Play Like a Champion Today: A Notre Dame Sign Behind Custom Jersey Ideas

Before every home game, Notre Dame players leave the locker room, head down the stairs toward the field and reach up to slap a gold-and-navy sign that reads “Play Like a Champion Today.” It is one of the best-known rituals in college sports, and for fans planning a custom Notre Dame jersey, it is a ready-made source of ideas.

Where the sign came from

The phrase is linked most closely to Lou Holtz, who became Notre Dame’s head coach in 1986. Holtz came across the slogan in old Notre Dame material and had a sign made for the stairwell between the locker room and the field. Accounts differ on whether a similar sign had hung there decades earlier, but Holtz is the one who made it part of every home game.

The wooden sign that players touch was hand-painted by a local artist, Laurie Wenger, and the slogan has since spread far beyond South Bend to youth teams, offices and fan basements. Two seasons after Holtz arrived, Notre Dame went 12-0 and won the 1988 national championship, which helped cement the sign’s place in Irish lore.

Custom jersey ideas from the sign

A custom jersey lets you choose your own name and number, so the sign gives you a few natural themes:

• “Champion” or “Today” as a nameplate. Short, easy to read across the shoulders and instantly recognizable to Irish fans.
• 86 as a number. The year Holtz arrived and the sign went up.
• 88 as a number. The 12-0 national title season that followed.
• Your own name. Pair it with one of those numbers if you want the tradition in the background rather than up front.

Choosing the base jersey

The custom Notre Dame Fighting Irish jersey collection on this site groups the name-and-number styles. A few checks before ordering:

1. Color. Navy is the classic home look, white is the road jersey, and green appears for special games. Read the color in the product title.
2. Letter count. Longer phrases will crowd the back. One word, like “Champion,” sits cleanly.
3. Spelling. Custom orders are made to what you enter, so check every letter.
4. Fit. South Bend gets cold in November. If you plan to layer, compare the size chart to a sweatshirt you own.

A tradition fans can wear

Players get one touch of the sign on their way to the field. Fans do not get that chance, but a custom jersey built around the phrase brings the same idea into the stands: show up, give your best and play like a champion today.