The annual “Irish Wear Green” game led Notre Dame to a three-game winning streak as Irish defeated the visiting Louisville Cardinals 31-24. Home fans were asked to wear green, turning Notre Dame Stadium into a green-out.
The football team returned the gesture by wearing their popular green, alternate jerseys for the first time this season. The last time the team took the field in their green jerseys was on Sept. 23, 2023, in the game against Ohio State at Notre Dame Stadium.
“I was totally expecting to be wearing green on green, so it was a cool surprise to see we were going to be green on white,” sophomore tight end Henry Garrity said.
Green pom-poms were distributed to students and fans throughout the stadium cheered while wearing their Irish green.
“I loved the idea of the green out,” Garrity said. “It looked really cool from down on the field. I thought it was the best [Notre Dame Stadium] has been this season.”
And the visitors certainly thought so too. Crowd noise was a major factor on Saturday. With less than two minutes left, the Cardinals offense took a delay of game penalty before a crucial 4th and 1.
“I’ll give the crowd the credit,” Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm said in a press conference after the game. “It got loud, and they couldn’t hear the call in from me.”
The support of the Notre Dame faithful was also present at other gameday events, starting at midnight with the Notre Dame drumline performance. Hundreds of people gathered on and around the front steps of the Main Building to kick off gameday.
“With downbeat at midnight, it’s the first event of each Notre Dame football Saturday,” Mike Fremeau ‘06 said. “The drumline has a saying, ‘Victory Begins at Midnight.’”
Fremeau played bells and tenor drums when he was a student. At that time, the midnight performance only happened a few times per season. Now, the event is one of the most popular gameday traditions.
“To see the production grow to what it is now, and to see it officially part of the gameday event guide is pretty remarkable considering how it started,” Fremeau said.
The festivities continued later on Saturday with another musical performance. Each home football weekend, the Notre Dame Glee Club puts on “ND in Revue” on Library Lawn three hours before kickoff.
“We sing in front of Touchdown Jesus, and typically anywhere from 100 to 1,000 people show up,” glee club member and freshman Tim Browdy said.
Saturday’s draw was on the larger side, with green crowds stretching back towards the stadium on one end and circling the Word of Life mural’s reflecting pool on the other.
“We just perform a pretty casual set with some of the Glee Club’s classic songs,” Browdy said. “Of course, we end with the Alma Mater and the Victory March.”
Immediately after the Victory March concluded, the crowd already assembled on Library Lawn lined the sidewalk to cheer on the football team as they walked into the stadium.
“The walk is one of my favorite parts of gameday,” Garrity said. “To me, it gives me time to reflect and really appreciate the situation I am in.”
After the team walked into the stadium, the crowd dispersed. Many green-clad fans headed off to tailgate and enjoy the gameday atmosphere.
“It’s cool to see how many people come together to watch our team play,” Garrity said. “I feel like we are truly connected to our fans.”
