Notre Dame Stadium
How many stadiums in college football today can be classified as a landmark? Well, if any qualify, Notre Dame stadium will be at the top of the list. Notre Dame stadium has been the home of Fighting Irish football for over 70 years. The season opener against Texas A&M in 2000 marked the 350th game played in the stadium. The stadium was erected after Knute Rockne brought fame and spirit to the already successful program. The stadium was patterned after the mammoth stadium at the University of Michigan. Total cost for the project surpassed $750,000 for the stadium that could hold 59,075 fans.
Notre Dame Stadium Renovations
In 1997, a Notre Dame Stadium renovation project was completed. The seating capacity of the stadium went from 59,075 to 80,232. A new natural grass surface and drainage system was installed. New scoreboards adorned the north and south ends of the stadium. The home and visitor locker rooms doubled in size. Eleven new openings were cut into the stadium to raise the total entrances into the stadium to 31. Over half of the seating brackets were sand-blasted and repainted. In addition to the inner stadium improvements, the outer areas were re-landscaped to create a park-like setting. Now, not only is Notre Dame stadium one of the oldest college facilities, it’s also one of the most up-to-date as well.

