A group of former University of Notre Dame football student-athletes led by linebacker Jack Shields will provide generous support for a new Fighting Irish football facility — one that, combined with the existing Guglielmino Athletics Complex (“Gug”), will accommodate the current and future needs of the University’s athletics programs.
The new Jack and Kathy Shields Family Hall will foster team building and personal growth, improve physical conditioning and technical ability, and enable Notre Dame Research to partner with Athletics in the study of human performance, sports science, medicine and nutrition.
Additional contributors to the facility include Pat and Jana Eilers, Dave and Clare Butler and other substantial donors who wish to remain anonymous. Pat Eilers is a former Notre Dame safety. Dave Butler played linebacker for the Irish.
Also recognized for their generous leadership and support are Pat Kramer, a former Notre Dame defensive lineman, and Tom Carter, a former Irish cornerback. Kramer and Carter are close friends of the Shieldses.
Together, these five former Notre Dame student-athletes are giving back to a program that has transformed their lives, wanting to extend that same opportunity to future generations.
The new facility will be located along Courtney Lane on the east side of campus and is set to open in the fall of 2026, allowing for future renovation of the Gug to advance the performance of student-athletes across Notre Dame’s 26 varsity sports.
The project will support as many as 150 construction jobs, contributing millions in wages and taxes to the local economy. It will support a number of permanent jobs in Athletics and other areas after construction.
“The Shields family’s remarkable gift, together with the support of many others, will enable us to greatly enhance our ability to support student-athletes physically, mentally, socially and academically,” Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., said. “Notre Dame has long been committed to both athletic success and care for the well-being of our student-athletes, and this new facility will help us to excel on the field while we advance the study of sports science, nutrition and medicine on campus, with benefits for athletes everywhere.”
“I could not be more humbled by the gifts from Jack and Kathy Shields and others, which will ensure our student-athletes and staff have the tools to be successful on the field, in the…