When people ask the question, "What makes a football weekend at Notre Dame so special?" members of the Notre Dame family know that it could take an entire book to give the whole answer. This is that book. It tells the gameday story with over one hundred color photographs that bring the experience alive from the perspectives of many different groups, and its words add a context that is rich in the traditions, community connections, values, and spirit that make Notre Dame unique.
Writer Bill Schmitt and photographer Lou Sabo approached the question with the kind of wide-ranging curiosity that goes beyond sports books, guidebooks, and history books. Their work reveals that the answer comes from many sources and primarily from the people who share the experience. The book focuses on students, many of whom have no involvement on the field; Catholics and believers of all faiths; alumni; visitors from around the country and the world; South Bend neighbors and business owners; athletes; and the coaches. The reader will enjoy deeper insights into Notre Dame football's connections to all sorts of traditions--some profound, some trivial, but always bringing people closer to each other and to the past, present, and future. As seen in chapters that explore the acts of faith, hope, and charity that surround the football program and reflect the nature and mission of the university, there is a real sense in which, regardless of the tally on the scoreboard, everyone who participates emerges from a Notre Dame football weekend as a winner. "This book should stand for decades as the authoritative account of a Notre Dame football weekend in all its aspects, from behind the scenes preparations to the hallowed traditions loved by millions. What a great keepsake for anyone who experiences this important piece of Americana." --Matthew V. Storin, editor of The Boston Globe (1993-2001) "As head football coach at Notre Dame for 11 seasons, I was fortunate to witness firsthand the spectacle of young athletes achieving greatness on the field. But football weekends at Notre Dame are about so much more than the game. William Schmitt's book perfectly captures all the traditions that reflect the unique spirit that is the University of Notre Dame." --Ara Parseghian, Head Football Coach, University of Notre Dame, 1964-74 "Whether you're visiting campus from a few miles away or from around the globe, you have to agree that football weekends at Notre Dame are unlike anything else in the world. With all the reunions and traditions and excitement, these weekends are really about the wonderful people and places of Notre Dame; Bill Schmitt captures that in this book." --Charles F. Lennon, Jr., Executive Director, Notre Dame Alumni Association, and Associate Vice President, University Relations