fbpx
Wikipedia

Notre Dame Fighting Irish football

April 03, 2023

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the intercollegiate football team representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, north of the city of South Bend, Indiana. The team plays its home games at the campus' Notre Dame Stadium, which has a capacity of 77,622. Notre Dame is one of seven schools that competes as an Independent at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level; however, they play five games a year against opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), of which Notre Dame is a member in all other sports except ice hockey.[5]

Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
First season1887 (1887)
Athletic directorJack Swarbrick
Head coachMarcus Freeman[1]
1st season, 8–4 (.667)
StadiumNotre Dame Stadium
(capacity: 77,622)
Year built1930
Field surfaceNatural grass (1930–2013)
FieldTurf (2014–present)
LocationNotre Dame, Indiana
NCAA divisionDivision I FBS
ConferenceIndependent
Past conferencesAtlantic Coast Conference (2020)
All-time record930–332–42 (.729)
Bowl record18–21 (.462)
Playoff appearances2 (2018, 2020)
Playoff record0–2
Claimed national titles11 (1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988)[2]
Unclaimed national titles11 (1919, 1920, 1927, 1938, 1953, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1989, 1993, 2012)[3]
National finalist1 (2012)
RivalriesUSC (rivalry)
Navy (rivalry)
Michigan (rivalry)
Michigan State (rivalry)
Purdue (rivalry)
Pittsburgh (rivalry)
Stanford (rivalry)
Northwestern (rivalry)
Heisman winners7 (Angelo Bertelli, Johnny Lujack, Leon Hart, Johnny Lattner, Paul Hornung, John Huarte, Tim Brown)
Consensus All-Americans104
Current uniform
ColorsBlue and gold[4]
   
Fight songVictory March
MascotNotre Dame Leprechaun
Marching bandBand of the Fighting Irish
OutfitterUnder Armour
WebsiteUND.com

The school claims 11 national championships, including 8 from the major wire-service (AP, Coaches').[6] Seven Notre Dame players have won the Heisman Trophy. Notre Dame home games have been televised by NBC since 1991.[7][8]

History

Main article: History of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
See also: List of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football seasons

Early history (1887–1917)

 
1913 squad, with Captain Knute Rockne holding ball

Football did not have an auspicious beginning at the University of Notre Dame. In their inaugural game on November 22, 1887, the Irish lost to Michigan by a score of 8–0.[9] Their first win came in the final (and only) game of the 1888 season, when the Irish defeated Harvard Prep School of Chicago by a score of 20–0.[10][11] Between 1887 and 1899, Notre Dame compiled a record of 31 wins, 15 losses, and four ties against a diverse variety of opponents, ranging from local high school teams to other universities.[11]

In 1894, James L. Morrison was hired as Notre Dame's first head football coach.[12] Notre Dame took a significant step toward respectability, prominence, and stability when they hired Morrison.[13] He wrote an acquaintance after his first day on the job: "I arrived here [Notre Dame] this morning and found about as green a set of football players that ever donned a uniform... They want to smoke, and when I told them that they would have to run and get up some wind, they thought I was rubbing it in on them....One big, strong cuss remarked that it was too much like work. Well, maybe you think I didn't give him hell! I bet you a hundred no one ever makes a remark like that again."[13] Morrison had been hired for $40 plus expenses for two weeks.[14]

In 1908, a win over Franklin saw end Fay Wood catch the first touchdown pass in Notre Dame history.[15] Notre Dame continued its success near the turn of the century and achieved their first victory over Michigan in 1909 by a score of 11–3, after which Michigan refused to play Notre Dame again for 33 years. By the end of the 1912 season, they had amassed a record of 108 wins, 31 losses, and 13 ties.[16]

 
Rockne running for a touchdown against Army, 1913

Jesse Harper became head coach in 1913, and remained so until he retired in 1917.[17] During his tenure the Irish began playing only intercollegiate games and posted a record of 34 wins, five losses, and one tie.[18] This period would also mark the beginning of the rivalry with Army, and the continuation of a rivalry with Michigan State.[19][20]

In 1913, Notre Dame burst into the national consciousness and helped to transform the collegiate game in a single contest. In an effort to gain respect for a regionally successful but small-time Midwestern football program, Harper scheduled games in his first season with national powerhouses Texas, Penn State, and Army.[21] On November 1, 1913, the Notre Dame squad stunned the Black Knights of the Hudson 35–13 in a game played at West Point.[22] Led by quarterback Gus Dorais and end Knute Rockne—who was soon to be a legendary coach—the Notre Dame team attacked the Cadets with an offense that featured both the expected powerful running game but also long and accurate downfield forward passes from Dorais to Rockne.[23][22] This game has been miscredited as the invention of the forward pass.[23] Before this contest, receivers would come to a full stop and wait for the ball to come to them, but in this contest Dorais threw to Rockne in stride, changing the forward pass from a seldom-used play into the dominant ball-moving strategy that it is today.[23][22]

Knute Rockne era (1918–1930)

 
Coach Knute Rockne

Irish assistant Knute Rockne became head coach in 1918.[24][25][26] Under Rockne, the Irish would post a record of 105 wins, 12 losses, and five ties.[27] The 105 wins account for 12.3% of all wins in Notre Dame football history.[28] During his 13 years, the Irish won three national championships, had five undefeated seasons, won the Rose Bowl in 1925,[29] and produced players such as George Gipp and the "Four Horsemen". Knute Rockne has the highest winning percentage (.881) in NCAA Division I/FBS football history.[28] Rockne's offenses employed the Notre Dame Box and his defenses ran a 7–2–2 scheme.[30][31]

Rockne took over in the war-torn season of 1918 and posted a 3–1–2 record;[32] he lost only to the Michigan Agricultural Aggies.[33] He made his coaching debut on September 28, 1918, against Case Tech in Cleveland, Ohio, and earned a 26–6 victory.[34] Leonard Bahan, George Gipp, and Curly Lambeau were in the backfield.[35][36] With Gipp, Rockne had an ideal handler of the forward pass.[37][38] The 1919 team had Rockne handle the line and Gus Dorais handle the backfield.[39] The team went undefeated and won the national championship.[40][41][42]

 
George Gipp, "The Gipper"

Gipp died at age 25 on December 14, 1920,[43] just two weeks after Walter Camp elected him as Notre Dame's first All-American.[44][43] Gipp likely contracted strep throat and pneumonia while giving punting lessons after his final game on November 20 against Northwestern.[44] Since antibiotics were not available in the 1920s, treatment options for such infections were limited and they could be fatal even to young, healthy individuals.[45] Rockne was speaking to Gipper on his hospital bed when he was purported to have delivered the famous, "Win one for the Gipper" line.[46][43][47][48][49]

 
Roger Kiley

John Mohardt led the 1921 Notre Dame team to a 10–1 record with 781 rushing yards, 995 passing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, and nine passing touchdowns.[50] Grantland Rice[51] wrote that "Mohardt could throw the ball to within a foot or two of any given space" and noted that the 1921 Notre Dame team "was the first team we know of to build its attack around a forward passing game, rather than use a forward passing game as a mere aid to the running game.”[52] Mohardt had both Eddie Anderson and Roger Kiley at end to receive his passes.[53][54]

The national champion 1924 team included the “Four Horsemen” backfield of Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley, and Elmer Layden.[55][56] The line was known as the “Seven Mules”.[57] The Irish capped an undefeated, 10–0 season with a victory over Stanford in the Rose Bowl.[58][29]

The 1926 team beat Army and was led by Christie Flanagan.[59][60] For all his success, Rockne also made what an Associated Press writer called “one of the greatest coaching blunders in history.”[61] Instead of coaching his team against Carnegie Tech, Rockne traveled to Chicago for the Army–Navy Game to "write newspaper articles about it, as well as select an All-America football team.”[61] Carnegie Tech used the coach's absence as motivation for a 19–0 win; the upset likely cost the Irish a chance for a national title.[61]

The 1928 team lost to national champion Georgia Tech.[62] “I sat at Grant Field and saw a magnificent Notre Dame team suddenly recoil before the furious pounding of one man–Peter Pund," said Rockne. “Nobody could stop him. I counted 20 scoring plays that this man ruined.”[63] Among the events that occurred during Rockne's tenure, none may be more famous than Rockne's Win one for the Gipper speech.[64] Army came into the 1928 matchup undefeated and was the clear favorite.[65] Notre Dame, on the other hand, was having their worst season under Rockne's leadership and entered the game with a 4–2 record.[65] At the end of the half Army was leading and looked to be in command of the game. Rockne entered the locker room and gave his account of Gipp's final words: “I've got to go, Rock. It's all right. I'm not afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are going wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy."[66] The speech inspired the team, and they went on to upset Army and win the game 12–6.[67]

The 1929 and 1930 teams both went undefeated,[68][69] winning national championships,[70][71] and the 1930 team was led by the likes of Frank Carideo, Joe Savoldi, Marchy Schwartz and Marty Brill.[71] It featured the first and only example of all four members of a backfield being named to an All-American team during the same season. The 1929 team played all of its games on the road, while the new Notre Dame Stadium was being built.[72] In 1930, “Jumping Joe” Savoldi scored the first Notre Dame touchdown in the new stadium on a 98-yard kickoff return.[73] Savoldi is also known as "the first hero in the lore of Notre Dame's Stadium" based on scoring three touchdowns in the official stadium dedication game against Navy the following week.[74] Rockne coached his last game on December 14, 1930, when he led a group of Notre Dame all-stars against the New York Giants in New York City.[75][76] The game[77] raised funds for the Mayor's Relief Committee for the unemployed and needy of the city. 50,000 fans turned out to see the reunited “Four Horsemen” along with players from Rockne's other championship teams take the field against the pros.[78]

On March 31, 1931, Rockne died at age 43 in the crash of a Transcontinental & Western Air airliner in Kansas; he was on his way to help in the production of the film The Spirit of Notre Dame.[79][80][81] The crash site is located in a remote expanse of Kansas known as the Flint Hills and now features a Rockne Memorial.[82] As Notre Dame's head coach from 1918 to 1930, Rockne posted what has remained for decades the all-time highest winning percentage (.881) for a football coach in the NCAA's flagship FBS division.[26][83] During his 13-year tenure as head coach of the Fighting Irish, Rockne collected 105 victories, 12 losses, 5 ties and 3 national championships.[27][84] Rockne also coached Notre Dame to five undefeated and untied seasons.[27][84]

Heartley Anderson (1931–1933)

Through game broadcasts via radio, Notre Dame football gained a nationwide following of “subway alumni”, Catholics who became fans whether or not they attended the university.[85] Former Saint Louis head coach Heartley “Hunk” Anderson was promoted from assistant coach and took the helm of the Irish after Knute Rockne's death, leading them to a record of 16 wins, nine losses, and two ties.[86] Anderson was a former Irish player under Rockne and was serving as an assistant coach at the time of Rockne's death. Anderson resigned as Irish head coach after the 1933 season to accept the position of head football coach at NC State.[87]

Notre Dame finished 6–2–1 in 1931.[88] The Irish began the season with a 25–0 win over Indiana, ⁣[89][90] Notre Dame tied Northwestern in the season's second game.[91] Anderson's squad then demolished Drake by a score of 63–0.[92] After defeating Pittsburgh by a score of 25–12,[93] the Fighting Irish shut out their next three opponents: Carnegie Mellon,[90] Pennsylvania[94] and Navy.[95] The Irish lost a heartbreaker by a score of 16–14 to USC on November 21 that snapped the Irish's 26-game non-losing streak.[96] Army shut out the Irish by a score of 12–0 on November 28 to finish the Irish's season.[97] The Irish went 7–2 in 1932.[98] Anderson's team began with three blowout victories: 73–0 over Haskell, ⁣[99] 62–0 over Drake[100] and 42–0 over Carnegie Mellon.[101] The Irish then faced Pittsburgh in front of a then-record crowd of 62,000, losing by a score of 12–0.[102] Notre Dame bounced back to win its next four: 24–6 over Kansas, ⁣[103] 21–0 over Northwestern, ⁣[104] 12–0 over Navy[105] and 21–0 over Army in front of a new record crowd on 80,000.[106] Anderson's Irish closed the season on a sour note, losing to USC by a score of 13–0.[107] 1933 was a tough year for the Irish as they finished with a 3–5–2 record.[108] Notre Dame began the season in a scoreless tie with Kansas.[109] After defeating Indiana by a score of 12–2,[110] ND suffered a four-game losing streak, failing to score a point in all four losses to Carnegie Mellon,[111] Pittsburgh,[110] Navy,[110] and Purdue.[112] Notre Dame ended the losing streak by defeating Northwestern by a score of 7–0.[113] The Fighting Irish closed the season with a 19–0 loss to USC[114] and a 13–12 win over Army.[67]

Elmer Layden (1934–1940)

Anderson was replaced by Elmer Layden, who was one of Rockne's “Four Horsemen” in the 1920s.[115][116] After graduating, Layden played professional football for one year and then began a coaching career.[115][116] The Irish posted a record of 47 wins, 13 losses, and three ties in seven years under Layden,[117] the most successful record of a Notre Dame coach not to win a national championship.[116] He left Notre Dame after the 1940 season to become Commissioner of the National Football League.[116][115]

Layden's 1935 squad posted one of the greatest wins in school history by rallying to defeat Ohio State by a score of 18–13.[118][119] His 1938 team finished 8–1,[120] losing only to USC in the season finale.[121] This loss cost them a possible consensus national championship, but the team was named national champion by the Dickinson System.[122] Like Rockne before him, Layden was a goodwill ambassador for Notre Dame during his time as head coach.[123][124] He was able to schedule a home-and-home series with Michigan after meeting with Fielding H. Yost, healing a rift between the two schools.[125] The two teams had not met since 1909, when, after eight straight losses to the Wolverines, the Irish posted their first win.[126][127] They were scheduled to meet again in 1910, but Michigan canceled the game and refused to play the Irish again.[127] By the time they met again in 1943, Layden had left Notre Dame and Frank Leahy had taken his place.[127] Unlike the easygoing Layden, Leahy was intense, and after the Irish had thrashed Michigan by a score of 35–12 in 1943,[128][129][130] Wolverine coach and athletic director Fritz Crisler never scheduled the Irish again.[127]

Frank Leahy era (1941–1953)

 
Coach Leahy

Boston College head coach Frank Leahy was hired by Notre Dame to take over for Layden in 1941, and was another former Irish player who played during the Rockne era.[131] After graduating from Notre Dame, Leahy held several coaching positions, including line coach of the "Seven Blocks of Granite" of Fordham University that helped that team win all but two of their games between 1935 and 1937.[131] He then coached the Boston College Eagles to a win in the 1941 Sugar Bowl and a share of the national championship.[132][133][134] His move to Notre Dame began a new period of gridiron success for the Irish, and ensured Leahy's place among the winningest coaches in the history of college football.[135]

Leahy coached the team for 11 seasons, from 1941 to 1943 and 1946 to 1953.[131] He has the second-highest winning percentage (.864) of any college coach in history.[135] He led the Irish to a record of 87 wins, 11 losses, and nine ties including 39 consecutive games without a loss (37–0–2),[136][135] four national championships, ⁣[135] and six undefeated seasons.[136] A fifth national championship was lost because of a 1953 tie against Iowa, ⁣[137] in a game that featured 1953 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lattner[138] that caused a minor scandal at the time, when it appeared that some Irish players had faked injuries to stop the clock, leading some to nickname those players the “Fainting Irish”.[137][139][140] From 1944 to 1945, Leahy served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was honorably discharged as a Captain.[141] Edward McKeever, Leahy's assistant coach, became interim head coach when Leahy left for the Navy.[142] During his one year at the helm (1944) the Irish managed 8 wins and 2 losses.[143] McKeever left Notre Dame in 1945 to take over as head coach of Cornell.[144] He was replaced by Hugh Devoré for the 1945 season who led the Irish to a 7–2–1 record.[145]

