As Notre Dame students, the outcome of the game between the Fighting Irish and the Wolverines doesn’t need to be brought up again. However, despite the heartbreaking loss, good did come out of this game for the two of us. Experiencing the electric atmosphere in The Big House on the night of September 10, 2011, served as the launching point for Gameday Guru.
That night, Michigan didn’t just win on the field. They won for their stadium atmosphere as well. We didn’t want to, but we had to give Michigan credit - unheard of for a Notre Dame fan. But more importantly, we started to ask ourselves why was that atmosphere so successful? What goes into creating such a noticeable home-field advantage? Is it the recorded music? The video board? The fans themselves? Why can’t Notre Dame be like that? We wanted answers.
So, for the remainder of the 2011 college football season, we began to take a closer look at Notre Dame’s stadium atmosphere. We conducted student focus groups, sent out a survey to the entire student body, and worked closely with the Athletic Department to identify areas for improvement. We became the Gameday Guru of Notre Dame football stadium atmosphere, and now we’re taking our stadium atmosphere research passion on the road.
As part of an independent Directed Readings marketing class, we are going to take an in-depth look at the stadium atmosphere of elite college football programs around the country.
Our field research begins on September 15, in Columbus, OH, as we uncover the secrets behind the stadium atmosphere at The Ohio State University when the Buckeyes host California. On October 6, Eugene, OR will be the focus of our research as Autzen Stadium takes center stage when the Washington Huskies face the Oregon Ducks. Despite all the travelling, we can’t lose sight of our home base. We’re putting Notre Dame under the gameday microscope on October 13, when the Irish take on Stanford. Last, but not least, our final stop will be on November 10, in Tuscaloosa, AL when the Crimson Tide face Texas A&M.
At each stadium, we want to find out what makes these places unique. What do they do to create one of the best stadium atmospheres in the country? What recorded music do they play? How do they use their video board? How do the traditions and history of each college football program contribute to the stadium atmosphere? We could go on forever…
We have plenty of questions, and now we’re on a quest for the ANSWERS! The Gameday Guru is kicking off. Check back regularly for updates on our research and for stories about what is sure to be one amazing experience!
Wow, this is really neat! I am interested to see what you guys discover from your findings. Maybe it could even better the atmosphere of ND stadium (if thats even possible;) I think that Notre Dame has a special feeling of tradition and pride on football weekends that other schools may lack. I will be following your blog!
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