Tennessee State University & the University of Notre Dame

Curious about the game logo? There’s a lot of meaning behind what you see. Explore what it means and how it brings two outstanding universities together in the video below.

On September 2, 2023, Notre Dame hosts Tennessee State in football. The historic game represents the first time Notre Dame plays an HBCU (Historically Black College and University). This animation tells the origin story of the logo used in association with the game and events taking place during the weekend. The mark uses TSU and ND branded colors to represent the distinctions between both institutions and the school pride displayed by each community. The letterforms face off with each other similarly to how each team will meet on the field of play. U for University is a common element between both institutions and is the union point for the mark. It also has the dual meaning of referring to “You” the audience, alumnus, consumer or participant. Both sides of the mark share the center U to represent the ties that bind these institutions in common. The letterforms contain inner shapes that hint at pathways or roads, suggestive of progress and connection or a “path to the future”. In Together Irish terms: “Our progress must persist.”