For as long as I remember, my goal was to attend Notre Dame. No one in my family had attended the University and, to this day, my family is unsure where my obsession started. The most popular explanation is someone sat me down to watch Rudy when I was younger. (An explanation that I’m sure is fairly common among ND fans my age). Explanation or not, that was my goal throughout high school. My high school actually share the same uniform design as ND, the closest I’d ever get to suiting up as a ND player as not many 5’6†Italian kids were getting recruited by Notre Dame, even if Ty would have been the coach recruiting me to ND in my daydreams.
Since I stopped growing in 8th grade and realized my NFL aspirations weren’t happening, I knew the only way I was getting into Notre Dame was through my academics. So I worked my ass off in high school to make sure I got in and the day I got my acceptance letter, December 16th 2003, is easily one of the happiest days of my life. Despite my life-long dream of attending the school, I had not only never attended a Notre Dame game on campus, I had never seen the campus besides the aerial shots on NBC. Goal 1 was achieved March of my junior year of high school. 14 hours into a supposed 10 hour drive (thank you late March blizzard that kicked our car off route 80 2 separate times), we pulled onto Notre Dame Ave. at midnight. I woke up, looked out the car, saw the Dome lit up over the trees and said “I’m Good.†Needless to say, that didn’t fly with my parents and we did the typical admissions tours and meetings offered to prospective students.
Goal 2 didn’t happen until I finally arrived on campus as a Freshman in the fall of 2004. Leading up that Michigan game, I had no idea what to expect on Gameday. People tried to explain what it was like and I thought I knew what to expect, but it is fairly impossible to fully put it into words. Friday night began with me drinking the first 40 of my life (miss you 40’s at 4) which led to the upperclassman of the dorm leading us to the JACC for my first Notre Dame pep rally. For reasons beyond comprehension, Carroll’s pep rally tradition is to get to the area between the stadium and Touchdown Jesus, do a dorm chant, and sprint in & around the crowds towards the student entrance. Friday night ended with my roommate and I stumbling back across campus after a night of drinking lukewarm Natty’s.
Gameday starts way earlier than you expect at Notre Dame. In Carroll (and I’m assuming every other dorm), the room with the loudest speakers will have someone wake up at the crack of dawn and crank the Victory March waking everyone up. Everyone stumbles to the showers (it took a couple of weeks to learn the joy of Shower Beers…rookie mistake). Showers finished, the dorm drinking begins. After beers and shots and everything else, everyone scatters and heads to campus to start the festivities.
Stepping on to campus that first Saturday, seeing the thousand’s of people on South Quad tossing footballs, waiting in line for Knights of Columbus steak sandwiches (not worth the wait), playing bags and lining up to cheer the team on to their walk from the Basilica to the locker room. Still the sight of the South Quad teeming with fans is nothing compared to the first time walking out into the Joyce lots and seeing the tailgates set up. Thousands upon thousands of cars and people all having a good time drinking and grilling and laughing. (despite of the efforts of Excise to ruin the fun) Rounds of flip cup where your friend’s mom steps to the plate and dominates the table are played. Every other tailgate with a game of bags is played. Walking by those awesome tailgates that you were never invited but stared at jealously because their food spread was nicer and bigger than what was available in SDH. Rakes of Mallow, Hike Notre Dame, The Victory March, the Rudy theme song being played non-stop. Impromptu chants of “Goooooooooooooooooooo Irish, Beattttttttttttttttttt Wolverines!†everywhere.
Now, it’s game time. Walking into that stadium and spying “the most beautiful sight these eyes have seen†is something I’ll never forget. Cramming myself into the student section, trying to remember every chant and cheer taught to us during Frosh-O. Seeing the Drum Major lead the best damn band in the country onto the field to Hike Notre Dame, watching the gold helmets start appearing in the tunnel and then the team rushes onto the field to “Greatest of ALL Fight Songs†as 80,000 people sing and clap along is something that every Notre Dame fan must experience. That first game of mine was the high point of that season as we upset Michigan and unnecessarily (in retrospect) rushed the field.  Crammed onto the field, swaying to the Alma Mater, I truly felt for the first time why game day at Notre Dame is so special.
7 years later, I will be returning to campus in 2 weeks for my 4th season as an alum. My excitement for Game day had no waned, the rush I get when I step onto campus has not lessened and the feeling I get when the first notes of Notre Dame, Our Mother starts playing after an Irish victory is still one of the greatest feelings in the world.
