Highlighting Heritage Hall: Fan Fest's new home

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Fan Fest finds a new home in Heritage Hall this season. ABC 57 Saturday Kickoff is delving into the crowning glory of Notre Dame athletics.

“In the late 1980s, the Notre Dame monogram club wanted to create a space to really celebrate the rich athletic heritage of the athletics department, so Heritage Hall came online in 1988 and was completely funded by the Notre dame Monogram Club, which is the association of former student athletes, managers, trainers, and cheerleaders, who have earned the right to wear the interlocking ND monogram,” said Notre Dame Associate Athletics Director, Beth Hunter.

“It really was set up in 1988 in a chronological way to tell the story and history of Notre Dame athletics over time. Well fast forward to the 2000s, and we started to run out of room, so in 2008…Instead of dividing up the cases chronologically, we took the opportunity to give every varsity program equal inventory of cases, so they could tell their story to both recruits and the Notre Dame faithful who come to visit,” she said.

From the legends, like Rockne, to the new champs reaching for gold, the Monogram Club honors all those continuing to make a name for Notre Dame.

“One of our proudest aspects of Heritage Hall is the ring of names that captures every single monogram winner in Notre Dame Athletics history. …It’s a great kind of reminder of the many names that have adorned the wall and competed here for Notre Dame in earning a monogram, but it’s also a great opportunity for them when they return with their families to point out their names and know that forever it will be a part of Notre Dame athletics history,” said the Executive Director for the Monogram Club, Brant Ust.

Ust found his name etched onto the ring in 2000 after earning three consecutive monograms playing baseball for Notre Dame in 1997, ’98, and ’99.

“It signifies a journey, a unique journey in both being a student here, which is already a blessing and a wonderful opportunity, but also being an athlete or representing Notre Dame on the field of competition,” he said.

“The athletic heritage at Notre Dame is obviously really important to who we are,” said Hunter.

“We celebrated our 100 year anniversary a year ago, and it was a great opportunity to reflect on the club’s history and impact on Notre Dame athletics and the university,” said Ust.

“But we don’t ever want to get settled on just hanging onto tradition for tradition’s sake,” said Hunter.

That’s why they rearrange and update the cases of accomplishments constantly, as they continue to celebrate Notre Dame’s cream of the crop.

“It’s no mistake I think that a lot of monogram winners have gone on to achieve great things beyond their sport and in life, and this is also a great opportunity to celebrate that as well,” said Ust.