Leahy retired in 1954 reportedly due to health issues.[146] Perhaps the best example of this occurred during the Georgia Tech game in 1953. Leahy fell ill during the game, which led to him collapsing during halftime.[147][self-published source] The situation was so dire that a priest was called in to give Leahy the last rites.[148] However, Leahy recovered, and the consequent diagnosis was that he was suffering from nervous tension and pancreatitis.[149]

Terry Brennan (1954–1958)

The departure of Frank Leahy ushered in a downward slope in Notre Dame's performance, referred to in various circles as a period of de-emphasis.[150] 25-year-old assistant coach Terry Brennan was hired as Frank Leahy's successor as the Notre Dame head coach in 1954 and would stay until 1958.[151] When asked if he thought he was too young to be a head coach at the age of 25, Brennan replied, "Oh, I don't know. I'll be 26 in a few months.”[152][153] He departed with a total of 32 wins and 18 losses.[154] But note: the 32 wins included 17 in 1954 and 1955. From 1956 to 1958 his record was 15–15. Brennan was a former player under Leahy and before joining the Irish had coached the Mount Carmel High School team in Chicago and later the freshman squad and assistant at Notre Dame.[151] His first two seasons the Irish were ranked fourth and ninth respectively.[151][155] It was the 1956 season that began to darken his reputation, for it became one of the most dismal in the team's history and saw them finish the season with a mere two wins, including losses to Michigan State, Oklahoma, and Iowa.[156] One bright spot in the 1956 season was the awarding of the Heisman Trophy to Paul Hornung, who would go on to a legendary NFL career with the Green Bay Packers.[157] To date, Hornung is the only Heisman winner to win the award while playing for a team that had a losing record.[157] The Irish would recover the following season, posting a record of 7–3[158] and including in their wins a stunning upset of Oklahoma, that ended the Sooners' still-standing record of 47 consecutive wins.[159] In Brennan's final season, though, the Irish finished 6–4.[160] Brennan was fired in mid-December.[161] Brennan's tenure can only be properly framed with the understanding that in a time of zero scholarship limitations in college football, Notre Dame's administration inexplicably began a process of deemphasizing football, severely cutting scholarships and hindering Brennan from building a roster of any meaningful depth.[162]

Joe Kuharich (1959–1963)

Former San Francisco, Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins head coach Joe Kuharich took the head coaching position at Notre Dame in 1959, realizing a longtime ambition to return to his alma mater.[163][164] He had earlier been courted by Notre Dame after the 1956 season, after the Irish is finished 2–8,[165] but before he had a chance to accept an offer, Terry Brennan was given a reprieve.[166] He brought a professional touch to Irish football, putting shamrocks on the players' helmets and shoulder stripes on their jerseys.[166] Kuharich compiled a 17–23 record over four non-winning seasons and remains to this day the only coach ever to have an overall losing record at Notre Dame.[167] Included was a school-record eight-game losing streak in 1960, a year in which the Irish is finished 2–8.[168] It was one of the worst stretches in program history. The consensus opinion was that Kuharich never made the adjustment from pro football to college football, attempting to use complicated pro coaching techniques with collegiate players, and never adapted to the limited substitution rules in effect at the time, having big, immobile linemen playing both ways in an era where smaller, quicker players were preferred.[169] He often said, “You win some, and you lose some”, and seemed perfectly content finishing 5–5 every year.[169] This did not sit well with the Irish faithful, who expected Notre Dame to beat everybody.[169] When the pressure of winning became too much to bear, Kuharich resigned in the spring of 1963 and assumed the post of supervisor of NFL officials.[166] Because it was so late in the spring, Hugh Devore was named head coach for the 1963 season while the search for a permanent replacement was being conducted.[170] The players that he recruited came to within 93 seconds of an undefeated season and a national championship in 1964 under first-year coach Ara Parseghian.[171] Despite his unsuccessful Notre Dame tenure, Kuharich remains the only Irish coach to post back-to-back shutouts over their greatest rival, the University of Southern California Trojans in 1960 (17–0) and 1961 (30–0).[172]

Kuharich was involved in a game whose controversial ending resulted in a rule change. In 1961, Notre Dame faced Syracuse at home and trailed, 15–14, with three seconds left to play.[173] A desperation 56-yard field goal attempt fell short as time ran out, and Syracuse appeared to have won the game.[173] But the Orangemen were penalized 15 yards for roughing the placekick holder, and given a second chance with no time showing on the clock, Notre Dame kicker Joe Perkowski drilled a 41-yard field goal for a 17–15 Irish victory.[173] Syracuse protested, claiming that under the existing rules, the second kick should not have been allowed because time had expired.[173] It never was clear whether the officials had erred in allowing the extra play, and the Irish victory was permitted to stand.[173] As a result of this game, the rule was clarified to state that a half cannot end on an accepted defensive foul—consistent with the officials' ruling in this game.[174]

Ara Parseghian era (1964–1974)

 
Ara Parseghian statue, dedicated September 22, 2007

In 1964, Ara Parseghian left his job as the Northwestern head football coach when he was hired to take over the coaching duties at Notre Dame.[175] He immediately brought the team back to a level of success in Irish football history that was comparable only to Rockne and Leahy. These three coaches have an 80% or greater winning percentage while at Notre Dame – Rockne at .881, Leahy at .864, and Parseghian at .836. Parseghian's teams never won fewer than seven nor lost more than three games during the ten-game regular seasons of the era.[176]

In his first year, the Irish improved their record to 9–1, but they lost the national championship in the last game of the season at USC when Craig Fertig connected with a touchdown pass to Rod Sherman.[177] Parseghian earned coach of the year honors from the American Football Coaches Association, the Football Writers Association, and The Sporting News, as well as several others, and a cover story in Time magazine.[178][179] Parseghian was also named coach of the year by several selectors in his national championship years of 1966 and 1973 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980.[180][181] It was under Parseghian as well that Notre Dame lifted its 40-plus year-old "no bowl games" policy,[182] beginning with the season of 1969, after which the Irish played the No. 1 Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic, losing in the final minutes in a closely contested game.[183] The following year, Parseghian's 9–1 squad[184] ended Texas' Southwest Conference record 30-game winning streak in the 1971 Cotton Bowl.[183]

During his eleven-year career, the Irish amassed a record of 95–17–4 and captured two national championships as well as the MacArthur Bowl in 1964.[176][185] The Irish also had undefeated seasons in 1966 and 1973,[186][187] had three major bowl wins in five appearances, and produced one Heisman Trophy winner (John Huarte in 1964).[188] In 1971, Cliff Brown became the first African-American quarterback to start a game for the program.[189] Due to health issues, Parseghian was forced to retire from coaching after the 1974 season.[190]

Dan Devine era (1975–1980)

 
Coach Devine

Dan Devine was hired to take over as head coach upon Parseghian's departure from Notre Dame in 1975.[191] Devine was already a highly successful coach and had led Arizona State, Missouri, and the NFL's Green Bay Packers.[191] Devine had been a leading candidate for the head coaching job at Notre Dame in 1964, when Ara Parseghian was hired.[192] When approached for the job following Parseghian's resignation, Devine accepted immediately, joking that it was probably the shortest job interview in history.[193] When he arrived at Notre Dame he already had a college coaching record of 120 wins, 40 losses, and eight ties and had led his teams to victory in four bowl games.[194] At Notre Dame he would lead the Irish to 53 wins, 16 losses, and a tie as well as three bowl victories.[194]

His lasting achievement came midway through this run when Notre Dame won the 1977 national championship, led by junior quarterback Joe Montana.[195] The championship season climaxed with a 38–10 win in the 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic over previously top-ranked Texas, led by Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell.[196] The win vaulted the Irish from fifth to first in the polls. Earlier in the season, before the annual game against USC, played at home on October 22, Devine changed the team's jerseys from navy blue & white to kelly green & gold, later known as the “green jersey game” resulting in a 49–19 victory over the Trojans.[197] The Irish continued to wear green for the rest of Devine's tenure at the school.[197]

Like Joe Kuharich before him, Devine was involved in a game while at Notre Dame whose ending resulted in a rule change still in effect today.[198] On September 15, 1979, the Irish faced the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor in their season opener.[199] With six seconds remaining, Michigan lined up for a game-winning field goal attempt. Notre Dame linebacker Bob Crable ran onto the backs of offensive lineman Tim Foley and defensive end Scott Zettek and was able to block the kick, preserving a 12–10 Irish victory.[199] A new rule was implemented the following season that prohibited this tactic.[198]

Because he had the unenviable task of following a legend, Devine came under heavy scrutiny while at Notre Dame, and it was felt that he was never fully embraced by the Notre Dame community, despite winning a national championship.[200] After a 5–2 start in his first season, rumors of incompetence were circulated and that Devine would be dismissed and replaced by Don Shula or even Ara Parseghian (who went so far as to say he would not return to Notre Dame under any circumstances).[201] Even on the day of the 1977 USC game, “Dump Devine” bumper stickers were being sold outside Notre Dame Stadium.[201] He also had the notoriety of losing to his old program, a shocking 3–0 loss to the Tigers at South Bend in 1978. It was not until after Devine had left Notre Dame that the fans began to appreciate him.[202][203]

On August 15, 1980, Devine announced that he would be leaving Notre Dame at the end of the season, saying he wanted to be able to spend more time with his wife.[200] He moved back to Arizona and became a fundraiser for Arizona State University's Sun Devil Foundation.[200] In 1985, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, and then returned to his old school at Missouri seven years later as athletic director to help navigate the school through financial troubles.[200] Devine was inducted into the inaugural class of the University of Minnesota Duluth Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.[204]

Gerry Faust (1981–1985)

Gerry Faust was hired to replace Devine in 1981.[205] Prior to Notre Dame, Faust had been one of the more successful high school football coaches in the country.[206] As coach of Moeller High School in Cincinnati he amassed a 174–17–2 record over 19 seasons.[206] Many of his players had gone on to play for Notre Dame; indeed, when he arrived in South Bend, he was reunited with nine of his former players from Moeller.

Despite his success in the high school ranks, Faust's success at Notre Dame was mixed and his record mediocre at best. In his first season, the Irish is finished 5–6.[207] In Faust's second season, Notre Dame improved slightly to 6–4–1.[208] The most successful years under Faust were the 1983 and 1984 campaigns where the Irish is finished 7–5 and made trips to the Liberty Bowl and Aloha Bowl respectively.[209][210] His final record at Notre Dame was 30–26–1.[211] To avoid being fired, Faust resigned at the end of the 1985 season, following fan cries of “Oust Faust”.[212][213] He announced his resignation prior to the final game of the year, where Notre Dame suffered a humiliating 58–7 loss at Miami; Allen Pinkett scored the Irish TD. Faust proceeded to take over as head coach at Akron.[214]

Lou Holtz era (1986–1996)

 
Coach Holtz
See also: 1988 Notre Dame vs. Miami football game

Lou Holtz had 17 years of head coaching experience by the time he was hired to lead the Irish, having served as[215] head coach of William & Mary, North Carolina State, the NFL's New York Jets, Arkansas, and Minnesota.[215] Holtz began in 1986 where his predecessor left off in 1985, finishing with an identical record of 5 wins and 6 losses.[216] However, unlike the 1985 squad, which was generally outcoached and outplayed, Holtz's 1986 edition was competitive in nearly every game, losing five out of those six games by a combined total of 14 points. That would be his only losing season as he posted a record of 95–24–2 over the next ten seasons, adding up to a 100–30–2 record overall.[217][218]

In 1987, Holtz led the Irish to an 8–4 record.[219] Notre Dame's best player was star wide receiver Tim Brown, who would win the Heisman Trophy that season and is Notre Dame's seventh and last Heisman winner to date.[220][221] The season began with the Irish defeating No. 9 Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, by a score of 26–7.[222] The next week, the Irish defeated No. 17 Michigan State by a score of 31–8.[223] After defeating Purdue,[224] the Irish lost to Pittsburgh and lost starting quarterback Terry Andrysiak to injury during the game.[225] With sophomore quarterback Tony Rice under center, the Irish reeled off five straight wins, beginning with Air Force,[226] then USC,[227] Navy,[228] Boston College[229] and No. 10 Alabama.[230] Notre Dame would then lose their last three to close the season, starting with Penn State,[231] then No. 2 Miami[232] and Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.[233]

In contrast to Faust, Holtz was well known as a master motivator and a strict disciplinarian.[234][235] The tone was set with Holtz's first meeting with his team as Irish head coach in 1986, immediately demanding his players sit up straight in their chairs and look him in the eye as he spoke.[236] He displayed the latter trait in spades when two of his top contributing players showed up late for dinner right before the then top-ranked Irish played second-ranked USC in the final regular season game of 1988.[237] In a controversial move, coach Lou Holtz took his 10–0 Irish squad to Los Angeles without stars Ricky Watters and Tony Brooks, who he suspended for disciplinary reasons.[238] This was not the first time these players had gotten into trouble and the players had been warned there would be serious consequences if it happened again.[239] His move was vindicated when the Irish defeated USC anyway.[238] Holtz was named national coach of the year (Paul “Bear” Bryant Award) in 1988,[215] the same season he took Notre Dame to an upset of No. 1 Miami in the Catholics vs. Convicts series[240] and a win over No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl, thus capturing the national championship.[241] The Irish is finished a perfect 12–0 in 1988, its last undefeated season and national championship to date.[242][243]

Occasionally, despite his lack of success with the N.Y. Jets, he was rumored to be leaving Notre Dame for the NFL. Following a 6–10 season in 1990 and an 8–8 showing in 1991, the Minnesota Vikings were rumored to replace Jerry Burns with Holtz. However, Holtz denied these rumors each of those two seasons. Holtz remained at Notre Dame; the Vikings, meanwhile, hired Dennis Green to replace the retired Jerry Burns.[244][245] Holtz nearly replaced Green five years later after retiring from Notre Dame.[246][247]

 
The 1988 national champion Fighting Irish visited President Ronald Reagan in the White House in January 1989.

