Stand by your fan | by Pat

One of the things to stick around for at the first home game of the year is what looks to be the start of a new tradition at Notre Dame Stadium.

While it's been customary in the past for the crowd to sing the Alma Mater after the game, Weis and Dye saw room for expansion.

"I talked to the captains this summer ... and last year when we honored Navy we went over and stood behind their team while they were singing their Alma Mater," Weis told The Observer after his press conference Sunday. "And having been a student at this school, it went through my mind, 'Hey, why don't we do this?'"

From there the band was contacted and details were worked out so that from now on, the team will sing the Alma Mater in front of the student section after the game with their classmates and all other Irish fans still in the stadium.

"The players love being part of the student body," Weis said. "This is a little different place than a lot of other schools. I just thought that as long as we're here, and the band's here, and the students are here, you could do this."

Sounds like a great idea to us.