The Back

While the front of The Shirt is usually simple in design, the back of The Shirt has truly been a showcase of artistic talent over the years. From the very beginning of The Shirt Project, every back design has tried to get fans, students, and alumni fired up for the upcoming football season by combining iconic Notre Dame images, powerful lyrics from Notre Dame songs, and inspirational quotes from former players and coaches.

The earliest designs were hand-rendered by Notre Dame’s most creative students. Then, in 2000, The Shirt welcomed advanced technology into the design process, featuring its first computer-generated image: a photograph of Notre Dame football players. Since then, various graphic images such as the Monogram “ND”, a shamrock, Notre Dame Stadium, the Irish Guard, fans, players, the leprechaun—and even “Touchdown Jesus”—have graced the back of The Shirt.

The Shirt 2002—known as the “Return to Glory” shirt—started the trend of reflecting the theme of The Shirt in both the front and back designs. Now The Shirt Committee spends months choosing a theme, determining the perfect images and quotes, and polishing the designs into The Shirt we proudly wear on gamedays.