In 1989, Holtz led the Irish to a 12–1 record.[248] The Irish began the season in the Kickoff Classic game in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against Virginia.[249] The Irish won by a score of 36–13.[250] Next, top-ranked Notre Dame defeated No. 2 Michigan by a score of 24–19.[251] That was followed by wins over Michigan State, ⁣[252] Purdue, ⁣[253] Stanford, ⁣[254] No. 17 Air Force, ⁣[255] No. 9 USC, ⁣[256] No. 7 Pittsburgh, ⁣[257] Navy, ⁣[258] SMU[259] and No. 17 Penn State.[260] The Irish would lose to No. 7 Miami the following week, ending Notre Dame's 23-game winning streak.[261] Holtz would lead the Irish to a victory in the Orange Bowl over No. 1 Colorado to end the season.[262]

Holtz led the Fighting Irish to a 9–3 record in 1990.[263] The season began with a No. 1 ranking and a victory over No. 4 Michigan by a score of 28–24.[264] The Irish defeated No. 24 Michigan State the following week[265] then beat Purdue.[266] The Irish would suffer its first defeat of the season the next week, losing to Stanford by a score of 36–31.[267] The Irish would rebound to post five consecutive wins, defeating Air Force,[268] No. 2 Miami,[269] Pittsburgh,[270] Navy[271] and No. 9 Tennessee.[272][273] After losing 24–21 to No. 22 Penn State, ⁣[274] the Irish defeated USC by a score of 10–6 in the regular season finale.[275] The Irish would get a rematch with Colorado in the Orange Bowl but would lose by a score of 10–9.[276]

The Fighting Irish would go 10–3 in 1991.[277] After defeating Indiana to open the season, ⁣[278] the Irish lost to No. 4 Michigan by a score of 24–14.[279] The Irish won their next seven, defeating Michigan State,[280] Purdue,[281] Stanford,[282] No. 12 Pittsburgh,[283] Air Force,[284] USC[285] and Navy.[286] The Irish would suffer a defeat to No. 13 Tennessee at home, blowing a 24-point lead to lose by a score of 35–34.[287] Notre Dame would then lose back-to-back games for the first time since 1987 when they lost to unranked Penn State, their first loss to an unranked opponent as well since 1987.[288] The Irish would close out the regular season with a victory over Hawaii by a score of 48–42.[289] The Irish would receive a berth in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, where they defeated Florida by a score of 39–28.[290]

In 1992, Notre Dame finished 10–1–1.[291] After defeating Northwestern to start the season, ⁣[292] the Fighting Irish tied No. 5 Michigan, their first tie of the Holtz era.[293] After defeating Michigan State[294] and Purdue,[295] the Irish lost to No. 19 Stanford by a score of 33–16.[296] Notre Dame would win out for the rest of the season, defeating Pittsburgh, ⁣[297] BYU, ⁣[298] Navy, ⁣[299] No. 9 Boston College, ⁣[300] No. 21 Penn State, ⁣[301] No. 23 USC[302] and the Cotton Bowl against No. 3 Texas A&M.[303]

The Irish would enjoy another successful season in 1993, finishing the season at 11–1.[304] After scoring 27 points in wins over Northwestern[305] and No. 2 Michigan[306] to start the season, the Irish defeated Michigan State,[307] Purdue,[308] Pittsburgh,[309] BYU,[310] USC,[311] Navy[312] and No. 1 Florida State.[313] However, a loss to No. 12 Boston College on a game-winning field goal as time expired by a score of 41–39 ended the Irish's national championship aspirations.[314] The Irish would face a rematch with No. 6 Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl to finish the season, a game the Irish won by a score of 24–21.[315]

In 1994, Holtz led Notre Dame to a 6–5–1 record, the Irish's worst record since Holtz's first season in 1986.[316] The Irish would begin by defeating Northwestern[317] but would lose to No. 5 Michigan by a score of 26–24.[318] The Irish defeated Michigan State the following week by a score of 21–20.[319] After wins over Purdue[320] and Stanford, ⁣[321] the Irish would lose three of their next four to drop out of the rankings for the first time since 1986. After beating Navy,[322] the Fighting Irish lost to No. 6 Florida State by a score of 23–16.[323] After beating Air Force,[324] Notre Dame tied USC[325] and lost to No. 5 Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl by a score of 41–24.[326]

The Irish would improve to 9–3 in 1995.[327] Despite getting upset by Northwestern to begin the season,[328] the Irish won their next three, defeating Purdue,[329] Vanderbilt (a game in which Coach Holtz missed because of a health issue and defensive coordinator Bob Davie filled in as head coach for the game),[330][331] and No. 10 Texas.[332] After losing to No. 6 Ohio State,[118] the Irish reeled off six straight wins, defeating No. 15 Washington,[333] Army,[334] No. 5 USC,[335] Boston College,[336] Navy[337] and Air Force.[338] The Irish finished the 1995 campaign by losing to No. 8 Florida State in the Orange Bowl.[339]

Lou Holtz's last season at Notre Dame in 1996 resulted in an 8–3 record.[340] After defeating Vanderbilt,[341][342] Purdue[343] and No. 8 Texas,[344] the Irish lost to No. 4 Ohio State.[345] Notre Dame would finish the season with a win over No. 16 Washington,[346] a loss to Air Force in overtime,[347] a win over Navy,[348] a win over Boston College,[349] a win over Pittsburgh,[350] a win over Rutgers[351] and an overtime loss to USC, snapping the Irish's 13-game non-losing streak against the Trojans.[352]

Holtz's option offense, which helped catapult Notre Dame to many victories in the late 1980s and early 1990s, also helped rack up impressive recruiting classes. During the 1989 season, Holtz had the following future NFL players on offense: QB Rick Mirer,[353] RB Ricky Watters,[354] RB Anthony Johnson,[355] RB Rodney Culver,[356] RB Dorsey Levens,[357] and WR Raghib Ismail.[358] In 1990, he added RB Jeff Burris (who would later move to Safety),[359] FB Jerome Bettis[360] and TE Irv Smith.[361] 1991 saw the additions of RB Reggie Brooks[362] and FB Ray Zellars.[363] 1992 saw the addition of WR Derrick Mayes.[364] For 1993, he added FB Marc Edwards.[365] In 1995, he added RB Autry Denson.[366] From the 1987–1991 NFL Drafts, there were 33 Notre Dame players selected.[367] From the 1992–1995 NFL Drafts, there were 32 Notre Dame players selected.[368]

Overall, Holtz took Notre Dame to one undefeated season, nine consecutive New Year's Day bowl games, and top 10 finishes in the AP poll in five seasons.[369] Holtz retired from Notre Dame following the 1996 season,[285] but would unretire in 1999 to accept the head coaching position at South Carolina where he would serve until the completion of the 2004 season.[370][371]

Bob Davie (1997–2001)

 
Coach Davie

Bob Davie, who had been Holtz's defensive coordinator from 1994 to 1996, was promoted to head coach when Holtz retired.[372] Davie, who turned down a head coaching offer from Purdue to accept the Irish's head coaching position,[373] was a well-respected defensive mind who had also served as defensive coordinator at Tulane and Texas A&M.[374] Davie had also filled in as head coach for one game during the 1995 season when Lou Holtz was dealing with a health issue.[330] One of his first major decisions was to fire long-time offensive line coach Joe Moore, who then successfully sued the university for age discrimination.[375] On Davie's watch, the team suffered three bowl game losses (1997 Independence Bowl,[376] 1999 Gator Bowl,[377] and 2001 Fiesta Bowl),[378] and it failed to qualify for a bowl game in two others (1999 and 2001). The highlight of Davie's tenure was a 36–20 upset win in 1998 over No. 5 Michigan, the defending national champions.[379] Davie's Irish also posted a 25–24 home victory over USC in 1999.[380] Davie nearly defeated top ranked Nebraska in 2000, with the Irish comeback bid falling short in overtime 27–24.[381] The aforementioned 2001 Fiesta Bowl was Notre Dame's first invitation to the Bowl Championship Series. The Irish lost by 32 points to Oregon State,[382] but would finish No. 15 in the AP Poll, Davie's highest ranking as head coach.[383] The 2001 squad was awarded the American Football Coaches Association Achievement Award for its 100% graduation rate.[384]

On December 17, 1999, Notre Dame was placed on probation by the NCAA for the only time in its history.[385][386] The association's Committee on Infractions found two series of violations.[386] The New York Times reported "the main one involved the actions of a booster, Kimberly Dunbar, who lavished gifts on football players with money she later pleaded guilty to embezzling.”[385][386] In the second series of events, a football player was accused of trying to sell several complimentary game tickets and of using others as repayment of a loan.[385][386] The player was also said "to have been romantically involved with a woman (not Dunbar), a part-time tutor at the university, who wrote a term paper for another player for a small fee and provided players with meals, lodging and gifts."[385] The Dunbar violation began while Lou Holtz was head coach: “According to the NCAA committee report, Dunbar, the woman at the center of the more serious violations, had become romantically involved with several Notre Dame football players from June 1995 to January 1998 and had a child with one, Jarvis Edison.”[385] Notre Dame was placed on probation for two years and lost one of its 85 football scholarships each year in what the Times termed “minor” penalties.[385][386]

Following the 1998 season, the team fell into a pattern of frustrating inconsistency and alternated between successful and mediocre seasons. Despite Davie's rocky tenure, new athletic director Kevin White gave the coach a contract extension following the Fiesta Bowl-capped 2000 season,[387] then saw the team start 0–3 in 2001 – the first such start in school history.[388] Disappointed by the on-field results, coupled with the Joe Moore and Kim Dunbar scandals, the administration decided to dismiss Davie after the 2001 season.[389] His final record at Notre Dame was 35–25.[390] After departing Notre Dame, Davie accepted an offer from ESPN to serve as a play-by-play broadcast college football analyst, a position he would hold for ten years before New Mexico hired him to be their head football coach in December 2011.[391][392][393]

George O'Leary controversy

On December 9, 2001, Notre Dame hired George O'Leary, the head coach at Georgia Tech, to replace Davie.[394] However, while researching a "local boy done good" story on O'Leary, New Hampshire Union Leader reporter Jim Fennell uncovered misrepresentations in O'Leary's resume that had influenced the administration's decision to hire him.[395] The resulting media scandal embarrassed Notre Dame officials, and tainted O'Leary; he resigned five days later, before coaching a single practice, recruiting a single player, or hiring a single assistant coach.[396] O'Leary's tenure is the shortest of any head coach in FBS history.[397] O'Leary would go on to become the head football coach at the University of Central Florida.[398]

Tyrone Willingham (2002–2004)

Once again in need of a new head coach, the school turned to Tyrone Willingham, the head coach at Stanford.[399] Willingham's hiring made him the first African American head coach in Notre Dame football history. Bringing a feeling of change and excitement to campus, Willingham led the 2002 squad to a 10–2 regular season record, ⁣[400] including an 8–0 start with wins over No. 7 Michigan[401] and No. 11 Florida State,[402] and a No. 4 ranking. This great early start, however, would be the lone highlight of Willingham's tenure, as Notre Dame finished the year with a heart-breaking loss to Boston College,[403] then lopsided losses to USC[404] and North Carolina State in the Gator Bowl.[405] The program faltered over the next two seasons under Willingham, compiling an 11–12 record.[406] During this time, Notre Dame lost a game by at least 30 points on five occasions. Furthermore, Willingham's 2004 recruiting class was judged by analysts to be the worst at Notre Dame in more than two decades.[407] Citing Notre Dame's third consecutive four-touchdown loss to arch-rival USC[408] compounded by another year of sub-par recruiting efforts, the Willingham era ended on November 30, 2004 (after the conclusion of the 2004 season) when the university chose to terminate him and pay out the remainder of Willingham's six-year contract.[409] Willingham would not be unemployed for long, however, as he would accept the head coaching position at Washington two weeks after he was fired by the Irish.[410]

Charlie Weis (2005–2009)

 
Coach Weis

After Willingham's firing, Notre Dame initially pursued Utah head coach Urban Meyer, who had been an Irish assistant from 1996 to 2000.[411] After Meyer accepted the Florida head coaching position and turned down the Irish,[412] Charlie Weis left the NFL's New England Patriots, where he won three Super Bowls as offensive coordinator,[413] to become head football coach for the Irish beginning with the 2005 season.[414] Weis' hiring as the Irish's 30th head football coach made him the first Notre Dame graduate to hold the football head coaching position on a full-fledged basis since Joe Kuharich (a 1938 Notre Dame graduate).[415]

In his inaugural season he led Notre Dame to a record of 9–3,[416] including an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, where they were defeated by the Ohio State Buckeyes 34–20.[417] In the first half of the first game (against Pittsburgh), Notre Dame had gained more offensive yards than it had in five games combined, during the previous season.[418] On September 25, Weis and the Irish traveled to Seattle, Washington, to face Washington and former head coach Tyrone Willingham, who was hired by the Huskies to be their head coach two weeks after getting fired at Notre Dame.[419][420] The Irish won by a score of 36–17.[419] Quarterback Brady Quinn would go on to break numerous team passing records that season and rise to the national spotlight, by holding 35 Notre Dame records as well as becoming a top Heisman Trophy contender.[421] Wide receiver Jeff Samardzija would be the team's leading receiver and would go on to a successful career in Major League Baseball as a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants.[422] Tight end Anthony Fasano would be another key offensive player during the 2005 season who would go on to an NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans.[423] During the 2005 season, Notre Dame signed Weis to a big raise and ten-year contract extension that was set to keep the coach in South Bend through the 2015 season.[424]

Weis and the Irish went into the 2006 season with a No. 2 preseason ranking in the ESPN/Coaches Poll.[425] They finished the regular season with a 10–2 record,[426] losing only to Michigan[427] and USC.[428] Notre Dame accepted a bid to the 2007 Sugar Bowl, losing to LSU 41–14.[429] This marked their ninth consecutive post-season loss, the longest drought in NCAA history.[430] As a result, Notre Dame dropped to No. 17 in the final rankings.[431][432]

In the wake of a graduating class that sent eleven players to the NFL,[433] the 2007 season (3–9)[434] included various negative milestones: the most losses in a single year (9);[435] two of the ten worst losses ever (38–0 losses to both Michigan[436] and USC);[437] and the first six-game losing streak for home games.[438] The Naval Academy recorded their first win over the Irish since 1963, breaking the NCAA-record 43-game streak.[439]

In 2008, the Irish started 4–1, but completed the regular season with a 6–6 record,[440] including a 24–23 home loss to Syracuse, the first time that Notre Dame had fallen to an eight-loss team.[441] Quarterback Jimmy Clausen would be the team's star player, completing over 60% of his passes his sophomore season in 2008.[442][443] Despite speculation the university might fire Weis, it was announced he would remain head coach.[444] Weis's Notre Dame squad ended the season breaking the Irish's NCAA record nine-game bowl losing streak by beating Hawaii, 49–21, in the Hawaii Bowl.[445] After the 2008 season, offensive coordinator Mike Haywood left to accept the head coaching position at Miami (OH).[446][447] Instead of hiring a replacement, Weis elected to assume offensive coordinator duties himself, which included calling the plays.[448][449]

Charlie Weis entered the 2009 season with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth.[450] Notre Dame started the first part of the season 4–2, with close losses to Michigan[451] and USC.[452] Many of their wins were also close, aside from a 35–0 victory over Nevada[453] and a 40–14 defeat of Washington State.[454] Sitting at 6–2, however, Notre Dame lost a close game at Notre Dame Stadium to Navy, 23–21.[455] This loss was the second to Navy in the last three years, and would be the first loss in a four-game losing streak to finish the season. The following week, Notre Dame lost to No. 8 Pittsburgh,[456] then lost to UConn at home in double overtime on senior day.[457] The Irish lost to Stanford the last week of the season by a score of 45–38.[458] Quarterback Jimmy Clausen and wide receiver Golden Tate would forgo their senior seasons and enter the NFL Draft.[459]

Weis was fired on November 30, 2009, exactly five years after his predecessor.[460] According to Weis' buyout, he was to be paid $6 million then $2.05 million annually until the contract ran out in December 2015 for a total of about $19 million.[461] During that time, Weis made more money annually not to coach the Irish than his successor, Brian Kelly, made to coach the team.[462] After leaving Notre Dame, Weis would serve as offensive coordinator for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs in 2010 as well as Florida under Will Muschamp in 2011 before accepting the head coaching position at Kansas in December 2011.[413] His hiring made him the fifth consecutive former Notre Dame head coach (sixth counting George O'Leary) to be hired as head coach by another FBS school, joining Gerry Faust (Akron), Lou Holtz (South Carolina), Bob Davie (New Mexico) and Tyrone Willingham (Washington).[463] O'Leary was hired by UCF.[464]

Brian Kelly era (2010–2021)

 
Coach Kelly

Brian Kelly became the 29th head coach of the Fighting Irish on December 10, 2009, after coaching Cincinnati to a 12–0 record and BCS bowl-game berth, but he left the team before the bowl game.[465] In his first season, Kelly led the Fighting Irish to an 8–5 record.[466] Tragedy struck early in the season when Declan Sullivan, a junior working for the athletic department, died while filming a practice on a scissor lift in dangerously high winds.[467] Dayne Crist started the season at quarterback but was injured for a second consecutive year, this time in the Tulsa game, which the Irish lost.[468] Kelly turned to freshman quarterback Tommy Rees, who led the Irish to victories in the last three games against No. 14 Utah,[469] Army in Yankee Stadium,[470] and breaking an eight-year losing streak to USC in the LA Coliseum.[471] Kelly guided the Irish to a 33–17 win over Miami (FL) in the 2010 Sun Bowl to finish 2010 with an 8–5 record.[472][473] With senior wide out Michael Floyd returning for his senior season and an outstanding recruiting class that included several highly touted defensive linemen,[474]

