Pantheon of college football gets a Wi-Fi upgrade

Notre Dame has fully adopted mobile ticketing and introduced grab-and-go concession stands, with plans to expand them further. Alcohol sales were recently approved, prompting efforts to support new services like mobile carts. In premium areas, fans can stream various games during events. Notre Dame also tested mobile ordering for concessions with pickup alerts.

As they say in infomercials, “but wait, there’s more…” The university is continually exploring new ways to make the in-person experience even better. For example, it will offer exclusive camera angles and real-time stats, only available through Wi-Fi at the stadium. It’s all part of an effort to give fans something they can’t get watching at home. (See also: AI commentary goes into full swing at Players Championship)

“One of the challenges a lot of lot of sports venues face is getting people to pay to come to the game, when they can sit at home with their large TV and have a similar experience from the comfort of their couch,” said Buysse.

Behind the scenes, the stadium has also become a testing ground for advanced tech, in partnership with Federated Wireless and Notre Dame’s own Wireless Institute. Federated Wireless helped the university manage the challenges of using the new 6 GHz Wi-Fi band outdoors. Normally, too many devices using the same signal can cause interference. Federated Wireless’ cloud-based system, Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC), prevents interference by organizing how different devices share the signal. As a result, the stadium’s Wi-Fi is now stronger, covers more ground, and can handle more people at once.

Meanwhile, the Wireless Institute is piloting a private 5G network to see how connectivity can be improved for both students and devices across campus. While private 5G isn’t coming this year, Buysse said the university will be “transitioning back-of-house communications” to ensure that critical services, such as campus public safety, always stay connected regardless of how busy the network gets.

For now, Notre Dame directs everyone to Wi-Fi because the stadium’s cellular network is outdated and struggles to keep up with demand. Although improvements to cellular service are being made, progress has been slow due to various challenges. Specifically, cellular carriers want to install equipment in the bowl of the stadium, but the venue’s structure makes that difficult without impacting the aesthetic.