Love thee, Notre Dame”
NOW, LET’S GO OUT THERE SATURDAY AND ENJOY WATCHING THE IRISH KICK SOUTH FLORIDA’S ASS
- Florida State 18, Notre Dame 14: A Quick Recap - December 29, 2011
- Stanford 28, Notre Dame 14: A Quick Recap - November 27, 2011
- Notre Dame 16, Boston College 14: A Quick Recap - November 21, 2011
tkirish93
I’ve been following HLS for a couple years now, and thanks to this blog and the handful of others I follow, my knowledge of ND football just about matches my passion for it. I really started paying attention to ND Clausen’s freshman year, so I’ve seen pretty much the worst of it. At any rate, I’m a freshman living in Sorin this fall, and tomorrow will be my first-ever ND football game. I can’t wait, and Poot’s post up there only got me more excited. Go Irish!
trey
Live it up, my friend. I cant comment from a student perspective because I’m a lowly Subway Alumn, but the football weekends I’ve experienced are everything and more that people say they are. Even without having the perspective of “hey, I remember when we did ____ that one year the night before the game in our hall…” it’s still a magical environment. Lou Holtz said it so poignantly, (paraphrased)”If you’ve never been a part of Notre Dame, you cant explain what Notre Dame is. If you have, no words can describe it either.”
Nate
Enjoy it. Embrace it. Love it. It goes by too quickly. Savor every minute of it. Soak it in, whether it’s an amazing win or a soul crushing loss. I had an absolutely CRAPPY run at ND when I was there (1994-98), with the best season being the one where I was overseas as an exchange student. I loved every minute–sure, I hated the losses, but I loved being a part of it all. Enjoy it. Make memories. They will be some of the best of your life.
The Biscuit
No Stats. B-.
Kidding. Great stuff!!! Can’t wait to get back to campus tomorrow.
And TKIRISH, GOD BLESS YOU YOU LUCKY SOB!!! Enjoy it – best 4 years, ever.
ShamRockNRoll
This is my second season as an alum. I just had to give a presentation to a local Rotary Club full of USC grads… My jokes about beating them last year didn’t go over that well. I’ll be going back to the USC game in October for my first game since graduation. I’m incredibly stoked. It never gets old.
Grantland-X
Great post Poot. Brings me back to, well, last year.
Go Irish! Beat Bulls!
Evan
My first time in the stadium was that Michigan game as well. I was freshman member of the band and probably only got out about three notes during the entire pre game.
Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait for football season.
Dominic
I could have written your first paragraph, while my grandpa and dad were casual ND fans I took it to another level, and nobody really knows why. I too was a 5’7 Italian kid that had no chance of playing FB at ND, so I know how that goes.
Well done, Go Irish, Beat Bulls!
Johnny Knoxville in LA
Poot is a magical person
Mark
I had a high school classmate who recently passed. His short life traveled a rough road. He had numerous brain tumors that caused severe physical ailments. When we were in Junior High, he was selected as a recipient of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. His sole, one dying wish, was to see a Notre Dame game in person. His wish was granted in our eighth grade year. My friend long outlived his doctor’s prognostications; but I can’t ever imagine him being happier than the Monday after the game.
College football is a game. It’s not life and death, this is true. However, for some it’s a life fulfilling experience. We are all fortunate to be a part of the Notre Dame family and Saturdays in South Bend. 3:30 PM on Saturday will again fill my heart with joy and this is why. Love thee, Notre Dame.
Brian, ND '84
My grandfather died of a stroke on the Monday after a attending a tremendous ND football weekend in 1970. He told my father (ND ’54) and uncle (ND ’52) “you can go to any school you want, as long as it’s Notre Dame.”
Bernie P. ND '74
PootND:
Although my first ND game experience predates yours by just a few years 😉 I deeply enjoyed reading your post. I can tell you that the feelings you describe are the same feelings I had for my first game (get ready for it tkirish 93). I can tell you that the really neat thing about it is that you can come back 36 years after your last game as an undergrad (as I did last year) and you feel like you’re home.
That’s what it’s all about. We’re all part of the Notre Dame family, and it NEVER, NEVER gets old.
I’ll be there this year for the USC game. For those of you going to the USF game, cheer your heads off and bring us home a winner. All over the world, ND alums (actual and subway) will be with you in spirit.
Go Irish!
Mark G
Thank you Poot. I needed that. A welcome shot of nostalgia on a gloomy Friday morn.
I will be there tomorrow, will raise a toast to you at our tailgate, and cheer the boys on to victory.
TubaPete
PootND
You could be writing my story except my first visit to campus was my interview in Oct. 1966.
That and being a member of what you aptly named “the best damn band in the country” kept me out of a lot of your game day traditions.
Joe Mather
Poot – been reading the site for a while, but didn’t realize you were a Carroll Hall alum! Shoot me an email – this is Joe Mather – class of 07. Hope all is well man. Go Irish!