Kelly and the Irish looked to improve on their 8–5 record from the prior year. However, an early season upset to a Skip Holtz-led South Florida team[475] and a last second loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor left the Irish at 0–2 to start the season.[476] The Irish bounced back to beat No. 15 Michigan State[477] and had two 4-game winning-streaks, with the only loss during that stretch coming at the hands of USC.[478] The Irish also broke Navy's 2-game winning streak over Notre Dame (2009–10).[479] Notre Dame finished the season with an 8–4 record but lost 18 – 14 to Florida State in the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl,[480][481] concluding the 2011 campaign with and 8–5 record overall, identical to the 2010 season.[482] In the team's losses, multiple turnovers from the quarterback position were often the culprit, and as a whole turnover at critical times in the game often derailed potential Irish comebacks. After the 2011 season, offensive coordinator Charley Molnar left ND to accept the head coaching position at UMass.[483] Safeties coach and recruiting coordinator Chuck Martin would move over to the offensive side of the ball as Molnar's replacement, running the offense.[484]

On September 12, 2012, during the football program's 125th season, Notre Dame announced that it would leave the Big East Conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), excluding the football and hockey programs.[485] This move became official on July 1, 2013, in time for the fall sports to compete within the ACC conference. While the Fighting Irish football team will remain an FBS independent, it has agreed to play five games per season against ACC teams starting with the 2014 football season, as the schedule allows. In return, Notre Dame will become eligible to participate in the ACC's sub-BCS level bowl arrangements.[486]

On November 18, 2012, Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 in the nation in both the AP and Coaches' polls after reaching 11–0 during the regular season for the first time since 1993, also ranking No. 1 in the BCS standings for the first time in the 14-year history of the selection system.[487] After defeating the University of Southern California Trojans on November 24, 2012,[488] Notre Dame concluded its first 12–0 regular season, and on December 2, 2012, the Irish were formally named to appear in the BCS National Championship Game for the first time in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. In that game, on January 7, 2013, the Irish lost to Alabama 42–14.[489]

Coming off the previous year's national title game appearance, the Fighting Irish were dealt a blow when 2012 starting quarterback Everett Golson was suspended from the university due to an academic violation.[490] Senior Tommy Rees then took over. Notre Dame's 2013 season ended with a record of 9–4[491] and a victory over Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl.[492] Notre Dame finished No. 20 in the AP poll.[493] After the 2013 season, offensive coordinator Chuck Martin left ND to accept the head coaching position at Miami (OH),[494][495] marking the second assistant coach to leave Kelly's staff to accept an FBS head coaching job. Mike Denbrock was promoted from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator to replace Martin.[496]

The 2014 season started off with 6 straight victories and a No. 5 national ranking heading into a showdown with No. 2 Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida.[497] FSU won that game 31–27, on a controversial offensive pass interference call that brought back a last second Notre Dame touchdown.[498] The Fighting Irish bounced back with a win against Navy[499] before dropping their final 4 games of the season. They did win the Music City Bowl by defeating the LSU Tigers and finished the season at an 8–5 record.[500][498] After the 2014 season, the Irish again changed offensive coordinators, as Mike Denbrock stepped down from the position due to prostate cancer and returned to coaching the team's receivers.[501]

The 2015 Fighting Irish began its season with another new offensive coordinator, Mike Sanford Jr.[502] That year's squad is arguably the most explosive offense that Brian Kelly has coached at Notre Dame. During the regular season, the Irish were one of twenty-one schools in the country to average 200 or more passing yards and rushing yards per game.[503] The Irish had fourteen plays of over 50 yards during the season, which ranked 13th in the country and was a school record. They also had two touchdowns of over 90 yards, (a 91-yard touchdown run by C. J. Prosise and a 98-yard touchdown run by Josh Adams). The Irish only had two in the previous 126 years of Notre Dame football. The running game was dominant. The 5.76 yards per carry were fifth in the country. They finished the regular season averaging 34 points per game, including a 62-point effort against UMass, the most points in a game since 1996. The Irish is finished their 2015 season with a 10–3 record,[504] a ranking of No. 11 in the AP and No. 12 in the Coaches' Poll and a Fiesta Bowl appearance, a loss to Ohio State.[505]

The 2016 season ended with a 4–8 record,[506] Brian Kelly's worst win–loss record at Notre Dame up to that point. The tone for the season was set early, with a double overtime loss to Texas in the season opener.[507] On September 24, Notre Dame lost to Duke by a score of 38–35.[508] Just 4 games into the season, Brian Kelly fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder.[509] Mike Elko was hired from Wake Forest as VanGorder's replacement.[510][511] After a 10–3 loss to NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina, during messy conditions due to Hurricane Matthew,[512] Kelly publicly called out his starting center over "poor snapping and atrocious play".[513] At the end of the season, starting quarterback DeShone Kizer declared for the NFL Draft[514] and backup quarterback Malik Zaire announced he would be transferring in the winter after graduation.[515] Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. left the ND staff after the season to accept the head coaching position at Western Kentucky, making him the third Irish OC under Kelly to accept an FBS head coaching position.[516] Chip Long was hired from Memphis as his replacement.[517] Mike Denbrock also departed the Notre Dame staff, accepting the offensive coordinator position at Cincinnati under new head coach Luke Fickell.[518][519] Amidst speculation that Kelly's job was in jeopardy and that Kelly was looking to leave Notre Dame, athletics director Jack Swarbrick announced that Kelly would return for the 2017 season.[520]

The 2017 season ended with a 10-3 record,[521] and a win in the Citrus Bowl over LSU. An early one-point loss to No. 2 Georgia set the tone for the first half of the season. The tough running of running back Josh Adams behind an experienced and talented offensive line allowed Notre Dame to string together 6 consecutive more-than-20-point victories against solid competition like No. 11 USC[522] and No. 14 NC State.[523] But a 41-8 loss to No. 7 Miami in South Florida on Nov 7, 2017 effectively ended the Irish hopes of a playoff run.[524] They went on to struggle in final games to Navy (W 24-17) and Stanford (L 20-38). The strong start and disappointing finish made for mixed feeling among Irish fans after the poor 2016 season.[525]

The 2018 season ended with a 12-1 record,[526] with the lone loss coming at the hands of the eventual National Champion Clemson Tigers in the Cotton Bowl. This season marked the first time in Notre Dame history that the team would be selected as one of the four teams to participate in the College Football Playoff, as the team was ranked No. 3 heading into the playoffs. After going 12-0 in the regular season, Notre Dame would go on to lose in the 2018 Cotton Bowl Classic by a score of 30-3.

Due to logistical issues created by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States (which resulted initially from the Big Ten and Pac-12 restricting non-conference games), Notre Dame reached an agreement to play a full ACC schedule for the 2020 season. They placed first in the standings and played in the ACC Championship Game. They lost to the Clemson Tigers, 34-10. They then played in the 2021 Rose Bowl, losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide.[527][528]

The 2021 campaign saw Kelly lead the Irish to an 11-1 record. Notre Dame's lone loss was at home against Cincinnati, Kelly's former team. The Irish secured wins against rivals, such as Purdue, USC, Navy, and Stanford.

Two days after the Irish beat Stanford, news leaked that Kelly would leave Notre Dame for LSU. Kelly had said a week prior that he would “never” leave Notre Dame.

Marcus Freeman era (2021–present)

On December 3, 2021, Marcus Freeman was named the 30th head coach of the Fighting Irish.[1] Freeman previously served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach of the Fighting Irish in 2021. Since the Fighting Irish are eligible, Freeman made his head coaching debut in the 2021 post-season where Notre Dame lost to Oklahoma State 37-35.[529]

Personnel

Coaching staff

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Name Position Consecutive season(s) at Notre Dame in current position Previous position
Tommy Rees Offensive coordinator 3rd Notre Dame – Quarterbacks (2017–2019)
Al Golden Defensive coordinator 1st Cincinnati Bengals – Linebackers (2021)
Brian Mason Special teams coordinator 1st Cincinnati – Special teams coordinator (2018–2021)
Harry Hiestand Offensive line 1st Chicago Bears – Offensive line (2018–2019)
Chansi Stuckey Wide receivers 1st Baylor – Wide receivers (2018–2021)
Deland McCullough Running backs 1st Indiana – Associate head coach & running backs (2021)
Gerad Parker Tight ends 1st West Virginia – Offensive coordinator/wide receivers (2020–2021)
Al Washington Defensive line/run game coordinator 1st Ohio State – Linebackers (2019–2021)
Mike Mickens Cornerbacks 1st Cincinnati – Cornerbacks (2018–2019)
Chris O'Leary Defensive backs/safeties 1st Florida Tech – Safeties (2017)
Matt Balis Director of football performance 6th UConn – Strength & conditioning (2014–2016)
Reference:[530]

Championships and distinctions

National championships

  • The three Dickinson System and eight wire service national championships make a total of 11, but Notre Dame is often credited with additional national championships.[citation needed] The 1938, 1953, and 1964 seasons are part of the reason for the discrepancy. In the 1938 season, 8–1 Notre Dame was awarded the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy and the national championship by the Dickinson System, while TCU (which finished 11–0) was awarded the championship by the Associated Press. In the 1953 season, an undefeated Notre Dame team (9–0–1) was named national champion by almost every major selector except the AP and UPI (coaches') polls,[533] where the Irish is finished second in both to 10–1 Maryland. In 1964 Notre Dame was named national champions by the National Football Foundation and awarded the MacArthur Bowl. As Notre Dame has a policy of only recognizing AP and Coaches' Poll national championships post-1936, the school does not officially recognize the 1938, 1953, or 1964 national championships.[533]
  • Beyond their eleven claimed national championships, Notre Dame has been named national champion by at least one NCAA-designated "major selector" in an additional eleven seasons: 1919, 1920, 1927, 1938, 1953, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1989, 1993, and 2012.[534][535]

Notre Dame's 11 claimed national championships are:

Year Coach Selector Record Bowl Final AP Final Coaches
1924 Knute Rockne Dickinson System 10–0 Won Rose – –
1929 9–0 – – –
1930 10–0 – – –
1943 Frank Leahy AP 9–1 – No. 1 –
1946 8–0–1 – –
1947 9–0 – –
1949 10–0 – –
1966 Ara Parseghian AP, Coaches 9–0–1 – No. 1
1973 AP 11–0 Won Sugar No. 4
1977 Dan Devine AP, Coaches 11–1 Won Cotton No. 1
1988 Lou Holtz 12–0 Won Fiesta
National Championships 11

Following its appearance in the 1925 Rose Bowl, Notre Dame did not play in a post-season game for 44 consecutive years (1925–1968), including after many of the team's most successful seasons from the Rockne era in the 1920s and the Leahy era in the 1940s. The university's stated reasons for its self-imposed hiatus were that bowl games were “glorified exhibitions” that played no part in national championship selections and that they extended the season too far to the detriment of players' academic progress.[536]

Appearances in the final Associated Press Poll

Notre Dame has made 715 appearances in the Associated Press poll over 71 seasons. Notre Dame has spent 496 weeks in the Top 10, 277 weeks in the Top 5, and 95 weeks at No. 1.[537] Notre Dame has finished the year ranked in the final Associated Press poll of the season 56 times:

Team awards

  • Bonniwell Trophy - National Champions as awarded by the Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 1924, 1929, 1930
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 1924, 1929, 1930
Notre Dame retained permanent ownership of the traveling Rissman Trophy following their third national championship.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 1929, 1930
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 1938
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 1949[538]
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 1964, 1966‡, 1973, 1977, 1988
‡ - co-champions with Michigan State
Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 1964, 1966‡
‡ - co-champions with Michigan State
Notre Dame Fighting Irish – 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988[539]
Notre Dame Fighting Irish – 2017[540]

Distinctions

  • As of 2020, Notre Dame has the fourth-highest winning percentage in NCAA Division I FBS (I-A) history (.728)(minimum 100 games of football).[541]
  • As of 2019, Notre Dame has produced the second most players drafted into the National Football League of any program in the country. As of the 2019 NFL draft, 511 players have been drafted.[542]
  • As of 2020, Notre Dame is fifth in wins among Division I-A/FBS programs (918), trailing Texas (923), Alabama (929), Ohio State (931), and Michigan (964).[543]
  • As of 2020, Notre Dame is tied for the fewest losses of any NCAA Division I program (329) that has been playing football for more than 100 years, with Oklahoma.[541]
  • As of 2020, Notre Dame has 109 winning seasons in 134 years of football, and only 15 losing seasons (including the 2012-2013 season which were posthumously stripped of their wins).[544]
  • One of two football programs with the most individual Heisman Trophy winners at seven (shares the distinction with Oklahoma, Ohio State has seven Heisman Trophies that were won by six players).
  • As of 2014, Notre Dame has produced more 1st Team All-Americans (188), consensus All-Americans (81 players on 99 selections) and unanimous All-Americans (33) in football than any other college program.[545][546]
  • Notre Dame is represented by 48 players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame, the most of any university.[547][548]
  • 12 former players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, tied with USC.
  • Helped by its status as a highly regarded academic institution (ranked 19th by U.S. News & World Report),[549] Notre Dame is second only to Nebraska in Academic All-Americans (66).
  • Since 1962, Notre Dame has graduated 98.74% of its football players in four years. As of 2006, only 13 football players in this time have left Notre Dame without finishing their degree requirements. Also of note is the 90% graduation rate of ND's African American players (only Navy and Boston College have higher African American graduation rates).[550]
  • Notre Dame holds the NCAA record for Most consecutive wins over one opponent, beating the US Naval Academy (USNA) 43 times in a row before falling to them in 2007.[551]
  • The football program is also known for ending the Oklahoma Sooners' NCAA record winning streak of 47 games in 1957. Coincidentally, Oklahoma's 28–21 loss to Notre Dame to open the 1953 season was the last loss before the beginning of the streak.[552]
  • Notre Dame has had 13 undefeated seasons and 11 others with at most one loss or tie.
  • Notre Dame is 3–3–1 in games where the national title winners from the previous two years have met in a regular season game. There have only been 13 of these games played in college football history. Notre Dame has played in 7 of the 13 games:
    • 1945 – Army def. Notre Dame 48–0
    • 1947 – Notre Dame def. Army 27–7
    • 1968 – Notre Dame tie USC 21–21
    • 1974 – USC def. Notre Dame 55–24
    • 1978 – Notre Dame def. Pitt 26–17
    • 1989 – Miami def. Notre Dame 27–10
    • 1990 – Notre Dame def. Miami 29–20
  • Notre Dame is one of only two Catholic universities that field a team in the Football Bowl Subdivision, the other being Boston College. This distinction has resulted in the Holy War rivalry.

No. 1 vs. No. 2

Notre Dame has participated in eleven "No. 1 vs No. 2" matchups since the AP poll began in 1936.[553] They have a record of 5–3–2 in such games, with a 4–1–1 record as the No. 1 team in such matchups. Here's a list of such games:

Date No. 1 Team No. 2 Team Outcome
October 9, 1943 Notre Dame Michigan W 35–14
November 20, 1943 Notre Dame Iowa Pre-Flight W 14–13
November 10, 1945 Army Notre Dame L 0–48
November 9, 1946 Army Notre Dame T 0–0
November 19, 1966 Notre Dame Michigan State T 10–10
September 28, 1968 Purdue Notre Dame L 22–37
November 26, 1988 Notre Dame Southern California W 27–10
September 16, 1989 Notre Dame Michigan W 24–19
November 13, 1993 Florida State Notre Dame W 31–24
January 7, 2013 Notre Dame Alabama L 14–42

Historic games

Notre Dame has played in many regular season games that have been widely regarded by both the media[554] and sports historians[555] as historic or famous games. Notre Dame has played in many games labeled as "game of the century" games as well as several No. 1 vs No. 2 matchups,[556] It has also participated in several games that ended record streaks in college football. The games listed are widely regarded as of historical importance to the game of college football and are written about by sports historians and make many sportswriters' lists.

