The Enduring Legacy of Notre Dame University Colors

The University of Notre Dame, a private Catholic research university founded in 1842, boasts a rich and storied history, deeply intertwined with its iconic colors. These colors, more than mere visual identifiers, represent the institution's values, heritage, and the evolution of its identity. From the initial hues of blue and yellow to the now-famous gold and blue, and even the occasional splash of green, the story of Notre Dame's colors is a fascinating reflection of its journey through time.

From Blue and Yellow to Gold and Blue: An Evolution

When Notre Dame was established in 1842, the founders chose yellow and blue as the official school colors. Yellow symbolized light, while blue represented truth. However, this pairing would not last. In 1882, a pivotal moment occurred: the statue of Mary atop the Main Building's dome was gilded, transforming the campus's visual landscape. In the wake of this event, the university adopted gold to replace yellow as one of its official colors. Light blue, traditionally associated with the Virgin Mary, was retained.

Editions of the World Almanac from the early 1900s affirmed that Notre Dame's colors were indeed gold and blue. Sometimes, the blue was described as "peacock blue," a light blue-green shade.

Early in its history, Notre Dame University was associated with academic costume manufacturer Cotrell & Leonard. The university appeared in a list of college colors appended to the 1895 Intercollegiate Code of Academic Costume. By this point, no doubt, the Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume (IBAC) had assigned a hood lining pattern to the university. This design remained unchanged until the 1960s, by which point Notre Dame’s blue had evolved from a light to a dark shade of blue. But at this late date the Bureau couldn’t change Notre Dame’s hood to gold with a dark blue chevron because similar hood linings had already been assigned to other universities. So the Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume redesigned Notre Dame’s hood lining to gold over royal blue, divided per chevron.

The Fighting Irish and the Emergence of Green

While blue and gold are the primary colors, green has also played a significant role in Notre Dame's athletic identity, particularly in football. The lore surrounding the green jerseys is extensive and lacks a definitive origin. The prevailing story suggests that Knute Rockne, a legendary Notre Dame football coach, first used green jerseys in 1921 against the Iowa Hawkeyes due to the similarity in dark uniforms between the two teams. Although Notre Dame lost that game, Rockne continued to use green jerseys against the Navy Midshipmen.

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In Frank Leahy's third year as head coach in 1943, he switched to wearing the green jerseys full-time, and the Irish won a national championship. Notre Dame exclusively wore green until 1959 but continued to break them out during some games from 1960-1963.

Ara Parseghian's arrival in 1964 marked a return to the strict use of blue and gold, along with a helmet devoid of any markings. The green jerseys made a comeback in the famous "Green Jersey Game" against Southern California in 1977 and were primarily used until the 1981 season under Gerry Faust.

Since Devine retired as Notre Dame’s coach, there have been 13 green jersey games.

The use of green jerseys has been intermittent, often employed as a psychological tactic or to honor the university's Irish heritage. Some coaches, like Leahy, were enamored with the green look, while others, such as Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz, preferred the traditional gold and blue.

Rockne theorized that the green jerseys would help his passers better locate their receivers, so a wardrobe change became routine when playing teams of similar color schemes.

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In 1927, when Notre Dame faced Navy, Rockne started his second-string reserves. Navy retaliated by scoring a touchdown in the first five minutes of the game. “Instantaneously the Notre Dame regulars yanked off their blue outer sweaters and like a horde of green Gila monsters darted onto the field. The Irish came from behind to win that one 19-6 - then did the same thing the following year in Chicago’s Soldier Field, this time beating Navy 7-0.

The green jerseys remained prominent throughout the Frank Leahy years - particularly so in September of 1947 when Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack graced the cover of Life magazine clad in green. Several of Joe Kuharich’s squads wore green with UCLA-style shoulder stripes and shamrocks on the helmets.

Following Kuharich, one-year interim head coach Hugh Devore tried to go out in style in 1963, dressing his players in green jerseys for the season finale at Yankee Stadium against Syracuse.

Devine took over for Parseghian before the 1975 season and kept the standard blue Irish uniform status quo, until Oct. Playing at home against arch-rival USC, the Notre Dame players performed pre-game warm-ups in their traditional blue jerseys before heading back to the locker room. Surprised and thrilled, the players found a different game jersey hanging in their lockers. “Everyone was screaming and yelling in the locker room,” Montana recalled. “Sometimes it takes a little spark to get you going, and that’s what it was. It was something to get us a little more hyped for something we really didn’t need to be more hyped for.

Gerry Faust took over for Devine in 1981 and used green jerseys twice in his five seasons as head coach, most notably in a 27-6 win over USC in 1983, six years to the day after Devine’s “Green Jersey” triumph over the Trojans.

Holtz needed six seasons to finally buck his blue uniform routine against Florida in the 1992 Sugar Bowl, dressing his team in white road jerseys with green numbers and socks, exactly 11 years to the day after Notre Dame last donned this same look against Georgia in the 1981 Sugar Bowl.

The green jerseys were again put on moth balls after that game until November of 2002 when rookie coach Tyrone Willingham, fresh of a road upset of Florida State, and very much in national talk as the No. The ploy didn’t work as the Eagles pulled a stunning 14-7 upset to spoil Notre Dame’s magical season.

The Irish Brigade Flag: A Symbol of Heritage

The connection between Notre Dame and Irish heritage extends beyond the color green. Since 1896, the University has owned and intermittently displayed the colors of the 63rd Regiment New York Volunteers, part of the Union’s famed Irish Brigade during the Civil War.

Most regiments in the Civil War carried two flags: the national colors and their regimental flag, which usually bore the seal of the regiment’s home state. But some ethnic units opted to carry a flag unique to their unit.

