Just north of South Bend, Indiana lives one of the most historic football programs in America. Up the road from this middle-sized town of 100,000, rests a Catholic institution that dominates nearby skylines with its Golden Dome and Basilica.

Dating back to their first football season in 1887, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have accumulated 11 national championships and a record seven Heisman trophies. This is all while preserving every stitch and thread of its school history.

Their iconic gold and navy blue jerseys have continued to stand out on Saturday afternoons amidst a culture that has welcomed chrome helmets and pink jerseys to the point that color combinations don’t always have to resemble school colors.

Notre Dame is a school that just isn’t accustomed to change.

For the past four years, this had been home for Oregon graduate transfer Matt Hegarty.

Now, the orange-bearded lineman, who arrived in Eugene this summer, is getting used to his new surroundings — over 2,000 miles away from the once-familiar scenery of cathedrals and lakes. He’s doing his best to immerse himself in a program that just mantled its first Heisman trophy, and is still seeking its first national championship.

Hegarty is trying to get up to speed with a football program that has ascended to new heights with the help of Nike.

Never have two schools been so visually oppositional.

Said Oregon offensive line coach Steve Greatwood: “I guess it’s like going from being a funeral home director to a rock star.”

Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Matt Hegarty (72) prepares so snap the ball. The No. 7 Oregon Ducks open the season in a face-off with Eastern Washington at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on September 5, 2015. (Adam Eberhardt/Emerald)

But this is Hegarty’s story. It’s a story that chronicles four memorable years playing in front of 80,000 screaming fans at Notre Dame, overcoming a stroke on the field in 2012 and arriving on a new campus for one last season at the collegiate level.

It’s one that he embraces in his fifth-year as the starting center for the Ducks.

“It’s interesting because you come from a place like Notre Dame, which is very storied, and then you come out to a place like this,” said Hegarty. “It’s unique to inundate yourself with a new set of traditions. It kind of changes your perspective on: what is tradition?”

This past Saturday, as Oregon prepared for their season opener against Eastern Washington, Hegarty’s head was naturally filled with memories of playing with his former team. He remembered being surrounded by the beautiful brick and stone buildings that populate the campus.

But his moment of nostalgia was soon interrupted by a sense of confidence that he made the right choice to attend Oregon for his final year. The Aztec, New Mexico, native, who had enjoyed his time at Oregon’s camp as a senior in high school, feels at home despite the short amount of time he has spent here.

“I was thinking about a lot of those [memories] Saturday,” Hegarty said. “I was thinking about running out with a new band of brothers, new colors. It was a cool full circle thing.”

After playing for another school for the past four years, Hegarty was going to have to learn a new, fast-paced offense at Oregon and replace All-American center Hroniss Grasu.

Before he arrived to campus, Hegarty tirelessly studied the playbook in his off-time; the most difficult task for Hegarty was the terminology, so he made sure to come prepared.

Hegarty said he broke his transition down to a science, “prepared for the worst” and hoped for the best.

“It’s like learning languages,” Hegarty said. “Once you learn the structure of how to learn a language, your third and fourth languages are way easier [to pick up.]”

Since his arrival, Hegarty has already begun to mold into what offensive line coach Steve Greatwood initially envisioned him to be: a rock and a leader on offense. Greatwood, who recruited Hegarty out of high school, saw his potential and talent early on.

Once he put on the pads and jersey, Hegarty lived up to expectations.

Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Matt Hegarty stares down Eastern Washington Eagles linebacker Alek Kacmarcik after the snap. The No. 7 Oregon Ducks open the season in a face-off with Eastern Washington at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on September 5, 2015. (Adam Eberhardt/Emerald)

“It’s like moving to a new city [and] building a new life for yourself,” Greatwood said. “I have a pretty close-knit group, and Matt’s come in and assimilated himself into it and fit our culture here. He’s been a great model for our younger guys and a great teammate for everybody.”

His teammates echo Greatwood’s sentiment.

“He jumped right in,” Oregon left tackle Tyler Johnstone said; he played with Hegarty in the Army All-American game as seniors. “Real people guy. Just meshed really well with all our guys on and off the field. He’s going to be a pretty key element to our offense this year.”

Gone are the days of wearing the same jerseys every game. Gone are the days of seeing the Golden Dome and Basilica on the way to class.

Now, Hegarty sinks into Ferrari seats during meetings. He arrives to the Death Star-esque Hatfield-Dowlin Complex to find brand new, flashy Nike uniforms waiting for him in the locker room. (His former teammates have already asked him about sending over some of his new Oregon gear.)

“From the outside perspective, you look at the things people talk about: the jerseys, the helmets. They’re fast,” Hegarty said. “But then you come and realize that there’s so much more to being a ‘man of Oregon’ and the culture here, which is some of the best I’ve been around. From the teammates to the coaching staff, it’s second to none. I really can’t imagine a better way to close than coming out to a great program like this.”

Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim