Any attempt to come up with an original name for a creative project in Notre Dame Athletics can present a challenge. The Victory March has been wrung dry as a resource for titles for a website, video series, unique occasion or special anniversary.
Shake Down The Thunder. Wake Up The Echoes. Her Loyal Sons. Cheer Her Name. Strong of Heart. Rally. Strong and True. All great names. All invoke an immediate connection with Notre Dame.
When I gathered a group of creative people in a room over the last month to work on developing a unique creative project we were hit with that challenge again.
Let’s call it a newsletter to start. We believe there is an audience that would like to catch up on Notre Dame Athletics, learn a bit about our student-athletes and our history and have it delivered directly to their inboxes.
Yep, that is pretty much the definition of a newsletter. But what can we call it?
The meeting of the minds came up with The 42nd Degree and even provided a tag line - a unique view of Notre Dame Athletics.
Where does that come from? Between the 2013 and 2014 football season Notre Dame replaced the natural grass in the stadium with artificial turf. That is when the field brand was established with a Monogram at midfield and nine stripes in both endzones arranged at a 42-degree angle to point at the Golden Dome. The University was founded in 1842 so nine stripes in each end zone provides the number 18, the 42-degree angle gives you a nod to that special year as well.
Now referred to as ‘Founders Lines’ those stripes have been added to many other athletic facilities at Notre Dame. Our student-athletes cross those lines to temporarily put aside the ‘student’ and become the ‘athlete’ as they compete for Our Lady’s University. The football team does as they emerge from the tunnel to take the field. The basketball teams do it at the scorer’s table in Purcell Pavilion when they check into the game.
The audience of this newsletter endeavor will do the same, opening up The 42nd Degree each week to enjoy a unique look at Notre Dame Athletics.
- Alan Wasielewski
The 42nd Degree