Notre Dame unveils stadium renovations

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Notre Dame gives a preview of the stadium renovations that were three years in the making.

This is the largest construction project in the 175-year history of the university.

Construction workers are putting finishing touches on the Fighting Irish Stadium that has now transformed into so much more.

“This is a place that occupies too precious of a square footage area of our campus, region of our campus to not go, really activate it 365, and so the bringing together of student life and academic missions intersected with athletics and hospitality just made complete sense for us,” said Doug Marsh, Vice President for Facilities, Design, and Operations.

Three new art-deco inspired academic and student life buildings, a state-of-the-art media center, and the now largest 10mm surface mount display in college football.

“Replays, replays, replays. That’s what our fans want, and that’s what I can give them,” said the new Executive Producer for Live Events and Notre Dame Athletics, Mike Bonner.

He can take about 28 different angles with the new video board.

These renovations are bringing Notre Dame into an era of innovation, while they hang on to their historic roots.

“We’ve really tried to create a place where everybody feels welcome but not disconnected from the tradition rich past,” said Marsh.

They’re preserving it through re-purposed original benches, Rockne-era bricks, and concourse banners donning old program covers.

“Our goal here was to really create a sense of space so you feel more like you’re walking down a concourse than you do an airport parking garage,” said Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Operations, Beth Hunter.

It’s not all about football, though—about three quarters of the space is devoted to non-athletic purposes.

“These are hundred year buildings, and for the next hundred years, they will be helping make Notre Dame and the college a better institution,” said John McGreevy, Dean of College of Arts and Letters.

“The entire campus has worked on this. --It’s been a labor of love and spent quite a bit of time, but wouldn’t have had it any other way,” said Marsh.