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Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame football unveil ‘The Shirt’ 2024

IMG_9992by:Tyler Horka•04/19/24•

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© Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Freeman stood before a collection of Notre Dame students, faculty and alumni on the library lawn Friday evening in a zipped-up sweat suit. As has become customary during Freeman’s short tenure as Fighting Irish football head coach, when he unzipped his jacket on the eve of the Blue-Gold Game he revealed Notre Dame’s 2024 version of “The Shirt.”

This year’s edition is a base shade of gold for the first time since 2009 and just the third time ever.

Last year’s The Shirt was green, and 2022’s was blue. Different hues of those two colors have dominated The Shirt’s appearance for the last decade and half. The Irish are switching it up in Freeman’s third year in charge of the program.

The Shirt 2024 says “Notre Dame Football” in fine print at the top with the word “IRISH” in much bigger letters beneath. A depiction of the famed Four Horsemen are below that with “2024” at the bottom. The back says “The Tradition Continues” with a drawing of a Notre Dame football helmet and a few national championship banners depicted inside of it.

The Shirt, an annual Notre Dame, tradition since 1990, is a symbol of unification for Irish fans. Many students wear it to every home game, especially when the weather is nice early in the season. It’s often an article of clothing seen on people walking on campus and through Eddy Street Commons year-round.

Per The Shirt’s official website, “half of the proceeds from The Shirt go to The Shirt Charity, which helps students afford unexpected medical expenses. Remaining revenue is used to fund student clubs, organizations, and The Rector Fund, which allows all students to have the full Notre Dame experience regardless of their financial situation.” The website also lists names of a 15-person committee, all students, that oversee the design, promotion and charitable responsibilities tied to The Shirt.

Notre Dame prides itself on the unique nature of some of its traditions. Something like The Shirt seems small on the surface, but it has raised over $14.5 million to support Irish students in the last 35 years. It’s more than just a rallying cry at sporting events. It’s an annual project as big as any put on by the student body. That’s why figures like Freeman, who was joined in his reveal tactic by Irish players Riley Leonard, Benjamin Morrison, Xavier Watts and Kris Mitchell, is such an active proponent of it.

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