Notre Dame Stadium pennants: A rising tradition

As the sun rises on another game week, Cam Woodsen and Chip Miltenberger are doing what they always do:

Preparing one of college football’s most legendary fields and stadiums.

These two Notre Dame die-hards are a key part of the university grounds crew team and have been working with each other since Cam came on board in 2010.

“I’m a huge fan of the place and not just Notre Dame Football, but how it operates and the people here,” said Woodson.

Miltenberger’s Aunt, Rhonda Spietals, was the first woman in the history of the university to work on the grounds crew team after she was hired in 1984.

And like so many that legacy and tradition has carried on nearly 30 years later in the next generation.

“I’ve been here since 2003, since I was 19, so this is my second family,” said Chip.

Since the beginning of last year, the pair has taken part in one of the most important game week traditions.

Since the Rockne era, the changing of the flags has been a fixture.

Kathy Maloney has been with the grounds crew team for over two decades.

In that time she has seen two major stadium renovations, which have drastically altered the number of opponent flags fly on the outside of the stadium.

“When we raise the flag on Monday, it puts us all in a mindset of it’s a new week here we go,” said Maloney.

After the latest Campus Crossroads Project, only two pennants now stand.