The University of Notre Dame boasts about having the strongest academics, the most fulfilling community life, and even one of the greatest football programs in history. That being said, it’s safe to say that we’ve developed some rivalries. Some agree that you are either a Notre Dame fan, or you just despise the school. To each his or her own, but bias aside, I think we can all agree that Notre Dame has some of the most committed football fans in the world and here’s why.
1. We brave the elements, no matter how cold
South Bend is one of the snowiest cities in the country. Where else does is snow almost a foot in the matter of hours before Thanksgiving? Antarctica? Siberia? Buffalo? It could be below freezing, but don’t count on an empty stadium at kickoff! We get the parkas out of storage, pile on the layers, and top it all off with cute scarves, mittens, and head wraps. We somehow manage to brave the cold, wet, or snowy conditions, and we look cute doing it.
2. We stand the entire game, despite the physical sacrifice
One of the best parts of being a Notre Dame student on game day is sitting in the student section with your best friends. However, there is some responsibility assumed in “sitting” in such a section: there is no sitting only standing. We stand together in solidarity and cheer on the Irish for the entire four quarters, except for a small break at halftime. On top of the standing, we manage to hoist each other in the air for touchdown pushups no matter how high the score reaches!
3. We stay loyal despite play on the field.
As you are probably well aware, our current football team went from playoff-bound to barely-ranked within about two weeks. We beat tremendous teams, yet we lost to an unranked school. It brings about a rollercoaster of emotions, but that’s fine because our love for Notre Dame football is unconditional. They build our hopes up for a potential championship game, then they proceed to shatter our frozen hearts, but we’ll always come back to the next game with optimism!
4. We travel from across the country for a game
Notre Dame fans and alumni from all corners of the United States and beyond flock for football weekends in one of the loveliest of cities: South Bend, Indiana. It’s a great feeling knowing that this school has positively impacted so many people that they just keep coming back to visit. You can feel the campus population begin to grow as early as the Thursday before a football game. Only at Notre Dame do fans, alumni, and prospective students fly in to town for just a couple days. That’s true dedication.
5. We might be cocky, but we keep it classy
Whether we crush an opponent or lose in an overtime heartbreaker, fans, students, and players come together to sing the alma mater. It’s one of the greatest Notre Dame football traditions to be a part of, and just thinking about it gives me goose bumps. Other schools’ fans might storm the field in a victory or leave early when the going gets rough. Despite the impending lines in the dining halls, we never miss a chance to sing the alma mater with our classmates, best friends, and family.
Notre Dame fans really are the best, and we aren’t afraid to show it. I think our attitude is summed best by the wise lyrics of Taylor Swift herself, “The haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, but we’re just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake…shake it off.” Sure, other schools may envy our school spirit, but that will never stop us from being the best football fans in the country!
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Images: 1, 2, 3, 5 (provided by author), 4, 6, 7