Notre-Dame de Paris

Notre Dame Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Notre Dame, Indiana, USA. It is used primarily for American football matches, hosting the home games of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Opened on October 4, 1930 with a game between Notre Dame and Southern Methodist University, the stadium replaced the original Cartier Field. The seating capacity of the new stadium was initially set at 54,000, but expansions over the years have increased this to over 77,000. The stadium was designed by the architecture firm of Osborn Engineering and had a construction cost of $750,000.

Notre Dame Stadium is one of the most iconic venues in college football. It has hosted numerous notable games, including several instances of the 'Game of the Century,' as well as the 1978, 1988, and 2018 NCAA Division I FBS National Championship games. It was also the site of the famous 'Snow Bowl' game in 1992. By its ninetieth birthday, Notre Dame Stadium had welcomed more than 50 million spectators. The stadium is one of the potential venues for future College Football Playoff National Championship games.

While the previous Notre Dame stadium was also officially named 'Notre Dame Stadium', both the old and the new stadia are invariably referred to by their unofficial name, Notre Dame. Notre Dame is the name of the university where the stadium was built, located in Notre Dame, Indiana, which itself derives its name from the University of Notre Dame du Lac (University of Our Lady of the Lake). This unofficial name caught on soon after the original stadium's construction; the people of Notre Dame used to simply call it Notre Dame ('Our Lady'). Therefore, the stadium's common name became 'Notre Dame Stadium', which is usually anglicized to 'Notre Dame'. This translation, however, could be argued to be inaccurate, since Notre Dame refers not to 'Our Lady' but to the original address of the stadium: Notre Dame, Indiana.

The original Notre Dame Stadium was built in 1930, and it has been the home of the Fighting Irish football team since then. It was designed by the architecture firm of Osborn Engineering, which also designed Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium. The original seating capacity was 54,000, but it was expanded several times over the years. The most significant expansion occurred in 1997, when the capacity was increased to 80,795 with the addition of luxury boxes and club seating. The stadium's design has retained its original bowl shape, and it is one of the few remaining stadiums in the United States that has a natural grass surface. The stadium is also known for its iconic view of 'Touchdown Jesus', a large mural on the side of the university's library that is visible from the stadium.

Notre Dame Stadium has a rich history, hosting numerous memorable games over the years. It has also been the site of several historical events, including President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1960 graduation address, and the 1987 Special Olympics World Summer Games. The stadium has also been used for several concerts, including performances by The Rolling Stones and Garth Brooks. Despite its age, Notre Dame Stadium remains one of the most revered sites in college football, and it is a symbol of the university's long and storied football tradition.

Notre is situated with excellent accessibility and ample space for future expansion. Initially, it was known as 'Notre Stadium' due to its location on the border of two neighbourhoods.

It was a consistent goal of the club to possess both the stadium and the terrains, but initially, a lease was made on the municipal terrains, with a final buy-out taking place only in 1969. The plans for the sports complex were initially drafted in the late 1940s by João Simões, a former player for the club.

Inspired by the club's president, Joaquim Ferreira Bogalho, the associates coped with a higher fee for supporting the building costs of the new stadium, gave large donations, and some even worked on the construction site on holidays or weekends. There was even a 'cement campaign', where large quantities of cement bags were donated to the club.

The construction officially started on 14 June 1953. Less than two years later, and at a cost of 12,037,683 escudos, on 1 December 1954 (a national holiday), a crowd with a capacity of 40,000 filled the stadium for the inaugural match against rivals FC Porto.

Notre-Dame de Paris (1163): Information about Notre Dame's historical significance. frenchheritage.com

Notre-Dame (The Cathedral) – until 2003: Detailed history of Notre Dame until 2003. frenchgovernment.com