For the second time in five years, a long-time fixture/tradition in the Notre Dame Stadium press box will be stepping down from his role.
Mike Collins, a 1967 graduate of the school and the public address announcer at Notre Dame Stadium since 1982, will retire after the 2020 season.
Back in 2015, Sergeant Tim McCarthy ended his 55-year run of his anticipated and witty driving safety announcements in the fourth quarter — although recordings of them still occur today for posterity.
“I told my wife, ‘If Fr. Ted (Hesburgh) can retire at 75, that’s good enough for me,’” said Collins, recalling Notre Dame’s president from 1952-87 who died five years ago this month at age 97.
“There is no one reason, but I can walk out with my head held high, good health and be proud that I’ll be better for my last game than my first. I’ve always viewed myself as an ambassador of Our Lady’s University, not merely an employee of the athletics department. I was able to do that for the most prestigious institution in the world, which just happened to be my alma mater.”
Unofficially, Collins has been only the third full-time public-address announcer in the 90-year history of Notre Dame Stadium that opened in 1930, head coach Knute Rockne’s final season.
His predecessor, Frank Crosiar had the longest run at 33 years from 1948-81, but opted to step down two days before the 1982 opener versus Michigan — the first home night game in the program’s history.
Notre Dame sports information director Roger Valdiserri contacted Collins to be the successor on extremely short notice. By that time, Collins had become a visible and respected South Bend television news anchor, working both at WNDU and later WSBT.
During his student days at Notre Dame — his senior year in 1966-67 coincided with Valdiserri’s arrival — Collins had been the sports director of the student radio station, and called basketball and hockey games.
Notre Dame won that dramatic 1982 opener versus No. 10 Michigan (23-17), and with six home games this fall, Collins’ total will reach 233 consecutive home football games.
The Irish currently are on an 18-game winning streak at home, the third longest since the opening of the stadium in 1930, behind only the 28 from 1942-50 and 19 from 1987-90.
A Pittsburgh native who grew up as a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Collins as a child had ambitions to become a public address announcer the first time he attended a Pirates game and was captivated by the voice that no one in the stands could see.
Collins will continue as the public address announcer for Pittsburgh Pirates spring training in Bradenton, Florida.
“I’ve been able to do public address for my alma mater and my beloved Pittsburgh Pirates,” Collins said. “I can’t think of anything better than that.”
The Irish open the 2020 home schedule against Arkansas on Saturday, Sept. 12 following the regular-season opener against Navy in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, Aug. 29.
The other home games are Western Michigan (Sept. 19), Stanford (Oct. 10), Duke (Oct. 31), likely preseason No. 1 Clemson (Nov. 7) and Louisville (Nov. 21).
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