Notre Dame Game Weekend Runs From Dome To Drums
Each landmark and song tells fans where to go, when to gather, and how to join in.
A Notre Dame football weekend does not start at kickoff. It starts on foot, moving between landmarks that each tell fans where to go and how to belong.
The walk can begin at the Main Building, topped by the gold-covered Golden Dome, a famed symbol of college sports and the university's defining image.
Nearby stands the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, known for Gothic architecture and stained-glass windows, and beyond it the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a stone prayer site modeled after the shrine in France.
Lit by candles, the Grotto draws visitors year-round for quiet reflection, and it is described as memorable even for visitors who are not Catholic.
From there, fans head to Hesburgh Library to see the mural nicknamed Touchdown Jesus, which shows Christ with arms raised like a referee signaling a touchdown and overlooks the stadium.
After dark on home-game Fridays, the ritual turns loud. Following the Basilica midnight bells, the drummers assemble outside the Main Building for the Midnight Drummers Circle, a rousing start to game day.
On Saturday, fans are urged to arrive early. They can stop for photos, stop by the bookstore for gear including the season's official Shirt, and check the official listings to see when the team arrives and watch for the Irish Guard, a well-known piece of the school's game-day spectacle.
Inside the stadium, the band cues the rest. The Victory March, one of college football's most recognizable fight songs, gives thousands of people dressed in blue and gold the same chorus to sing.
Questions people ask
Is the Golden Dome made of real gold?
Yes. The dome atop the Main Building is covered in a thin layer of gold leaf, not solid gold. It has been regilded several times over its long history to keep its shine.
What is The Shirt sold at the bookstore?
The Shirt is a student-designed T-shirt released each year and sold through the campus bookstore. A new color and design are unveiled annually, and proceeds support student organizations and financial aid.
What are the words to the Victory March chorus?
The chorus begins, Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame, wake up the echoes cheering her name. Fans are encouraged to learn it before game day because it is sung together inside the stadium with the band.