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Wide receiver Knute Rockne (far right) hauled in a 25-yard scoring pass from quarterback Gus Dorais that ignited a 243-yard, two-touchdown aerial assualt in Notre Dame's 35-13 upset of Army. photo courtesy notre dame media relations scored 216-6. According to Murray Sperber, author of the 1993 book, Shake Down The Thunder: The Creation of Notre Dame Football, the football program netted a loss of $2,367 dollars, and the total deficit in the athletic department that academic year was $6,472. The following season, the schedule was even less appealing with the addition of local schools such as Adrian and Morris Harvey. Although football had become a popular sport among the student body and the Holy Cross priests in Notre Dame's community, it was at a crossroads. Either a full commitment had to be made toward the program, or it would have to be eliminated, which had become unacceptable. Notre Dame president Rev. John W. Cavanaugh opted for the former and hired 29-year-old Wabash head coach Jesse Clair Harper as the school's first athletics director (the athletic department had previously been operated by student managers) and first full-time coach in football and baseball. His salary, including bonuses, would be approximately $5,000 per year. Harper had played for and was a disciple of Amos Alonzo Stagg, who had developed a reputation as college football's grand master in innovation while coaching at the University of Chicago. Meanwhile, Harper was making his own mark at Wabash College, including seeing his outmanned "Little Giants" lose only 6-3 to Notre Dame in 1911. He also had a background in business administration. Harper was adamant that Notre Dame "had to make football pay for itself," which was music to the ears of the school's priests. A young, hungry coach on the rise and an ambitious, rising program ready to commit to the big time can be a potent combination. Indeed, that marriage of Harper and Notre Dame soon changed the landscape of college football. The Football Business Two factors combined to make the 1913 meeting with Army possible. The first was Eastern superpower Yale had broken off its series with Army that had been played 20 consecutive years from 1893-1912. A disagreement over Army's eligibility rules prompted the Bulldogs to drop the intense rivalry. The second was Notre Dame was in the midst of its scheduling crisis. Its upset of Michigan in 1909 made the "Catholics" more shunned by the Western Conference (Big Ten) members, a union that formed in 1896. It wasn't until 1917 that a game at Wisconsin broke the ice, followed by Purdue in 1918, and then both Indiana and Northwestern were added to the slate by 1920 while Notre Dame's reputation grew under Harper. There were numerous and continued rejections and setbacks for Harper during this process, but also some victories, most notably securing a $6,000 guarantee to play at Nebraska five years in a row from 1916‑20. It had to be done to help build up the finances. By 1914, Harper had even signed to play road games at mighty Yale — which defeated Notre Dame 28-0 in part by adding a better passing scheme — and at Syracuse on Thanksgiving Day (a 20-0 Notre Dame victory). In his five seasons at Notre Dame from 1913‑17, Harper's team played only 16 games at home and 24 on the road, yet he compiled a 34-5-1 record (.863 winning percentage). Army needed to fill its Nov. 1, 1913, date that had been scheduled for Yale, but could not find a worthy Eastern opponent. Meanwhile, Notre Dame needed a game, period. The genesis for such a meeting had begun during the spring of 1912 when the Notre Dame baseball team made a profitable excursion along the East Coast, including to West Point. Harper therefore reached out the same way to book some football games. The Cadet football manager at the time, Harold Loomis, received a letter from Harper to schedule a contest. Loomis offered Harper $600 to come to West Point, but Harper replied that it would take about $1,000 to transport a small contingent of his players (18) for the 24-hour train ride that would cover 875 miles. So strapped was the budget that Notre Dame covered its own "food expenses" by subsisting on sandwiches prepared in its campus dining hall, and it would carry its own equipment. Only 14 pairs of football shoes were made available to 18 Notre Dame players, with substitutes using those by the men coming out (hopefully with the same size). Loomis reluctantly agreed to pay the $1,000. The trip ended up costing $917, thereby garnering an $83 profit. One small step for Notre Dame … one giant leap toward helping brand its name. The Upset After starting the 1913 season 3-0, including a 20-7 victory at home against firsttime opponent South Dakota, Notre Dame embarked on its greatest program-changing month in its football annals. Harper had secured games at Army Nov. 1, at Penn State Nov. 7, a trip to St. Louis to play Christian Brothers Nov. 22, and then Blue & Gold Illustrated 2013 Football Preview ✦ 141 140-143.100th Anniversary ND vs Army.indd 141 6/25/13 9:31 AM