Sights And Sounds: Notre Dame Campus On A Football Friday

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Ohio State and Notre Dame will kick off the biggest game of the college football season Saturday night in South Bend, but Friday was also quite the scene. Buckeye Huddle was on hand and all over campus, capturing the sights and sounds for a football Friday at Notre Dame.

“Touchdown Jesus” is a fixture on the broadcasts of Notre Dame football games, and has been since the mural was first installed in 1964. Officially named “The Word Of Life” the mural is on the south side of the Hesburgh Library, and faces Notre Dame Stadium.

At most college campuses, the administration building is barely worth a second glance. At Notre Dame, it’s central to the school’s identity. The golden dome at the top of the Main Building is a fixture on Notre Dame football broadcasts, and a symbol of the school and its football program.

Before every Notre Dame football game, the Fighting Irish team leaves its locker room, comes down a flight of stairs and slaps the famous “Play Like A Champion Today” sign before heading down the tunnel to the playing field at Notre Dame Stadium. Now, you can get a behind-the-scenes look at the walk down that tunnel, the sign, and the wall out to the stadium.

Fridays before home football games, the Notre Dame Marching Band trumpet section gathers around a fountain in front of the famed Golden Dome to play a selection of Fighting Irish songs.

Friday evenings before home football games, the Notre Dame Marching Band holds a public warmup in front of the Main Building on campus before marching off to its final practice before game day.

The Notre Dame Marching Band’s drum line helps kick off a big football weekend in South Bend with its Drum Circle on Friday afternoon.

Ohio State arrives in South Bend for Saturday’s game against Notre Dame

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes arrived in South Bend Friday night in advance of their massive showdown with Notre Dame. Day shared his thoughts on his team’s week of practice and the importance of the game.