There were two main uses of brigade flags, says University Archivist Peter Lysy, who documented the restoration project and the history of the flag in the book Blue for the Union and Green for Ireland. One was so troops knew where home was during the disorientation of battle. Irish immigrants faced widespread discrimination in 19th century America. Many of the established Protestant residents considered the Irish a separate race, and the immigrants’ Catholicism only made them more suspect. The Civil War helped change that as the Irish regiments showed their mettle on the battlefield. The flag reflects that hard-won respect, along with the establishment’s realization of the importance of Irish support for the Union cause.

The flag in Notre Dame’s possession was never actually carried into battle. The Brigade chose to fight under a simpler version and keep the Tiffany banners in New York. The flag was donated to Notre Dame after the war as a result of the friendship between Father William Corby, CSC, the chaplain of for the Irish Brigade, and James D. Brady, the last colonel of the 63rd.

Uniform Evolution: More Than Just Colors

The evolution of Notre Dame's colors is intertwined with the broader changes in its athletic uniforms. The 1984 season marked a significant shift as the Irish returned to the standard navy blue worn during the Parseghian era and the early part of the Devine era. When Gerry Faust took over in 1981, Notre Dame adopted royal blue jerseys with three one-inch stripes on the sleeves, two gold surrounding one white. However, the stripes were eliminated on the '84 tops, which didn't feature any trim or feathering other than the white numbers on the navy blue shirts.

The change from green to royal blue in '81 marked the first switch since Notre Dame made the move to green beginning with the 49-19 victory over USC October 22, 1977. The Irish had worn navy blue all during Parseghian’s 11 seasons and through the first two-and-a-half years of the Devine era - but they had stayed with the green ever since the victory over the Trojans. However, even Faust made use of the green jerseys on two occasions. He outfitted his Irish in green in a 27-6 win over USC in ’83 - six years to the day after Devine first went to the green in a win over those same Trojans. For the first time during Holtz’s tenure as head coach, the Irish used green as part of their uniform in the 1992 Sugar Bowl as they donned white jerseys with green numbers and green socks. Back in the 1920s during the Knute Rockne days, the Notre Dame varsity generally wore blue while the freshman squad wore green. But, on several occasions the varsity team did wear green - simply for purposes of distinction when the Irish opponent also came out in blue.

The logo on the pants switched from blue to green beginning in ’95.

Tradition vs. Traditional: A Nuanced Perspective

When discussing Notre Dame's colors and uniforms, it's essential to distinguish between "tradition" and "traditional." Notre Dame's uniforms are traditional in style but not necessarily a fixed tradition. Since 1940, the uniform has undergone numerous major changes, not including the "green jersey games" or the Shamrock Series. Some argue that Notre Dame's uniform tradition is to make major changes with each coach, while maintaining a generally conservative and traditional style.

The Significance of Gold Pants

The color of Notre Dame's football pants has been a subject of debate among fans. Some desire a return to the metallic gold pants popularized by Lou Holtz in 1986. Currently, the pants color is more reminiscent of the Era of Ara and before.

There are those that clamor for the pants to match the helmets. Matching the pants up with the helmets doesn’t make any sense when you consider why the helmet is gold to begin with.

Notre Dame's Brand Identity

Athletics at the University of Notre Dame qualifies as one of the most recognizable, popular, and powerful brands found anywhere in sports. The Notre Dame monogram and the primary color palette of blue and gold are the primary identifiers for Notre Dame. They should always be used to represent the University in the most visible and high-profile brand touchpoints.

The Notre Dame monogram and the primary color palette of blue and gold represent the tradition, legacy, and excellence of our athletics program. The leprechaun, wordmark, and the spirit palette of blue, gold, and green represent the fighting spirit of Notre Dame. Use the mark and colors to communicate our determination, grit, and underdog mentality. These brand assets serve as inspiring visual elements for Notre Dame in competitive scenarios and should be used to instill passion and a competitive spirit among our audiences. The green shamrock is a secondary spirit mark representing the Irish heritage of Notre Dame. While the shamrock is not our primary identifier, it allows us to reference a part of our history (both the shamrock and its green color are clear references to Irish heritage). The assets featured in this section are to be used solely by the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department.

A Legacy of Growth and Transformation

The history of Notre Dame's colors reflects the university's broader evolution. Under the leadership of various presidents, Notre Dame has experienced significant growth and transformation.

Between 1952 and 1987, Theodore Hesburgh's administration increased the university's resources and improved its academic programs and its reputation. Hesburgh made Notre Dame coeducational. In the eighteen years Edward Malloy was president, the school's reputation, faculty, and resources grew rapidly.

During John I. Jenkins' tenure, Notre Dame has increased its endowment, enlarged its student body, and undergone many construction projects on campus, including the Compton Family Ice Arena, a new architecture hall, and additional residence halls.

A Campus of Beauty and History

Notre Dame's campus is renowned for its beauty and historical significance. It is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful university campuses in the United States and around the world, and it is noted particularly for the Golden Dome, the Basilica and its stained glass windows, the quads and the greenery, the Grotto, the Hesburgh Library with its Word of Life stone mural (nicknamed "Touchdown Jesus" by students), and its statues and museums. Notre Dame is a major tourist attraction in northern Indiana; in the 2015-2016 academic year, more than 1.8 million visitors, almost half of whom were from outside St. Joseph County, visited the campus.

A 116-acre (47 ha) historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as University of Notre Dame: Main and South Quadrangles. The Main Building serves as the center for the university's administrative offices, including the Office of the President. Its golden dome, topped by the statue of Mary, is the campus' most recognizable landmark.

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