Notre Dame has also played in several bowl games considered by many sportswriters to be among the best bowl games played:[568][569]

All-time records

Season records

Main article: Notre Dame Fighting Irish football seasons

Notre Dame's all-time record after January 2, 2021, stands at 918 wins, 329 losses, and 42 ties. The winning percentage of .728 is 4th All-Time. Its 918 wins are fifth behind Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama and Texas, while its 329 losses are tied with Oklahoma as the second-lowest of any college programs that have been playing football for 100 years or more, behind Ohio State's 326.[570]

In-state NCAA Division I record

Team Record Percentage Streak First meeting Last meeting
Ball State 1–0 1.000 Won 1 2018 2018
Indiana 23–5–1 .810 Won 6 1898 1991
Indiana State 0–0 – – – –
Purdue 57–26–2 .682 Won 6 1896[571] 2021
Valparaiso 1–0 1.000 Won 1 1920 1920
Overall Record 82–30–3

Head coaches

Years Coach Seasons Record Pct.
1887–1889, 1892–1893 None 5 7–4–1 .625
1894 James L. Morrison 1 3–1–1 .700
1895 H.G. Hadden 1 3–1 .750
1896–1898 Frank E. Hering 3 12–6–1 .658
1899 James McWeeney 1 6–3–1 .650
1900–1901 Pat O'Dea 2 14–4–2 .750
1902–1903 James F. Faragher 2 14–2–2 .843
1904 Red Salmon 1 5–3 .625
1905 Henry J. McGlew 1 5–4 .556
1906–1907 Thomas A. Barry 2 12–1–1 .893
1908 Victor M. Place 1 8–1 .889
1909–1910 Shorty Longman 2 11–1–2 .857
1911–1912 Jack Marks 2 13–0–2 .933
1913–1917 Jesse Harper 5 34–5–1 .863
1918–1930 Knute Rockne 13 105–12–5 .881
1931–1933 Hunk Anderson 3 16–9–2 .630
1934–1940 Elmer Layden 7 47–13–3 .770
1941–1943, 1946–1953 Frank Leahy 11 87–11–9 .855
1944 Ed McKeever 1 8–2 .800
1945, 1963 Hugh Devore 2 9–9–1 .500
1954–1958 Terry Brennan 5 32–18 .640
1959–1962 Joe Kuharich 4 17–23 .425
1964–1974 Ara Parseghian 11 95–17–4 .836
1975–1980 Dan Devine 6 53–16–1 .764
1981–1985 Gerry Faust 5 30–26–1 .535
1986–1996 Lou Holtz 11 100–30–2 .765
1997–2001 Bob Davie 5 35–25 .583
2001† George O'Leary 0 0–0 –
2002–2004 Tyrone Willingham 3 21–15 .583
2004‡ Kent Baer 0 0–1 .000
2005–2009 Charlie Weis 5 35–27 .565
2010–2021 Brian Kelly 12 92–40 .726
2021–present Marcus Freeman 1 9-4 .692

† George O'Leary did not coach a single practice or game, resigning five days after being hired for misrepresenting his academic credentials.
‡ Kent Baer served as interim head coach for one game at the 2004 Insight Bowl after Tyrone Willingham was fired.

Bowl games

Notre Dame has made 41 bowl game appearances, winning 20 and losing 21, with one game vacated.[572] After an initial appearance in a postseason contest in the 1925 Rose Bowl, the Fighting Irish refused to participate in bowl games for more than four decades;[573] writers like Dan Jenkins have speculated that Notre Dame might have gone to as many as twenty bowl games during the self-imposed forty-five-year hiatus.[573] It has played in the BCS National Championship Game (1 loss), Rose Bowl (1 win, 1 loss), the Cotton Bowl Classic (5 wins, 3 losses), the Orange Bowl (2 wins, 3 losses), the Sugar Bowl (2 wins, 2 losses), the Gator Bowl (1 win, 2 losses), the Liberty Bowl (1 win), the Aloha Bowl (1 loss), the Fiesta Bowl (1 win, 4 losses), the Independence Bowl (1 loss), the Insight Bowl (1 loss), Hawaii Bowl (1 win), the Sun Bowl (1 win), the Pinstripe Bowl (1 win) and the Citrus Bowl (1 win). From 1994 to the 2006 football seasons, Notre Dame lost 9 consecutive bowl games, tied with Northwestern University for the most in NCAA history. That streak ended with a 49–21 win over Hawaii in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl. In the process, Notre Dame scored its highest point total in post-season play. The record of 9 consecutive bowl losses was later tied by Northwestern in 2011, then that streak was snapped a year later. Currently, the Fighting Irish are in a skid with winless 0-8 record in BCS/Playoff games and 0-10 in their last 10 major bowl games. Notre Dame’s last major bowl win came against Texas A & M in the 1994 Cotton Bowl.

Date Bowl Opponent Result
January 1, 1925 Rose Bowl Stanford W 27–10
January 1, 1970 Cotton Bowl Classic No. 1 Texas L 17–21
January 1, 1971 Cotton Bowl Classic No. 1 Texas W 24–11
January 1, 1973 Orange Bowl No. 9 Nebraska L 6–40
December 31, 1973 Sugar Bowl No. 1 Alabama W 24–23
January 1, 1975 Orange Bowl No. 2 Alabama W 13–11
December 27, 1976 Gator Bowl No. 20 Penn State W 20–9
January 2, 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic No. 1 Texas W 38–10
January 1, 1979 Cotton Bowl Classic No. 9 Houston W 35–34
January 1, 1981 Sugar Bowl No. 1 Georgia L 10–17
December 29, 1983 Liberty Bowl No. 13 Boston College W 19–18
December 29, 1984 Aloha Bowl No. 10 SMU L 20–27
January 1, 1988 Cotton Bowl Classic No. 8 Texas A&M L 10–35
January 2, 1989 Fiesta Bowl No. 3 West Virginia W 34–21
January 1, 1990 Orange Bowl No. 1 Colorado W 21–6
January 1, 1991 Orange Bowl No. 1 Colorado L 9–10
January 1, 1992 Sugar Bowl No. 3 Florida W 39–28
January 1, 1993 Cotton Bowl Classic No. 3 Texas A&M W 28–3
January 1, 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic No. 6 Texas A&M W 24–21
January 2, 1995 Fiesta Bowl No. 5 Colorado L 24–41
January 1, 1996 Orange Bowl No. 8 Florida State L 26–31
December 28, 1997 Independence Bowl No. 15 LSU L 9–27
January 1, 1999 Gator Bowl No. 12 Georgia Tech L 28–35
January 1, 2001 Fiesta Bowl No. 5 Oregon State L 9–41
January 1, 2003 Gator Bowl No. 17 North Carolina State L 6–28
December 28, 2004 Insight Bowl Oregon State L 21–38
January 2, 2006 Fiesta Bowl No. 4 Ohio State L 20–34
January 3, 2007 Sugar Bowl No. 4 LSU L 14–41
December 24, 2008 Hawaii Bowl Hawaii W 49–21
December 31, 2010 Sun Bowl Miami (FL) W 33–17
December 29, 2011 Champs Sports Bowl No. 25 Florida State L 14–18
January 7, 2013 BCS National Championship No. 2 Alabama L 14–42
December 28, 2013 Pinstripe Bowl (vacated) Rutgers W 29–16
December 30, 2014 Music City Bowl No. 23 LSU W 31–28
January 1, 2016 Fiesta Bowl No. 7 Ohio State L 28–44
January 1, 2018 Citrus Bowl No. 17 LSU W 21–17
December 29, 2018 Cotton Bowl Classic (CFP Semifinal) No. 2 Clemson L 3–30
December 28, 2019 Camping World Bowl Iowa State W 33–9
January 1, 2021 Rose Bowl (CFP Semifinal) No. 1 Alabama L 14–31
January 1, 2022 Fiesta Bowl No. 9 Oklahoma State L 35–37
December 30, 2022 Gator Bowl No. 19 South Carolina W 45–38

Shamrock Series

Between 2009 and 2016, and resuming again in 2018, Notre Dame has hosted an annual off-site home football game known as the Shamrock Series. The series promotes Notre Dame's athletic and academic brand, and has brought the Fighting Irish to San Antonio, New York, Greater Washington, D.C., Chicago, Indianapolis, Boston and the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

Prior to the 2012 season, Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick announced at a news conference of plans to continue the series through 2016. He confirmed after his news conference that New York is expected to fall in that rotation and then continue to be the one consistently repeating venue for Shamrock Series games. The Shamrock Series was not held in 2017, but resumed in 2018.

One of the unique aspects of the Shamrock Series is its inclusion of academic and other non-football activities in the area of that year's host city the days and hours leading up to the game, which include pep rallies, drummers' circles, and academic lectures.[574][575][576][577]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
October 31, 20097:30 p.m.vs. Washington StateNo. 25
NBCW 40–1453,407
November 20, 20107:00 p.m.vs. Army
NBCW 27–354,251
November 12, 20117:30 p.m.vs. Maryland
NBCW 45–2170,251
October 6, 20127:30 p.m.vs. Miami (FL)No. 10
NBCW 41–362,871
October 5, 20137:30 p.m.vs. No. 22 Arizona State
NBCW 37–34 (vacated)66,690
September 13, 20147:30 p.m.vs. PurdueNo. 11
NBCW 30–1456,832
November 21, 20157:30 p.m.vs. Boston CollegeNo. 5
NBCSNW 19–1638,686
November 12, 20163:30 p.m.vs. Army
  • Alamodome
  • San Antonio, TX
NBCW 44–645,762
November 17, 20182:30 p.m.vs. No. 12 SyracuseNo. 3
  • Yankee Stadium
  • Bronx, NY
NBCW 36–348,104
October 3, 20207:30 p.m.vs. Wisconsin
NBCNo contest —
September 25, 202112:00 p.m.vs. No. 18 WisconsinNo. 12
  • Soldier Field
  • Chicago, IL
FoxW 41–1359,571
October 8, 20227:30 p.m.vs. No. 16 BYU[578]
NBCW 28-20
September 5, 2026vs. Wisconsin
  • Lambeau Field
  • Green Bay, WI

Players and coaches

See also: Notre Dame starting quarterbacks, Fighting Irish football players, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish football statistical leaders

Heisman Trophy

See also: Heisman Trophy

Seven Notre Dame football players have won the Heisman Trophy, which ties them with the University of Oklahoma for the most by any university. (Ohio State also has seven trophies but were won by only six players and USC won seven but has been reduced to six trophies, following Reggie Bush's forfeit of the 2005 award due to NCAA violations).

Heisman Trophy Winners
Year Name Position
1943 Angelo Bertelli QB
1947 Johnny Lujack QB
1949 Leon Hart End
1953 Johnny Lattner HB
1956 Paul Hornung OB
1964 John Huarte QB
1987 Tim Brown WR

Heisman voting:[579]

Other national award winners

Coaching awards

Team awards

Notre Dame Fighting Irish – 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988 [539]
Notre Dame Fighting Irish – 2017 [540]

College Football Hall of Fame

See also: College Football Hall of Fame

Forty-six former Notre Dame players and six coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, located in Atlanta, Georgia.[547] Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted.

Name Position Year inducted
Hunk Anderson G 1974
Angelo Bertelli QB 1972
Tim Brown WR 2009
Ross Browner DE 1999
Jack Cannon G 1965
Frank Carideo QB 1954
Dave Casper TE 2012
George Connor T 1963
Bob Crable LB 2017
Jim Crowley HB 1966
Zygmont Czarobski T 1977
Dan Devine Coach 1985
Bob Dove End 2000
Ray Eichenlaub FB 1972
Bill Fischer T/G 1983
Thom Gatewood End 2015
George Gipp HB 1951
Jerry Groom C 1994
Ralph Guglielmi QB 2001
Jesse Harper Coach 1994
Leon Hart End 1973
Frank "Nordy" Hoffman G 1978
Lou Holtz Coach 2008
Paul Hornung QB 1985
John Huarte QB 2005
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail KR/WR 2019
Johnny Lattner HB 1979
Elmer Layden FB 1951
Frank Leahy Coach 1970
Johnny Lujack QB 1960
Jim Lynch LB 1992
Ken MacAfee TE 1997
Jim Martin End/T 1995
Bert Metzger G 1982
Creighton Miller HB 1976
Don Miller HB 1970
Edgar Miller T 1966
Fred Miller T 1985
Wayne Millner End 1990
Alan Page DE 1993
Ara Parseghian Coach 1980
Knute Rockne Coach 1951
Louis Salmon FB 1971
Marchy Schwartz HB 1974
Bill Shakespeare HB 1983
Emil "Red" Sitko HB/FB 1984
John "Clipper" Smith G 1975
Harry Stuhldreher QB 1958
Joe Theismann QB 2003
Adam Walsh C 1968
Bob Williams QB 1988
Tommy Yarr C 1987
Chris Zorich DT 2007

Uniforms

 
The team in their current home uniforms

Notre Dame's home jersey is navy blue with white numerals, gold outlining, and a small interlocking "ND" logo on each sleeve. The away jersey is white with navy numerals, gold outlining, and the interlocking "ND" on the sleeves. In recent years, neither jersey included the player's name on the back, but names were included during the Dan Devine and Gerry Faust eras. However, for the Irish's Hawai'i Bowl appearance in 2008 vs. the University of Hawai'i, Notre Dame once again wore last names on their jerseys. Gold pants, with a small ND logo just below the left waist, are worn with both home and away jerseys.

 
Former quarterback Brady Quinn in the current away uniform

Notre Dame's helmets are solid gold with gray facemasks, the gold being emblematic of the University's famed "Golden Dome". Notre Dame's tradition for the team's student managers to spray-paint the team's helmets prior to each game ended in 2011 when the football equipment staff, along with Notre Dame Athletics Director Jack Swarbrick and head coach Brian Kelly outsourced the painting process to Hydro Graphics Inc.

Over the years, Notre Dame has occasionally worn green instead of blue as its home jersey, sometimes adopting the jersey for an entire season – or more – at a time. Currently, Notre Dame reserves its green jerseys for "special" occasions. Often on such occasions, the Irish will take the field for warmups dressed in blue, only to switch to green when they go back to the locker room before kickoff. This tradition was started by Dan Devine in 1977 before the USC game. Notre Dame has also been known to switch jerseys at halftime, as during the 1985 USC game, and in the loss to Nile Kinnick-led Iowa in 1939, although this was to help avoid confusion between their navy uniforms and Iowa's black ones. The current design of the jersey is kelly green with gold numbers and white outlining. For the 2006 Army game, Coach Charlie Weis broke out the Green jerseys as a reward to his senior players, as well finally ending the string of losses by the Irish when wearing green. Notre Dame wore throwback green jerseys in 2007 against USC in honor of the 30th anniversary of the 1977 National Championship team.[610] On at least one occasion (1992 Sugar Bowl) Notre Dame has worn an away variant of the jersey: a white jersey with green numbers. Champion supplied football jerseys for The University of Notre Dame for over 50 years until they switched to Adidas in 2001. On July 1, 2014, the University of Notre Dame Athletic department began wearing uniforms and footwear supplied by Under Armour.

 
Former tight end Tyler Eifert

During Gerry Faust's tenure (1981–85), Notre Dame's blue jerseys switched from the traditional navy to royal blue with gold and white stripes on the sleeves. The navy blue jerseys returned in 1984.

