdown. If you watch the clip, the stadium was so loud that it temporarily cut NBC’s mic.
2015 vs USC
USC drove the ball on their opening drive and scored. All it took was a bomb thrown by DeShone Kizer to Will Fuller and the Trojan momentum had evaporated. If Notre Dame Stadium had a roof, it would’ve been blown clear off.
2017 vs USC
Notre Dame was rolling as they rebounded from a historically bad season. And the party wouldn’t stop on this night. The energy was aggressively fun. It was a night to remember in South Bend as it’s team gave them plenty of reasons to scream with pure joy.
2018 vs Michigan
What better way to open the season than against Michigan? It was a game that was firmly in control from start to finish. When Chris Finke mossed Michigan’s secondary for a Touchdown, the place erupted. It was bliss.
2023 vs Ohio State
From start to finish, this was about as loud as it gets. The result was obviously less than ideal for the Irish. There were many moments where the crowd had reason to erupt. Namely, the 4th down stop Notre Dame had in the 4th quarter, brought deafening noise. Notre Dame’s fans also held the line and refused to allow yet another “red wave” like they had in the past (Nebraska, Louisville, Georgia). It was a phenomenal showing from a rejuvenated fanbase.
2023 vs USC
Even though all post season hopes were dashed, the Irish faithful showed up and made a nightmare for Caleb Williams and Trojans even worse. Not one time did the fans become content, or quiet. It was a fanbase that showed an ability to be engaged from beginning to end.
There’s a common thread of these games aside from one (2023 vs OSU). Notre Dame won. The respective teams and their performances were worthy of adulation and enthusiasm.
The games listed were also significant for various reasons. Either it was a marquee opponent, rival, or a team that had a lot to play for - like a post season appearance, Title run. The reality is Notre Dame fans haven’t had the privilege of enjoying games with said implications with any type of regularity over the last decade plus.
A fair conclusion that can be drawn from this article is that not every game is a big one when it’s played in Notre Dame Stadium - that’s obvious. But every time there is a big game being played in Notre Dame Stadium, its fans have answered the call.
Notre Dame Stadium, and it’s campus, have a quality that few places on planet Earth possess so abundantly. When you’re walking within it, you not only feel the moment, but the moments that came before it. It’s a collection of fans and their spirit past and present. It captures all the memories and never lets go.
As Athletic Director, Pete Buvaqua stated, “Notre Dame’s doesn’t get to experience a lot of firsts.”
While the team intros will remain neutral for both IU and ND, and controlled by the CFP, the rest of the audio visuals will be handled as a normal home game. Although there’s nothing that feels normal about this.
The night is sure to be a culmination of all things tradition as much as it will be a collision of the new generation of rabid Notre Dame fans.
This night isn’t just about the 4 hours that will happen when the game is played. It will be about the moments that have passed us. The fans we wish could be with us, but can’t. The spirit of Notre Dame is derived from these moments, it is born from the people who shared said moments with us.
For all the discourse on crowd noise, one thing has been made clear - Notre Dame fans get up for the big ones. Its spirit comes alive as the moment draws near. And while we’ve witnessed some big ones played within College Football’s Cathedral, it doesn’t get any bigger than this.
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