Former Notre Dame Quarterback Talks About the Intensity of Kyle Field Atmosphere

Tommy Rees never played a game at Texas A&M but he coached at Kyle Field last fall

Nick Shepkowski | Aug 29, 2024

Sep 18, 2021; College Station, Texas, USA; A view of the fans and students and the 12th man logo sign during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the New Mexico Lobos at Kyle Field. / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

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What exactly does Notre Dame have on its hands Saturday night at Kyle Field?

We've heard time and time again about how loud and crazy Texas A&M's home venue will be. But just how loud and crazy is that?

Former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees never played a game at Texas A&M but last year, as offensive coordinator of Alabama, he coached against the Aggies.

Tommy Rees on Kyle Field's Loudness

Texas A&M fans during the 2023 game against Alabama

Oct 7, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies fans react after a Alabama Crimson Tide touchdown during the third quarter at Kyle Field. / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s as loud of a place as I’ve ever been,” Rees recently told The Athletic. “To the point the press box is shaking, it’s so loud. And we played in the daytime.”

Rees and Alabama wound up playing in the College Football Playoff but it wasn't without a scare from Texas A&M. The Tide prevailed 26-20 that day but were sloppy as the loud environment certainly played a factor in eight Alabama false starts.

“However loud it was for Alabama last year, my guess would be it’s going to be even louder,” said Rees, (to The Athletic) “I just don’t see how it’s not the loudest game these guys have ever played in.”

Notre Dame's Biggest Road Wins Under Marcus Freeman

Notre Dame walks off the field after a comeback victory to beat Duke in 2023.

Sep 30, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish fans cheer as the team leaves the field at the end of the game against Duke Blue Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. / Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame has played nine true road games over the past two seasons under Marcus Freeman. The Fighting Irish have hardly been impressive, going 5-4 in those contests.

Notre Dame has two road wins over ranked teams in that time:

21-14 win at No. 17 Duke (2023)
41-24 win at No. 16 Syracuse (2022)

Both are nice road wins but both came well-into the two seasons and neither Duke nor Syracuse have an atmosphere like the one Rees described Texas A&M to have.

Kyle Field During Texas A&M's Upset of Alabama in 2021

I found a video online of a fan who documented his trip to Texas A&M for the upset of No. 1 Alabama in 2021.

Although the video doesn't do true justice to just how loud things actually are at field level, it does a good job of showcasing the piped in music and just how loud things can get.