No uniform numbers have been retired by Notre Dame. Upon being issued a number, each player is given a card that lists some of the more famous players who have worn that particular number. Number 3 is perhaps the most famous number in Irish football history, having been worn by Ralph Guglielmi, George Izo, Daryle Lamonica, Coley O'Brien, Joe Montana, Michael Floyd, Rick Mirer and Ron Powlus, among others.[611] Number 5 is also notable, as it is the only number to be worn by one of the Four Horsemen (Elmer Layden) a Heisman Trophy Winner (Paul Hornung) and a National Title winning Quarterback (Terry Hanratty).[611] Number 7 has been worn by such Irish greats as 1964 Heisman Trophy winner John Huarte, 1970 Heisman runner-up Joe Theismann, Steve Beuerlein, Jimmy Clausen and Jarious Jackson.[611]

In 2011, both Michigan and Notre Dame wore throwback uniforms in their game against each other. For the Shamrock Series games, Notre Dame and their outfitters have announced that the school will wear specially-designed helmets, jerseys, and pants.

Facilities

Notre Dame Stadium

 
Notre Dame Stadium on game day, with student section and band
Main article: Notre Dame Stadium

Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. Located on the southeast part of the university's campus in Notre Dame, Indiana and with a seating capacity of 77,622, Notre Dame Stadium is one of the most renowned venues in college football.[612] The Sporting News ranks Notre Dame Stadium as # 2 on its list of "College Football Cathedrals".[613] and the stadium experience evokes a more traditional feel. Notre Dame Stadium is used for football-related activities and for Commencement (since 2010). Notre Dame Stadium had no permanent lighting until the expansion project in 1997. NBC paid for the lighting as they have televised all Notre Dame home football games since 1991. On April 12, 2014, it was announced during the annual Blue-Gold Spring Game that a FieldTurf synthetic surface would replace the grass field after the 2014 Commencement Weekend. In November 2014 the University of Notre Dame embarked on a $400 million stadium expansion called the Crossroads Campus Project, which was completed in time for the 2017 season.

Cartier Field

Main article: Cartier Field

Cartier Field was the original playing field of the Fighting Irish. In 1930, it was replaced by Notre Dame Stadium, due to the growing popularity of ND football. Notre Dame's practice facility still bears the Cartier Field name. Most ND practices take place on Cartier Field.

Guglielmino Athletics Complex

Known by fans as "The Gug" (pronounced "goog"), The Guglielmino Athletics Complex is Notre Dame's football headquarters. The Gug houses the offices for all team staff members, an auditorium, a weight room, a training room, the equipment room, the practice locker room, a brand new napping room, and various other spaces for the football team to utilize. The complex was underwritten by Don F. Guglielmino and his family.

Irish Athletic Center

The indoor practice facility has a synthetic turf field and a video board at midfield for replay and graphics. On the second level of the facility, there is a 1,600-square-foot recruiting lounge. In all, the facility totals 111,400 square feet, and the ceiling is 95 feet at its peak.

Rivalries

Main article: Notre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalries
 
The first Jeweled Shillelagh, awarded to the winner of the annual USC vs. Notre Dame game

Notre Dame has rivalries with several universities. Although the Fighting Irish competes as an Independent, they play a national schedule that includes annual or otherwise regularly scheduled rivalry games. USC, Navy, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Stanford, and Pitt are among Notre Dame's rivals.

USC

Main article: Notre Dame–USC football rivalry

USC is Notre Dame's primary rival, and the schools compete annually for the Jeweled Shillelagh. The rivalry has produced 39 national championships,[614]: 113–118  14 Heisman Trophy winners,[615] and 184 Consensus All-Americans through the 2021 season.[616] It is considered one of the most prominent rivalries in college football,[617][618][619][620] and has been called the greatest rivalry not dictated by conference affiliation or geography.[621] The teams have played each other annually since 1926, except from 1943 to 1945 and 2020. Notable games in the series include the 1977 "Green Jersey" game and the 2005 "Bush Push" game. Through the 2021 season, Notre Dame leads the all-time series 48–36–5 and the trophy series 33–29–3.[622]

Navy

Main article: Navy–Notre Dame football rivalry

Navy and Notre Dame played 93 games without interruption from 1927 to 2019. Notre Dame had a 43-game win streak during this time frame, the longest streak by one team over another in Division I-A football, which ended in 2007.[623] While the 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series resumed in 2021. Through the 2021 season, Notre Dame leads the series 80–13–1.[624]

Michigan

Main article: Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry

The first meeting between Notre Dame and Michigan was in 1887, the first official football game in Notre Dame's history.[9] The two schools have met 44 times in total, the latest matchup in 2019. Through the 2021 season, the two schools are both in the top five in all-time Division I winning percentage, with Notre Dame fourth and Michigan fifth.[625] Despite being played continuously since 1978, the series ended after the 2014 season. Shortly before the 2012 game, the Associated Press reported that Notre Dame had exercised a three-year out clause in their series contract. This was due to Notre Dame's arrangement with the Atlantic Coast Conference, under which the Fighting Irish must play five games per season against ACC opponents after the school joined the ACC in all sports except for football and hockey in 2014.[626] In 2016, Michigan announced that the rivalry would resume for a home-and-home series in 2018 and 2019.[627] Through the 2021 season, Michigan leads the series 25–17–1.[628]

Michigan State

Main article: Michigan State–Notre Dame football rivalry

Meeting for the first time in 1897, Notre Dame and Michigan State play for the Megaphone Trophy. The two schools played in 64 out of 70 seasons from 1948 to 2017, but have not met since. Their next scheduled game is in 2026.[629] Notable games in the series include the 1966 "Game of the Century". Through the 2021 season, Notre Dame leads the all-time series 48–28–1 and the trophy series 33–27–1.[630]

Miami (FL)

See also: 1988 Notre Dame vs. Miami football game and Catholics vs. Convicts (film)

Notre Dame and the Miami Hurricanes first met during the 1955 college football season.[631] They met three times during the 1960s (1960, 1965, and 1967) and proceeded to play each other annually from 1971 to 1990 (except in 1986). Notre Dame consistently dominated the series in the 1970s, but in the 1980s, Miami began to dominate as the once docile rivalry intensified significantly. Both teams were national contenders in the later part of the decade, and both teams cost each other at least one national championship. Hostilities were fueled when the Hurricanes routed the Fighting Irish in the 1985 season finale 58–7, with Miami widely accused of running up the score in the second half. The rivalry gained national attention and both teams played their most famous games from 1988 to 1990. The game known as Catholics vs. Convicts in South Bend was won by the Fighting Irish 31–30. The following year, Miami ended Notre Dame's 23-game winning streak with a 27–10 victory. The rivalry ended after the Fighting Irish dashed #2 Miami's hopes for a repeat national championship with a 29–20 victory in South Bend. Notre Dame dropped Miami from its schedule due to the intensified rivalry.

The two teams are next scheduled to meet during a yet to specified date during the 2025 season. They also will play each other in yet to be scheduled dates in the 2031, 2032, 2034, and 2037 seasons.[632]

Gameday traditions

See also: Band of the Fighting Irish
 
The band playing in a pre-game ceremony before a football game

Due to its long and storied history, Notre Dame football boasts many traditions unique to Notre Dame. Some of these are:

  • The tradition of having 23.9 karat gold in the helmet paint continues, with the painting process provided by Hydro Graphics, Inc. and no longer by student managers. The gold particles that are used on the helmet were collected from the re-gilding on the Notre Dame dome in 2007. During the 2011 season, however, a new helmet paint scheme was introduced. While retaining the basic gold helmet and grey facemask look, the new gold is much more reflective than the old; there have already been several variations of this new "gold chrome" look, including brick and fish-scale texturing.[563]
  • Formerly, prior to the start of the game, the team attended Mass in semi-formal attire at the Sacred Heart Basilica. At the conclusion of Mass, fans formed a line that the team walked through from the chapel to the stadium.[633] However, in 2011 the team changed its movements prior the game, instead taking buses back to The Gug for final meetings.[634] In 2013, Mass was moved to Friday night; as a result, the walk now originates from the Gug.[635] In 2022, Coach Freeman announced that the tradition of mass before home games will return[636]
 
Team raising their helmets to the student section
  • Earlier on game day, the Band of the Fighting Irish trumpet section plays Notre Dame, Our Mother & the Notre Dame victory march under the Golden Dome, with visitors standing at the bottom of the rotunda, and behind the band members on each upper floor.[637]
  • Coming out of the locker room, players slap the famous "Play Like a Champion Today" sign. This sign originated in 1986 when head coach Lou Holtz stumbled across a black and white photo of a similar sign, and wanted one for his own players.[638]
  • Prior to the start of the game, with around 15–30 seconds left on the pregame clock, a clip of Cathy Richardson singing "Here Come The Irish" is played, followed up by I'm Shipping Up To Boston, which continues to play until the football is kicked off.[639]
  • Between the third and fourth quarters of home games, the Notre Dame Marching Band plays the finale to the 1812 Overture, as the crowd reacts with a synchronized waving of arms, with their fingers in the shape of a "K" for Kelly. ("W" for both Weis and Willingham and "L" for Lou Holtz)
  • Starting in 1960, Sergeant Tim McCarthy of the Indiana State Police read out a driving safety announcement to the crowd during the fourth quarter. When Sergeant McCarthy began his announcement, the crowd went silent to hear his message, which invariably ended with a pun.[640][641] Sergeant McCarthy retired from this duty in the 2015 season after 55 years of fan-favorite messages. He was honored on the field on September 26, 2015, to deliver his last in-person address in which he repeated the same announcement he did on his first gameday.[642] He died on October 1, 2020.[643]
  • At the conclusion of every home game, the team turns to the student section to salute them by raising their helmets in the air. They do this after a win or after a loss.[633] Then, the band plays the Alma Mater, "Notre Dame, Our Mother". Those who stay link arms and sing the lyrics.

Irish in the NFL

Since the NFL began drafting players in 1936, 495 Notre Dame football players have been selected by NFL teams. Additionally, Notre Dame has had 65 players selected in the first round of the NFL draft, including five overall number one picks. Of the 46 Super Bowls competed, only 14 teams have won the event without an Irish player on the roster.[644] Looking at both participating team rosters, there have only been five Super Bowls that did not feature at least one former Notre Dame player on either team's roster – Denver vs. Atlanta, 1999; Dallas vs. Buffalo, 1994; Washington vs. Denver, 1988; Dallas vs. Denver, 1978; and Baltimore vs. Dallas, 1971.[644] Eleven former players have won multiple Super Bowls: Mark Bavaro, Rocky Bleier, Nick Buoniconti, Eric Dorsey, Dave Duerson, David Givens, Terry Hanratty, Bob Kuechenberg, Joe Montana, Steve Sylvester and Justin Tuck.[644]

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Twelve former Notre Dame players, plus one non-player alumnus, have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, ranking it second to USC's 14 among all college football programs.[645][646]

*McNally graduated from St. John's (MN), but started his career at Notre Dame and is listed as a hall of famer under both schools in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[647]

Current NFL players

Name Debut Position Team
Josh Adams 2018 RB
Aaron Banks 2021 G San Francisco 49ers
Alex Bars 2019 G Chicago Bears
Ian Book 2021 QB Philadelphia Eagles
Miles Boykin 2019 WR Baltimore Ravens
Chase Claypool 2020 WR Chicago Bears
Scott Daly 2021 LS Detroit Lions
Sheldon Day 2016 DT Cleveland Browns
Liam Eichenberg 2021 OT Miami Dolphins
Jalen Elliott 2020 S Detroit Lions
Matthias Farley 2016 S Las Vegas Raiders
Will Fuller 2016 WR [[]]
Alohi Gilman 2020 S Los Angeles Chargers
Robert Hainsey 2021 OT Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kyle Hamilton 2022 S Baltimore Ravens
Daelin Hayes 2021 OLB Baltimore Ravens
J. J. Jansen 2008 LS Carolina Panthers
Jamir Jones 2020 LB Jacksonville Jaguars
Tony Jones Jr. 2020 RB New Orleans Saints
Khalid Kareem 2020 DE Cincinnati Bengals
Tommy Kraemer 2021 G Detroit Lions
Julian Love 2019 CB New York Giants
Cole Kmet 2020 TE Chicago Bears
Nick Martin 2016 C Las Vegas Raiders
Zack Martin 2014 G Dallas Cowboys
Mike McGlinchey 2018 OT San Francisco 49ers
Javon McKinley 2021 WR Detroit Lions
Sam Mustipher 2019 C Chicago Bears
Quenton Nelson 2018 G Indianapolis Colts
Adetokunbo Ogundeji 2021 OLB Atlanta Falcons
Julian Okwara 2020 OLB Detroit Lions
Romeo Okwara 2016 OLB Detroit Lions
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah 2021 LB Cleveland Browns
Troy Pride Jr. 2020 CB Carolina Panthers
C. J. Prosise 2016 RB
Isaac Rochell 2017 DE Cleveland Browns
Kyle Rudolph 2011 TE New York Giants
KeiVarae Russell 2016 CB New Orleans Saints
Ben Skowronek 2021 WR Los Angeles Rams
Harrison Smith 2012 S Minnesota Vikings
Jaylon Smith 2016 OLB New York Giants
Durham Smythe 2018 TE Miami Dolphins
Equanimeous St. Brown 2018 WR Green Bay Packers
Ronnie Stanley 2016 OT Baltimore Ravens
Golden Tate 2010 WR
Manti Te'o 2013 LB
Jerry Tillery 2019 DE Los Angeles Chargers
Stephon Tuitt 2014 DE Pittsburgh Steelers
Drue Tranquill 2019 LB Los Angeles Chargers
Tommy Tremble 2021 TE Carolina Panthers
Dexter Williams 2019 RB
Kyren Williams 2022 RB Los Angeles Rams
As of December 29, 2021[648]

Media

The Fighting Irish are unique among sports teams in the United States, as they are the only team, professional or college, to have all their games broadcast nationally on the radio, as well as the only team to have all of their home games broadcast nationally on television.[649] Notre Dame famously left the College Football Association, a consortium that administered television broadcast rights on behalf of over 64 schools, in 1990, in order to establish its own broadcasting deal with NBC. From 1968 to 2007, Westwood One served as the official radio partner for the Irish, broadcasting their games for 40 consecutive years.[650]

Until the 2006 Air Force game, Notre Dame had a record 169 consecutive games broadcast nationally on either NBC, ABC, ESPN, or CBS.[651] The 2006 ND vs. Air Force game was broadcast on CSTV, a college sports channel owned by CBS who had an exclusive contract with the Mountain West Conference, of which Air Force is a member.

