Notre Dame came very close to the elusive natty trophy in the 2024 season only to see it slip away from their grasp. They lost their only game in their stadium against NIU in a thriller by 16-14 that could have gone either way. Still, Marcus Freeman and the Irish took it as a warning sign and fixed their roof before it leaked. The rest of the season not only saw them winning all the games prior to their loss but also saw the Notre Dame Fighting Irish stadium becoming an impenetrable fortress.
But what was the secret sauce behind their redemption at home? What actually produced those results that enabled Notre Dame to build on to their championship run? Well, it was definitely the coaches and the players. But their home atmosphere also played its part to such an extent that many underestimate its effect. Here’s how.
Notre Dame sold out its stadium in every game it played. The average attendance for their home games was 77,622, filling it to the brim in every game. Notre Dame fans will still remember the atmosphere that the FSU game had in the floodlights as the stadium looked like it was painted green. No wonder FSU was utterly dismantled by the Irish 52-3 as Riley Leonard and Jeremiah Love ran riot on the field. But do you know there’s news that will make Notre Dame supporters beam with pride?
Well, according to the latest reports, Notre Dame Stadium currently ranks second in terms of money spent on construction. The ‘House that Rockne Built’ has hosted a crowd of 77,662 strong since 2017 and cost almost $527.4 Million. That is only behind the Kyle Field Stadium of Texas A&M which took almost $650.4 Million in its total cost. But which one is most intimidating? Well, you know that answer right? However, you don’t know something else…
