The shirt has been revealed

It’s going to be a sea of royal blue

What do you get if you put together great weather, a lot of Notre Dame fans, food, performances, and a long-standing tradition?

Other than a lot of adorable children of alumni in Notre Dame gear, the obvious answer is an incredible unveiling of The Shirt.

Brennan Harvath first started the Shirt in 1990 in order to unify the student body for the opening home game against Michigan. For 26 football seasons since then, the student section has been united in a single color, which brings a sense of school unity and increases our pride in the Irish.

The proceeds from The Shirt go to The Shirt Charity, which helps students pay unexpected medical expenses, and to The Rector Fund, which helps give all students the full Notre Dame experience. Additionally, The Shirt Committee sophomore vice president Molly Howell mentioned that The Shirt is manufactured in the Dominican Republic by workers who are paid living wages, an aspect unique to lots of clothing campaigns.

From 4pm until the shirt was shown to the public, live performances by student groups, such as The Undertones, Chorale, Dance Company, the band and many more, entertained the slowly growing crowd.

At approximately 6pm, the moment we had all been waiting for arrived – the unveiling of The Shirt.

Head football coach Brian Kelly did the act itself, in true Notre Dame fashion: accompanied by the band, cheerleaders, and watched by a few hundred adoring fans.

As the members of the committee, who were all standing by the stage, unzipped their jackets and revealed to the world what color will plaster the stadium next football season, cheering erupted from the crowd.

The Shirt this year holds a meaning to dear to many students, faculty and alumni’s hearts. A quote on the back honors the late Father Hesburgh, who died in February 2014, but still remains a strong influence in the community today.

“Surrender to excellence, rise above ourselves.” Simple in design, but intricate in meaning, there is no doubt that the student section will be a sea of royal blue next season.

Before

…And after

Aside from the slight disappointment that ensued upon realizing Brady Quinn was not going to be there, and that the ads claiming this to be true were unofficial, the unveiling in of itself was a spectacular event which drew alumni, students, locals and fans together from all over, much like the Shirt itself does.

As Coach Brian Kelly said: “The Shirt brings all of us together, all over the country.”

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