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Any typical Notre Dame fan would know that The Shirt is one of the many famous traditions of Notre Dame football. It is a time where all fans, faculty, and students unite and share the Fighting Irish spirit.

Founded in 1990 by a Notre Dame senior, the committee is composed of 15 students with eight different positions: graphic designers, alumni relations, communications directors, contact carriers, videographers, unveiling coordinators, and event coordinators. Each year, the project aims to fund student activities and organizations, with half of the proceeds helping students who face unexpected medical expenses. Currently, The Shirt community has created 35 shirts, each representing a unique moment in Notre Dame history.

The Shirt Committee embarks on a long yet rewarding process beginning with recruitment in August. After accepting candidates, they take a tour of the stadium for design inspiration and begin by brainstorming a theme for the shirt, keeping in mind the meaning Notre Dame holds for students, the old imagery of Notre Dame, and the different words from the fight song.

The next step after the brainstorm stage is choosing a vendor to produce The Shirt. Several potential partners present their concepts to the committee to explain why they’re a unique choice. The committee then discusses which vendor to partner with while weighing pricing, communication lines, and other elements.

Following this decision comes the design process, which begins with choosing the shirt’s color, distilling their options to a single tone, and observing its different shades. Although each committee member serves a different role, each person weighs in on the color. The design undergoes multiple iterations until the final product is agreed upon, typically by the end of January. The following months give the vendor time to produce and prepare The Shirt before its unveiling in April. Look out for The Shirt 36 in April 2025.