Notre Dame

Location

South Bend, IN, United States

Capacity

77,622

Opened

1930

Time zone

UTC -05:00 Eastern Standard Time (EST)

Notre Dame Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in South Bend, Indiana, the home field of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. It was built in 1930 under the guidance of Knute Rockne, regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history, which gave rise to the stadium's nickname "The House that Rockne Built". Prior to the stadium's construction, the Fighting Irish played in Cartier Field. The stadium seating capacity was nearly 60,000 for decades, until a major renovation between 1994 and 1997 added an upper bowl and more than 20,000 additional seats, which increased the capacity to over 80,000. In 2014, the Campus Crossroads renovation decreased the seats to 77,622. The stadium has sold out regularly for home games since 1964. It is one of the oldest, most recognizable and iconic venues in college football. It is also famous for its view of the Touchdown Jesus mural. The playing surface was changed to artificial turf in 2014, after 84 seasons on natural grass. The playing field has a conventional north–south alignment at an approximate elevation of 732 feet (223 m) above sea level. In 2014, the $400 million Campus Crossroads expansion renovated the structure and added three buildings onto the stadium: the Duncan Student Center, which hosts student recreational and dining facilities; O'Neill Hall, which houses the university's music department; and Corbett Family Hall, which hosts the psychology and anthropology departments. In addition, the three buildings house premium stadium seating, press boxes, and event spaces. The stadium also hosts the university's commencement, and has also been the venue for a concert, the 2019 NHL Winter Classic, and hockey, soccer, and rugby matches.