Notre Dame vs. Louisville: Why the Irish Should Skip the Green Uniforms

Notre Dame's captains will decide whether or not to wear green vs. Louisville

Nick Shepkowski | Sep 23, 2024

Sep 23, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime (7) carries the ball against Ohio State Buckeyes during the second quarter of their game at Notre Dame Stadium. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Two weeks ago Notre Dame was the laughing stock of college football, losing at home to Northern Illinois. It has won twice in a row since then, outscoring Purdue and Miami (Ohio) by a combined score of 94-10. Now comes a Louisville team that will serve as Notre Dame's toughest home opponent in 2024.

And maybe just maybe, Notre Dame will be wearing something special when the Irish come out of the Notre Dame Stadium tunnel on Saturday afternoon.

Notre Dame Football's Annual "Irish Wear Green" Game

Irish fans, you know what to do. #IrishWearGreen pic.twitter.com/WvNz2EGwP1
— Brian Kelly (@CoachBrianKelly) August 31, 2018

Notre Dame has its annual "Irish Wear Green" game Saturday against Louisville where Notre Dame fans try to give the stadium a "Green Out" type feel, despite the fact that the traditional shirt sold to thousands of regular game attendees this year is gold.

Since Marcus Freeman took over as head coach in 2022, the "Irish Wear Green" game has had the Notre Dame football team wear green jerseys. It occurred against California in 2022 and Ohio State in 2023.

Notre Dame fans of probably a younger age here is your warning: an old man is about to yell about a cloud. You have the option to either keep reading or simply click back and not let it bother your day.

Dear Notre Dame: Please Don't Wear Green Jerseys Against Louisville

Notre Dame hasn't said whether or not it will wear green jerseys yet for this upcoming Saturday's game. Marcus Freeman was asked about it during his Monday press conference and stated that it will be up to the captains whether or not the Irish wear green or their traditional blues against Louisville.

What even is going on?

The tradition of the green jerseys used to be special. It used to serve as a means to provide a boost for a huge game. It would come as a surprise to the team, add perhaps a hair more of excitement, and was special.

Now it's potentially being used for almighty Louisville - a team that ran all over Notre Dame last season is a nationally televised primetime disaster. If you need the green jerseys to provide an extra boost of energy to try and get payback for that defeat then we're beyond help here.

I'm not entirely against rolling out the green jerseys, but make it special.

Wearing them on senior day was a cool tradition that was done in 2006 against Army and 2018 against Florida State.

But busting out the green in the ways it has been done recently?

Boston Coll. vs #6 Notre Dame (2002) pic.twitter.com/mSee8b0HZq
— College Football Classics (@ClassicsCFB) March 13, 2022

Go back to 2002 when they were worn for some Godforsaken reason the week AFTER a massive upset of Florida State, as Boston College ruined Tyrone Willingham's unbeaten first season at Notre Dame.

2007 had special throwbacks worn to honor the 30th anniversary of the 1977 national championship team when USC came to town. The uniforms looked sweet and the jersey sales were probably huge for Adidas, but Notre Dame got it's face shoved in the mud by way of a 38-0 USC destruction.

There was announcing well ahead of time that they'd be worn against almighty California in 2022.

Then last year it was having Sam Hartman, Audric Estime, and Marcus Freeman star in produced video for social media to showcase them well ahead of the 2023 Ohio State game. Personally I would have liked the team to have spent time reviewing how to count to 11 than make the video, but maybe that is just me.

The green jersey tradition used to be unique and truly special but there is no longer anything special about the event.

Are Alabama or Georgia worried about wearing special uniforms this weekend for their showdown with actual national championship implications?

Each time Notre Dame trots out these special jerseys it turns out being the K-Mart brand of Oregon does and feels like Steve Buscemi trying to blend in with high schoolers in the TV show 30 Rock.

I'm all for wearing green jerseys if it's done right and there is something special to it. When it's not it just reeks of a program that is trying too hard to fit in in the modern world of college football.