The Ultimate Game Day Guide: Experience Notre Dame Football Like a True Fan

Cheer, cheer for Notre Dame! With the most Heisman Trophy-winning players and 11 claimed National Championships, the Fighting Irish have set an impressive legacy only rivaled by fans’ time-honored, local traditions in Notre Dame, Indiana and neighboring South Bend. With your Notre Dame Fighting Irish tickets or Notre Dame Stadium tickets in-hand, prepare to embrace the rich fan experience on Notre Dame football game days with some must-know traditions and tailgating tips.

Notre Dame Pre-Game Traditions

Pre-game activities at Notre Dame actually begin a day early as Fighting Irish fans first gather for Football Fridays at the Eck Visitors Center. Featuring free interactive activities, performances, meet-and-greets and more, Football Fridays runs from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and includes a brief preview of the Band of Fighting Irish’s Trumpets at the Dome performance at 4:00 p.m. on the Main Quad. Much later, the Notre Dame Drumline returns to the Main Building for the Midnight Drummers’ Circle, which lasts from midnight to 12:30 a.m. on the day of the game.

Take advantage of the hours in-between by touring some of the campus’ highlights including the Main Building and its iconic 23-karat Golden Dome dazzling the end of the Main Quad. Elsewhere on the Main Quad, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart is quite literally an unmissable sight with its 230-foot-high bell tower that stands as the tallest university chapel in the United States. Notre Dame also offers unique attractions like the cave-like Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and architecturally beautiful Hesburgh Library. Tour the latter to see popular Notre Dame football staples like the Word of Life mural, known as “Touchdown Jesus” for its visibility above the Notre Dame Stadium endzone, and bronze Moses statue, called “First Down Moses” for the figure’s gesture coincidentally signaling a first down.

Fans can also enjoy many of the pregame activities from the on-campus Morris Inn, which along with weekend hotel reservations, offers dining at Rohr’s or drinks and a view on the Wind Family Fireside Terrace. However, the closest you can get to the action on Fridays is through the North Tunnel Experience. For $20 per person, fans can walk through the North Tunnel entrance of Notre Dame Stadium with limited field access and photo opportunities. Self-guided tour are open for bookings between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

At home, Notre Dame football game days begin with the Player Walk from Guglielmino Athletics Complex to Notre Dame Stadium about two hours and 15 minutes before kickoff. Players and fans meet directly while the team is guided at different times by the Band of Fighting Irish, the Notre Dame Bagpipe Band, the Glee Club and more.

Next, the Band of Fighting Irish unleashes another beloved tradition, Trumpets at the Dome, in which the trumpet section performs on multiple levels inside the Main Building under the Golden Dome. The gameday Trumpets at the Dome performance begins two hours ahead of kickoff. From there, fans can follow the marching band through the subsequent Concert on the Steps at Bond Hall, Drummer’s Circle and Step-Off from The Dome on the way to the pregame show inside Notre Dame Stadium.

Tailgating Tips

Tailgating on campus for a Notre Dame Fighting Irish game day requires a parking pass from one of the reserved or paid lots. Closest to Notre Dame Stadium, reserved lots include the Joyce Lot, North Lot and Stadium Lot. Guests can also claim a paid parking spot in the Blue Lot, Burke North Lot and Burke South Lot with costs ranging from $40 to $50 and complimentary shuttle service available. Premium tailgate packages at Notre Dame Stadium are offered via Gameday Your Way. All lots open at 8:00 a.m. on game day, though fans are encouraged to queue up as early as an hour beforehand.

Along with tailgating essentials like comfortable seating, sunscreen and team swag, Notre Dame football fans should make sure to bring their favorite version of The Shirt. Each year, fans vote for a custom-designed Notre Dame t-shirt to proudly wear on game days. If you’re a tailgate guest, fit the Fighting Irish theme with a shareable dish like corned beef sandwiches or Irish stew.

Inside Notre Dame Stadium

Here comes the Irish! Before entering The House that Rockne Built, review the rules and policies for entry to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football stadium, and don’t press your luck by missing out on the most important in-game traditions.

Student Section

In Notre Dame Stadium’s northwest corner, the student section sets the standard for school spirit for each home football game. Typical in-game antics include leading cheers and completing push-ups for each point scored. Fans in the student section usually stand for the entire game and remain standing until the team has left the field.

The Band of Fighting Irish

Watch history every time Notre Dame’s marching band takes the field; formed in 1846, the Band of Fighting Irish became the first university band in the United States. With over 500 student members, the band is synonymous with Notre Dame football game days thanks to the Trumpets at the Dome and Notre Dame Stadium pregame shows as well as in-game performances of the “Notre Dame Victory March,” “Hike, Notre Dame” and “Celtic Chant.”

The Leprechaun

Aside from The Leprechaun’s main role as the face of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the mascot appears all around game day. Starting at the Midnight Drummers Circle, The Leprechaun typically pops up again at the Player Walk, Step-Off Parade and various tailgates. During games, The Leprachaun can be seen leading cheers or waving a flag while running down the sideline after touchdowns.

Play Like a Champion Today

Before taking the field, each Notre Dame football player touches a sign hanging outside the home locker room that reads “Play Like a Champion Today.” Commissioned in 1986 by then- head coach Lou Holtz, the sign has become a good luck charm for the Fighting Irish players.

“1812 Overture”

The “1812 Overture” was first played at Notre Dame Stadium during the ’70s but has since become a fixture during the break between the third and fourth quarters. On top of the marching band’s performance, students added their own flair with arm motions mimicking the drum major’s gestures.

Alma Mater Performance

Whether it’s win or lose, “proudly in the heavens gleams thy Gold and Blue.” At the end of each home game, Fighting Irish fans and players join together to sing Notre Dame’s alma mater, “Notre Dame, Our Mother.”

Victory Clog

With a home win, the Fighting Irish game day experience gets even sweeter with a closing performance by the Irish Guard. The traditional dance is accompanied by the song “Damsha Bua,” which also plays after every Notre Dame touchdown.

Keep the Party Going After the Game

The celebration doesn’t travel far from Notre Dame Stadium with one of the most popular meeting spots, Legends of Notre Dame, located on-campus. Nearby, fans typically gather at Taphouse on the Edge, named for its location “on the edge” of campus, O’Rourke’s Public House, Brothers Bar & Grill or Linebacker Lounge, which itself was founded by former Notre Dame linebacker Mo Pottios. Deeper into South Bend, fans will feel at home in Corby’s Irish Pub, which was famously used for bar scenes in the 1993 sports movie Rudy, as well as Fiddler’s Hearth and CJ’s Pub.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Game Day Schedule

Catch every moment of a Fighting Irish game day by checking out Notre Dame’s regular season football schedule.