Notre Dame Unveils 1920s Packers-Inspired Uniforms for Week 1 Wisconsin Game

Q: Is Notre Dame's 'Acme Packers' tribute historically accurate or simply a clever marketing ploy?

It is both a real historical homage and a polished marketing exercise, but not a museum-grade recreation. The strongest historical basis is the shared Notre Dame-Packers lineage. Curly Lambeau briefly played under Knute Rockne, the Notre Dame box influenced early Green Bay football, and Paul Hornung became a legend in both programs. The deep blue base is also defensible: research on early Packers uniforms shows Green Bay wore plain navy blue in 1919-20, and the 1921 “Acme Packers” jersey was also navy. Where the tribute becomes less exact is in the details and framing. Historians note the “Acme Packers” identity was brief, mainly from late 1920 into 1921, not a defining label for the whole decade. More importantly, textile and photo experts have concluded the 1921 “ACME PACKERS” lettering was white, not gold. Notre Dame’s design also blends eras: the number style references Hornung’s 1950s-60s period, and the mesh texture nods to the Packers’ oval “G,” a much later symbol. The shamrocks and America 250 patch are clearly modern additions. So the tribute is historically grounded in color, venue, and institutional ties, but it is selective and stylized. That is typical of the Shamrock Series, which is designed to create buzz as much as to honor history. The fairest reading is that Notre Dame used real history as the foundation for a contemporary brand statement, rather than attempting a strictly accurate 1921 replica.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 8

Notre Dame revealed Shamrock Series uniforms for its Week 1 game against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field, styling the look after the Green Bay Packers' 1920s "Acme Packers" era.
Deep blue jerseys, striped sleeves and block numbers tie the design to Green Bay history, while the number mesh includes a silhouette of the Packers' classic oval G emblem.
Marcus Freeman framed the release around a century of shared links between the programs, citing Paul Hornung and Notre Dame's box formation in a video promoting the matchup.
Additional details include an American flag patch for the United States' 250th anniversary year and 11 golden shamrocks on the collar for Notre Dame's 11 consensus national titles.
The alternate-uniform game also carries a favorable backdrop for the Irish, who are undefeated in Shamrock Series matchups.