Radio

Radio rights to the Fighting Irish are held by Skyview Networks, who began distributing the broadcasts as part of a multi-sport arrangement in 2020.[652]

Current broadcast team

  • Paul Burmeister (play-by-play) 2018–present
  • Ryan Harris (color commentator) 2018–present
  • Jack Nolan (network studio host) 2020–present

Former commentators

Television

Main article: Notre Dame Football on NBC

NBC has been televising Notre Dame Home football games since the 1991 season.[7] In addition to TV broadcasts, NBC also maintains several dedicated websites to ND football and Notre Dame Central,[653] which provides complete coverage, full game replays and commentary of the Notre Dame team. NBC's television contract with Notre Dame was renewed in April 2013 and is set to continue through the 2025 football season.[654] It also aired football games on NBC's streaming service Peacock started in the 2021 season, with the home opener on September 11, 2021 against Toledo aired exclusively on the streaming service.[655][656] Internationally Sky Sports has been covering Notre Dame Football home games in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Italy and Germany since 2018 as a result of Comcast's takeover of Sky

Current broadcast team

Future schedules

Although the Notre Dame football program is not a full member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), it has an agreement to play an average of five ACC schools per season. In return Notre Dame has access to the non-College Football Playoff ACC bowl line-up.[657][658] Notre Dame utilizes a format of six home games in South Bend, five away games, and one major metropolitan area neutral site "Shamrock Series" home game for scheduling.[574] This includes preserving traditional yearly rivalries with USC, Stanford, and Navy,[659] five rotating ACC opponents (two away ACC games will coincide in even years with away games at Navy and three away ACC games will coincide in odd years with home games against Navy),[660] two home and home series (one home game and one away game), one one-time opponent home game, and the traveling "Shamrock Series" home game.[661][662]

2023

DateOpponentSiteTVResult
August 26Navy[663][664]
NBC
September 2Tennessee State[665]
NBC
September 9at North Carolina State[666]
September 16Central Michigan[667]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
September 23Ohio State[668]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
September 30at Duke[666]
October 7at Louisville[666]
October 14USC[669]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
October 28Pittsburgh[666]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
November 4at Clemson[666][670]
October 18Wake Forest[666][670]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
November 25at Stanford[659]

The University of Notre Dame officially released the 2023 schedule on January 18th, 2023.[671]

2024

DateOpponentSiteTVResult
August 31at Texas A&M[672]
September 7Northern Illinois[673]
NBC
September 14at Purdue[674]
September 21Miami (OH)[659][670]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
October 12Stanford[659][670]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
October 19at Georgia Tech[666][675]
October 26vs. Navy[676]
November 9Florida State[666]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
November 16Virginia[666][677]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
November 30at USC[659][670]
TBAMiami (FL)[666]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC

TBA: An additional non-ACC home game will be scheduled.

2025

DateOpponentSiteTVResult
September 13Texas A&M[672]
NBC
September 20Purdue[674]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
September 27at Arkansas[678]
October 18USC[659][670]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
November 8Navy[679]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
TBANC State[666]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
TBASyracuse[666]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
NBC
TBAat Boston College[666]
TBAat Miami[666]
TBAat Pittsburgh[666]

TBA: An additional 2 non-ACC home games will be scheduled.

2026

TBA: An additional 2 non-ACC home games will be scheduled.

2027

DateOpponentSiteResult
September 4Purdue[674]
October 2Georgia Tech[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
OctoberUSC[659]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
November 6Virginia Tech[681][670]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
Novemberat Stanford[659]
TBANavy[659]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAat Clemson[681]
TBAat Duke[681]
TBAat Michigan State[682]
TBAat Wake Forest[681]

TBA: An additional 2 non-ACC home games will be scheduled.

2028

DateOpponentSiteResult
September 16Arkansas[683]
September 23at Purdue[674]
OctoberStanford[659]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
November 4at Virginia Tech[681][684]
Novemberat USC[659]
TBAat Navy[659]
TBABoston College[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAClemson[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAMiami[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAat Pittsburgh[681]

TBA: An additional 2 non-ACC home game will be scheduled.

2029

DateOpponentSiteResult
September 1Alabama[685]
September 15at South Florida[686]
October 6at North Carolina State[681][670]
OctoberUSC[659]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
November 3Georgia Tech[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
November 10at Florida State[681][670]
Novemberat Stanford[659]
TBANavy[659]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAWake Forest[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAat Syracuse[681]

TBA: An additional 2 non-ACC home games will be scheduled.

2030

TBA: An additional 2 non-ACC home games will be scheduled.

2031

DateOpponentSiteResult
September 1at Clemson[681][670]
September 13South Florida[686]
September 27at Indiana[659]
October 11at Virginia[681][670]
OctoberUSC[659]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
November 15Florida[688]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
November 22North Carolina State[681][670]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
Novemberat Stanford[659]
TBANavy[659]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAMiami[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAat Pittsburgh[681]
TBAat North Carolina[681]

TBA: An additional non-ACC home game will be scheduled.

2032

TBA: An additional 3 non-ACC home games will be scheduled.

2033

TBA: An additional 3 non-ACC home games will be scheduled.

2034

DateOpponentSiteResult
September 2Michigan[689]
OctoberStanford[659]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
October 26at Miami[681][670]
Novemberat USC[659]
TBAat Navy[659]
TBAClemson[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBASyracuse[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAVirginia[681]
  • Notre Dame Stadium
  • Notre Dame, IN
TBAat Pittsburgh[681]

TBA: An additional 3 non-ACC games will be scheduled (2 home and 1 away).

