Putting the debacle that was Notre Dame football 2007 in the past, students are excited about the possibilities this upcoming season holds, starting with tomorrow's game against San Diego State.
"I'm excited to see how this first game will play out," sophomore Octavia Ratiu said. "I don't think it's possible to do worse than last year."
For members of the senior class, who have seen Notre Dame's storied program plummet from being within seconds of the National Championship to being 3-9, this season represents a shot at redemption.
"I've experienced the highs of a BCS game and the lows of a loss to Navy," senior Dennis Rankin said. "So I'm excited to experience the highs again."
San Diego State is anticipated to be an easier opening game than Georgia Tech last season, and many students say they expect a win.
"The schedule looks good, the offense seems really improved," sophomore Matt Robinson said. "I'm excited to get back in the football stadium and see an Irish win."
Sophomore Luke Ragon said he hopes the team gained some valuable experience last year, and this weekend's game will be a chance for the student body to see the new and improved Fighting Irish.
"I think they learned a lot from last year, and there will be major improvements," Ragon said. "I'm excited to see how the team's looking."
The team will not be the only aspect of the football season that is improved, as organizers have also been revamping the pep rallies.
"At pep rallies in the past, the dorms hosting the pep rally would scream and chant, and by the time the other dorms got there, they would be kind of worn out," Hall President's Council athletic co-chair Laura Burdick said. "We knew something had to change."
Burdick said this year's rallies will feature the Dorm's Championship League, where dorms will compete against each other for prizes.
"The new pep rallies will pit dorms against each other through obstacle courses," Burdick said. "Every week there will be a different prize for the winners; this weekend, the winning dorm gets free Chipotle. Then at the big 'championship' round for the Syracuse pep rally, the winners will get a trophy.