References

  1. ^ a b Jeyarajah, Shehan (December 2, 2021). "Notre Dame hires Marcus Freeman as next coach: Irish listen to players, also retain Tommy Rees to lead offense". CBS Sports.
  2. ^ (PDF). University of Notre Dame. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2017. Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  3. ^ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA.org. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  4. ^ "Color | Athletics Branding | On Message | University of Notre Dame". Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  5. ^ "[1] March 27, 2016, at the Wayback Machine"
  6. ^ 2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2017. pp. 110–115. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Sandomir, Richard (August 25, 1991). "College Football – Notre Dame Scored a $38 Million Touchdown on Its TV Deal". The New York Times. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
  8. ^ . CSTV.com. December 18, 2003. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2008.
  9. ^ a b Dame, ENR // MarComm:Web // University of Notre. "First game in Notre Dame Football history // Moments // 125 Football // University of Notre Dame". 125.nd.edu.
  10. ^ Dame, ENR // MarComm:Web // University of Notre. "Notre Dame's First Win // Moments // 125 Football // University of Notre Dame". 125.nd.edu.
  11. ^ a b "Notre Dame's first team". Irishlegends.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  12. ^ "Irish Coach Could Make Ugly History". Buffalonews.com. September 7, 2004. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  13. ^ a b Steele, Michael R. (January 8, 2013). The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN 9781613213742 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ "Jennings: Notre Dame-Michigan history preserves rivalry". ESPN.com. September 6, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  15. ^ "Notre Dame Scholastic" (PDF). Archives.nd.edu. December 1908. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  16. ^ . Madeira.hccanet.org. Archived from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  17. ^ "Jesse Harper Bio :: Notre Dame Football :: UND.COM :: The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics". Und.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  18. ^ "Jesse Harper Coaching Record". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  19. ^ Dame, ENR/PAZ // University Communications: Web // University of Notre. "Echoes: Notre Dame vs. Army: The rivalry that shaped college football // News // Notre Dame Magazine // University of Notre Dame". Magazine.nd.edu. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  20. ^ "Notre Dame - Michigan State Football Rivalry // UHND.com". Uhnd.com. August 7, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  21. ^ "1913: The Program Changer". Und.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  22. ^ a b c Dame, ENR // MarComm:Web // University of Notre. "This Day In History: The Forward Pass (1913 vs. Army) // Moments // 125 Football // University of Notre Dame". 125.nd.edu. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  23. ^ a b c "Notre Dame vs. Army: The game that changed college football 100 years ago". Indystar.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  24. ^ "Knute Rockne named Notre Dame coach..." Rarenewspapers.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  25. ^ Dame, ENR // MarComm:Web // University of Notre. "This Day In History: Rockne Takes The Reins // Moments // 125 Football // University of Notre Dame". 125.nd.edu.
  26. ^ a b Scofield, Dan. "The True Story Of Knute Rockne, College Football's Most Renowned Coach". Bleacher Report.
  27. ^ a b c "Knute Rockne Coaching Record". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  28. ^ a b "Numbers don't tell story of Knute Rockne". Espn.com. July 9, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  29. ^ a b Collins, Michael. "The 1925 Rose Bowl: Notre Dame Vs. Stanford". Bleacher Report.
  30. ^ "Chalk Talk: the Notre Dame Box". Scout.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  31. ^ Marder, Keith; Spellen, Mark; Donovan, Jim (September 27, 2017). The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to America's Favorite College Team. Citadel Press. ISBN 9780806521084 – via Google Books.
  32. ^ "1918 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  33. ^ "5 Greatest Notre Dame vs. Michigan State College Football Games of All-Time". Athlonsports.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  34. ^ ENR // MarComm:Web // University of Notre Dame. "This Day In History: Rockne Takes The Reins // Moments // 125 Football // University of Notre Dame". 125.nd.edu.
  35. ^ . Und.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  36. ^ "Notre Dame Athletics Collection : 1899-2011" (XML). Archives.nd.edu. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  37. ^ Schmidt, Raymond (June 18, 2007). Shaping College Football. ISBN 9780815608868. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  38. ^ "Leslie's Weekly". Google.com. 1921. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  39. ^ "Notre Dame Football Review" (PDF).
  40. ^ "1919 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  41. ^ "Notre Dame-Alabama National Titles: For The Record". Notredame.247sports.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  42. ^ "College football national championship history". Ncaa.com. May 15, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  43. ^ a b c GUSTKEY, EARL (December 14, 1999). "Gipp Still an Inspiration Long After His Death" – via LA Times.
  44. ^ a b . Und.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  45. ^ "The History of Antibiotics". HealthyChildren.org.
  46. ^ Osacky, Michael (September 20, 2013). "What Does It Mean to 'Win One For The Gipper?'". Parade.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  47. ^ Keyes, Ralph (2006). The quote verifier: who said what, where, and when. St. Martin's Press. p. 78. ISBN 0-312-34004-4.
  48. ^ . Sports Illustrated. April 14, 1969. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  49. ^ . Sports Illustrated. September 17, 1979. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  50. ^ Keith Marder; Mark Spellen; Jim Donovan (2001). The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to America's Favorite College Team. Citadel Press. p. 148. ISBN 0806521082.
  51. ^ "Grantland Rice | American sports writer | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  52. ^ Grantland Rice (December 3, 1921). (PDF). American Golfer. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  53. ^ "Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers". Archives.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  54. ^ "Rockne, Knute – Indiana Football Hall of Fame". Indiana-football.org. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  55. ^ . Und.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  56. ^ Dame, ENR // MarComm:Web // University of Notre. "October 18, 1924: The Four Horsemen Arrive // Moments // 125 Football // University of Notre Dame". 125.nd.edu.
  57. ^ "Seven Mules - Forever Irish". Ndfootballhistory.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  58. ^ "1924 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results - College Football at Sports-Reference.com". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  59. ^ "Notre Dame vs. Army – A New Yorker State of Mind". Newyorkerstateofmind.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  60. ^ Phinizy, Coles. "We Know of Knute, Yet Know Him Not". Si.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  61. ^ a b c Robinson, Alan (September 9, 2007). . The Daily Texan. Texas Student Media. Archived from the original on September 8, 2007. Retrieved September 6, 2007.
  62. ^ "1928 Notre Dame Football" (PDF). Archives.nd.edu. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  63. ^ . Inductees. Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2007.
  64. ^ "Rockne's 'Win one for the Gipper' speech". Newsday.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  65. ^ a b "The New York Times: This Day In Sports". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  66. ^ Dame, ENR // MarComm:Web // University of Notre. "This Day In History: Win One For The Gipper // Moments // 125 Football // University of Notre Dame". 125.nd.edu.
  67. ^ a b Pennington, Bill (November 16, 2010). "Army-Notre Dame Game Stirs Yankee Stadium's Football Ghosts". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  68. ^ "1929 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  69. ^ "1930 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  70. ^ "Notre Dame's 1929 National Championship - Notre Dame Football History". Uhnd.com. June 24, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  71. ^ a b "Notre Dame's 1930 National Championship // Notre Dame Football History". Uhnd.com. July 3, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  72. ^ "1929 Notre Dame Football" (PDF). Archives.nd.edu. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  73. ^ "1930 College Football National Championship". Tiptop25.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  74. ^ "Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  75. ^ "Notre Dame vs. New York Giants 1930 Game Program". Mmqb.si.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  76. ^ King, Gilbert. "The Game that Put the NFL's Reputation on the Line". Smithsonianmag.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  77. ^ "Rockne's Last Game". Retrieved May 24, 2008.
  78. ^ New York Times December 15, 1930
  79. ^ "Knute Rocke Dies with Seven Others in Mail Plane Dive". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  80. ^ "Movie Review: The Screen – Close-Ups of Gridiron Stars". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  81. ^ "The Spirit of Notre Dame (1931) - Overview - TCM.com". Turner Classic Movies.
  82. ^ "Knute Rockne Memorial". College Football News. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2008.
  83. ^ "Knute Rockne born - Mar 04, 1888". History.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  84. ^ a b "UND.COM :: The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics". Und.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  85. ^ Carter, Bill (November 23, 2012). "For a Notre Dame Family, a Legacy of Optimism (With an Asterisk or Two)". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
  86. ^ "Hunk Anderson Coaching Record". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  87. ^ "TheWolfpacker.com - NC State football has past ties with Notre Dame". Ncstate.rivals.com. October 4, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  88. ^ "1931 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  89. ^ "1931 Notre Dame Football" (PDF). Archives.nd.edu. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  90. ^ a b "Notre Dame Football :: UND.COM :: The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics". Und.com. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  91. ^ . Northbynorthwestern.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  92. ^ Steele, Michael R. (September 1, 2012). The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. ISBN 9781613210765 – via Google Books.
  93. ^ "The Notre Dame Scholastic" (PDF). Archives.nd.edu. October 1931. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  94. ^ . Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  95. ^
April 03, 2023
notre, dame, fighting, irish, football, team, intercollegiate, football, team, representing, university, notre, dame, notre, dame, indiana, north, city, south, bend, indiana, team, plays, home, games, campus, notre, dame, stadium, which, capacity, notre, dame,. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the intercollegiate football team representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame Indiana north of the city of South Bend Indiana The team plays its home games at the campus Notre Dame Stadium which has a capacity of 77 622 Notre Dame is one of seven schools that competes as an Independent at the National Collegiate Athletic Association NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision FBS level however they play five games a year against opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference ACC of which Notre Dame is a member in all other sports except ice hockey 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football2023 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football teamFirst season1887 1887 Athletic directorJack SwarbrickHead coachMarcus Freeman 1 1st season 8 4 667 StadiumNotre Dame Stadium capacity 77 622 Year built1930Field surfaceNatural grass 1930 2013 FieldTurf 2014 present LocationNotre Dame IndianaNCAA divisionDivision I FBSConferenceIndependentPast conferencesAtlantic Coast Conference 2020 All time record930 332 42 729 Bowl record18 21 462 Playoff appearances2 2018 2020 Playoff record0 2Claimed national titles11 1924 1929 1930 1943 1946 1947 1949 1966 1973 1977 1988 2 Unclaimed national titles11 1919 1920 1927 1938 1953 1964 1967 1970 1989 1993 2012 3 National finalist1 2012 RivalriesUSC rivalry Navy rivalry Michigan rivalry Michigan State rivalry Purdue rivalry Pittsburgh rivalry Stanford rivalry Northwestern rivalry Heisman winners7 Angelo Bertelli Johnny Lujack Leon Hart Johnny Lattner Paul Hornung John Huarte Tim Brown Consensus All Americans104Current uniformColorsBlue and gold 4 Fight songVictory MarchMascotNotre Dame LeprechaunMarching bandBand of the Fighting IrishOutfitterUnder ArmourWebsiteUND comThe school claims 11 national championships including 8 from the major wire service AP Coaches 6 Seven Notre Dame players have won the Heisman Trophy Notre Dame home games have been televised by NBC since 1991 7 8 Contents 1 History 1 1 Early history 1887 1917 1 2 Knute Rockne era 1918 1930 1 3 Heartley Anderson 1931 1933 1 4 Elmer Layden 1934 1940 1 5 Frank Leahy era 1941 1953 1 6 Terry Brennan 1954 1958 1 7 Joe Kuharich 1959 1963 1 8 Ara Parseghian era 1964 1974 1 9 Dan Devine era 1975 1980 1 10 Gerry Faust 1981 1985 1 11 Lou Holtz era 1986 1996 1 12 Bob Davie 1997 2001 1 12 1 George O Leary controversy 1 13 Tyrone Willingham 2002 2004 1 14 Charlie Weis 2005 2009 1 15 Brian Kelly era 2010 2021 1 16 Marcus Freeman era 2021 present 1 17 Personnel 1 17 1 Coaching staff 2 Championships and distinctions 2 1 National championships 2 2 Appearances in the final Associated Press Poll 2 3 Team awards 2 4 Distinctions 2 5 No 1 vs No 2 2 6 Historic games 3 All time records 3 1 Season records 3 2 In state NCAA Division I record 3 3 Head coaches 3 4 Bowl games 3 5 Shamrock Series 4 Players and coaches 4 1 Heisman Trophy 4 2 Other national award winners 4 3 Coaching awards 4 4 Team awards 4 5 College Football Hall of Fame 5 Uniforms 6 Facilities 6 1 Notre Dame Stadium 6 2 Cartier Field 6 3 Guglielmino Athletics Complex 6 4 Irish Athletic Center 7 Rivalries 7 1 USC 7 2 Navy 7 3 Michigan 7 4 Michigan State 7 5 Miami FL 8 Gameday traditions 9 Irish in the NFL 9 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame 9 2 Current NFL players 10 Media 10 1 Radio 10 1 1 Current broadcast team 10 1 2 Former commentators 10 2 Television 10 2 1 Current broadcast team 11 Future schedules 11 1 2023 11 2 2024 11 3 2025 11 4 2026 11 5 2027 11 6 2028 11 7 2029 11 8 2030 11 9 2031 11 10 2032 11 11 2033 11 12 2034 12 References 13 External linksHistory EditMain article History of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football See also List of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football seasons Early history 1887 1917 Edit 1913 squad with Captain Knute Rockne holding ball Football did not have an auspicious beginning at the University of Notre Dame In their inaugural game on November 22 1887 the Irish lost to Michigan by a score of 8 0 9 Their first win came in the final and only game of the 1888 season when the Irish defeated Harvard Prep School of Chicago by a score of 20 0 10 11 Between 1887 and 1899 Notre Dame compiled a record of 31 wins 15 losses and four ties against a diverse variety of opponents ranging from local high school teams to other universities 11 In 1894 James L Morrison was hired as Notre Dame s first head football coach 12 Notre Dame took a significant step toward respectability prominence and stability when they hired Morrison 13 He wrote an acquaintance after his first day on the job I arrived here Notre Dame this morning and found about as green a set of football players that ever donned a uniform They want to smoke and when I told them that they would have to run and get up some wind they thought I was rubbing it in on them One big strong cuss remarked that it was too much like work Well maybe you think I didn t give him hell I bet you a hundred no one ever makes a remark like that again 13 Morrison had been hired for 40 plus expenses for two weeks 14 In 1908 a win over Franklin saw end Fay Wood catch the first touchdown pass in Notre Dame history 15 Notre Dame continued its success near the turn of the century and achieved their first victory over Michigan in 1909 by a score of 11 3 after which Michigan refused to play Notre Dame again for 33 years By the end of the 1912 season they had amassed a record of 108 wins 31 losses and 13 ties 16 Rockne running for a touchdown against Army 1913 Jesse Harper became head coach in 1913 and remained so until he retired in 1917 17 During his tenure the Irish began playing only intercollegiate games and posted a record of 34 wins five losses and one tie 18 This period would also mark the beginning of the rivalry with Army and the continuation of a rivalry with Michigan State 19 20 In 1913 Notre Dame burst into the national consciousness and helped to transform the collegiate game in a single contest In an effort to gain respect for a regionally successful but small time Midwestern football program Harper scheduled games in his first season with national powerhouses Texas Penn State and Army 21 On November 1 1913 the Notre Dame squad stunned the Black Knights of the Hudson 35 13 in a game played at West Point 22 Led by quarterback Gus Dorais and end Knute Rockne who was soon to be a legendary coach the Notre Dame team attacked the Cadets with an offense that featured both the expected powerful running game but also long and accurate downfield forward passes from Dorais to Rockne 23 22 This game has been miscredited as the invention of the forward pass 23 Before this contest receivers would come to a full stop and wait for the ball to come to them but in this contest Dorais threw to Rockne in stride changing the forward pass from a seldom used play into the dominant ball moving strategy that it is today 23 22 Knute Rockne era 1918 1930 Edit This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably Please consider splitting content into sub articles condensing it or adding subheadings Please discuss this issue on the article s talk page December 2018 Coach Knute Rockne Irish assistant Knute Rockne became head coach in 1918 24 25 26 Under Rockne the Irish would post a record of 105 wins 12 losses and five ties 27 The 105 wins account for 12 3 of all wins in Notre Dame football history 28 During his 13 years the Irish won three national championships had five undefeated seasons won the Rose Bowl in 1925 29 and produced players such as George Gipp and the Four Horsemen Knute Rockne has the highest winning percentage 881 in NCAA Division I FBS football history 28 Rockne s offenses employed the Notre Dame Box and his defenses ran a 7 2 2 scheme 30 31 Rockne took over in the war torn season of 1918 and posted a 3 1 2 record 32 he lost only to the Michigan Agricultural Aggies 33 He made his coaching debut on September 28 1918 against Case Tech in Cleveland Ohio and earned a 26 6 victory 34 Leonard Bahan George Gipp and Curly Lambeau were in the backfield 35 36 With Gipp Rockne had an ideal handler of the forward pass 37 38 The 1919 team had Rockne handle the line and Gus Dorais handle the backfield 39 The team went undefeated and won the national championship 40 41 42 George Gipp The Gipper Gipp died at age 25 on December 14 1920 43 just two weeks after Walter Camp elected him as Notre Dame s first All American 44 43 Gipp likely contracted strep throat and pneumonia while giving punting lessons after his final game on November 20 against Northwestern 44 Since antibiotics were not available in the 1920s treatment options for such infections were limited and they could be fatal even to young healthy individuals 45 Rockne was speaking to Gipper on his hospital bed when he was purported to have delivered the famous Win one for the Gipper line 46 43 47 48 49 Roger Kiley John Mohardt led the 1921 Notre Dame team to a 10 1 record with 781 rushing yards 995 passing yards 12 rushing touchdowns and nine passing touchdowns 50 Grantland Rice 51 wrote that Mohardt could throw the ball to within a foot or two of any given space and noted that the 1921 Notre Dame team was the first team we know of to build its attack around a forward passing game rather than use a forward passing game as a mere aid to the running game 52 Mohardt had both Eddie Anderson and Roger Kiley at end to receive his passes 53 54 The national champion 1924 team included the Four Horsemen backfield of Harry Stuhldreher Don Miller Jim Crowley and Elmer Layden 55 56 The line was known as the Seven Mules 57 The Irish capped an undefeated 10 0 season with a victory over Stanford in the Rose Bowl 58 29 The 1926 team beat Army and was led by Christie Flanagan 59 60 For all his success Rockne also made what an Associated Press writer called one of the greatest coaching blunders in history 61 Instead of coaching his team against Carnegie Tech Rockne traveled to Chicago for the Army Navy Game to write newspaper articles about it as well as select an All America football team 61 Carnegie Tech used the coach s absence as motivation for a 19 0 win the upset likely cost the Irish a chance for a national title 61 The 1928 team lost to national champion Georgia Tech 62 I sat at Grant Field and saw a magnificent Notre Dame team suddenly recoil before the furious pounding of one man Peter Pund said Rockne Nobody could stop him I counted 20 scoring plays that this man ruined 63 Among the events that occurred during Rockne s tenure none may be more famous than Rockne s Win one for the Gipper speech 64 Army came into the 1928 matchup undefeated and was the clear favorite 65 Notre Dame on the other hand was having their worst season under Rockne s leadership and entered the game with a 4 2 record 65 At the end of the half Army was leading and looked to be in command of the game Rockne entered the locker room and gave his account of Gipp s final words I ve got to go Rock It s all right I m not afraid Some time Rock when the team is up against it when things are going wrong and the breaks are beating the boys tell them to go in there with all they ve got and win just one for the Gipper I don t know where I ll be then Rock But I ll know about it and I ll be happy 66 The speech inspired the team and they went on to upset Army and win the game 12 6 67 The 1929 and 1930 teams both went undefeated 68 69 winning national championships 70 71 and the 1930 team was led by the likes of Frank Carideo Joe Savoldi Marchy Schwartz and Marty Brill 71 It featured the first and only example of all four members of a backfield being named to an All American team during the same season The 1929 team played all of its games on the road while the new Notre Dame Stadium was being built 72 In 1930 Jumping Joe Savoldi scored the first Notre Dame touchdown in the new stadium on a 98 yard kickoff return 73 Savoldi is also known as the first hero in the lore of Notre Dame s Stadium based on scoring three touchdowns in the official stadium dedication game against Navy the following week 74 Rockne coached his last game on December 14 1930 when he led a group of Notre Dame all stars against the New York Giants in New York City 75 76 The game 77 raised funds for the Mayor s Relief Committee for the unemployed and needy of the city 50 000 fans turned out to see the reunited Four Horsemen along with players from Rockne s other championship teams take the field against the pros 78 On March 31 1931 Rockne died at age 43 in the crash of a Transcontinental amp Western Air airliner in Kansas he was on his way to help in the production of the film The Spirit of Notre Dame 79 80 81 The crash site is located in a remote expanse of Kansas known as the Flint Hills and now features a Rockne Memorial 82 As Notre Dame s head coach from 1918 to 1930 Rockne posted what has remained for decades the all time highest winning percentage 881 for a football coach in the NCAA s flagship FBS division 26 83 During his 13 year tenure as head coach of the Fighting Irish Rockne collected 105 victories 12 losses 5 ties and 3 national championships 27 84 Rockne also coached Notre Dame to five undefeated and untied seasons 27 84 Heartley Anderson 1931 1933 Edit Through game broadcasts via radio Notre Dame football gained a nationwide following of subway alumni Catholics who became fans whether or not they attended the university 85 Former Saint Louis head coach Heartley Hunk Anderson was promoted from assistant coach and took the helm of the Irish after Knute Rockne s death leading them to a record of 16 wins nine losses and two ties 86 Anderson was a former Irish player under Rockne and was serving as an assistant coach at the time of Rockne s death Anderson resigned as Irish head coach after the 1933 season to accept the position of head football coach at NC State 87 Notre Dame finished 6 2 1 in 1931 88 The Irish began the season with a 25 0 win over Indiana 89 90 Notre Dame tied Northwestern in the season s second game 91 Anderson s squad then demolished Drake by a score of 63 0 92 After defeating Pittsburgh by a score of 25 12 93 the Fighting Irish shut out their next three opponents Carnegie Mellon 90 Pennsylvania 94 and Navy 95 The Irish lost a heartbreaker by a score of 16 14 to USC on November 21 that snapped the Irish s 26 game non losing streak 96 Army shut out the Irish by a score of 12 0 on November 28 to finish the Irish s season 97 The Irish went 7 2 in 1932 98 Anderson s team began with three blowout victories 73 0 over Haskell 99 62 0 over Drake 100 and 42 0 over Carnegie Mellon 101 The Irish then faced Pittsburgh in front of a then record crowd of 62 000 losing by a score of 12 0 102 Notre Dame bounced back to win its next four 24 6 over Kansas 103 21 0 over Northwestern 104 12 0 over Navy 105 and 21 0 over Army in front of a new record crowd on 80 000 106 Anderson s Irish closed the season on a sour note losing to USC by a score of 13 0 107 1933 was a tough year for the Irish as they finished with a 3 5 2 record 108 Notre Dame began the season in a scoreless tie with Kansas 109 After defeating Indiana by a score of 12 2 110 ND suffered a four game losing streak failing to score a point in all four losses to Carnegie Mellon 111 Pittsburgh 110 Navy 110 and Purdue 112 Notre Dame ended the losing streak by defeating Northwestern by a score of 7 0 113 The Fighting Irish closed the season with a 19 0 loss to USC 114 and a 13 12 win over Army 67 Elmer Layden 1934 1940 Edit Anderson was replaced by Elmer Layden who was one of Rockne s Four Horsemen in the 1920s 115 116 After graduating Layden played professional football for one year and then began a coaching career 115 116 The Irish posted a record of 47 wins 13 losses and three ties in seven years under Layden 117 the most successful record of a Notre Dame coach not to win a national championship 116 He left Notre Dame after the 1940 season to become Commissioner of the National Football League 116 115 Layden s 1935 squad posted one of the greatest wins in school history by rallying to defeat Ohio State by a score of 18 13 118 119 His 1938 team finished 8 1 120 losing only to USC in the season finale 121 This loss cost them a possible consensus national championship but the team was named national champion by the Dickinson System 122 Like Rockne before him Layden was a goodwill ambassador for Notre Dame during his time as head coach 123 124 He was able to schedule a home and home series with Michigan after meeting with Fielding H Yost healing a rift between the two schools 125 The two teams had not met since 1909 when after eight straight losses to the Wolverines the Irish posted their first win 126 127 They were scheduled to meet again in 1910 but Michigan canceled the game and refused to play the Irish again 127 By the time they met again in 1943 Layden had left Notre Dame and Frank Leahy had taken his place 127 Unlike the easygoing Layden Leahy was intense and after the Irish had thrashed Michigan by a score of 35 12 in 1943 128 129 130 Wolverine coach and athletic director Fritz Crisler never scheduled the Irish again 127 Frank Leahy era 1941 1953 Edit Coach Leahy Boston College head coach Frank Leahy was hired by Notre Dame to take over for Layden in 1941 and was another former Irish player who played during the Rockne era 131 After graduating from Notre Dame Leahy held several coaching positions including line coach of the Seven Blocks of Granite of Fordham University that helped that team win all but two of their games between 1935 and 1937 131 He then coached the Boston College Eagles to a win in the 1941 Sugar Bowl and a share of the national championship 132 133 134 His move to Notre Dame began a new period of gridiron success for the Irish and ensured Leahy s place among the winningest coaches in the history of college football 135 Leahy coached the team for 11 seasons from 1941 to 1943 and 1946 to 1953 131 He has the second highest winning percentage 864 of any college coach in history 135 He led the Irish to a record of 87 wins 11 losses and nine ties including 39 consecutive games without a loss 37 0 2 136 135 four national championships 135 and six undefeated seasons 136 A fifth national championship was lost because of a 1953 tie against Iowa 137 in a game that featured 1953 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lattner 138 that caused a minor scandal at the time when it appeared that some Irish players had faked injuries to stop the clock leading some to nickname those players the Fainting Irish 137 139 140 From 1944 to 1945 Leahy served in the U S Navy during World War II and was honorably discharged as a Captain 141 Edward McKeever Leahy s assistant coach became interim head coach when Leahy left for the Navy 142 During his one year at the helm 1944 the Irish managed 8 wins and 2 losses 143 McKeever left Notre Dame in 1945 to take over as head coach of Cornell 144 He was replaced by Hugh Devore for the 1945 season who led the Irish to a 7 2 1 record 145 Leahy retired in 1954 reportedly due to health issues 146 Perhaps the best example of this occurred during the Georgia Tech game in 1953 Leahy fell ill during the game which led to him collapsing during halftime 147 self published source The situation was so dire that a priest was called in to give Leahy the last rites 148 However Leahy recovered and the consequent diagnosis was that he was suffering from nervous tension and pancreatitis 149 Terry Brennan 1954 1958 Edit The departure of Frank Leahy ushered in a downward slope in Notre Dame s performance referred to in various circles as a period of de emphasis 150 25 year old assistant coach Terry Brennan was hired as Frank Leahy s successor as the Notre Dame head coach in 1954 and would stay until 1958 151 When asked if he thought he was too young to be a head coach at the age of 25 Brennan replied Oh I don t know I ll be 26 in a few months 152 153 He departed with a total of 32 wins and 18 losses 154 But note the 32 wins included 17 in 1954 and 1955 From 1956 to 1958 his record was 15 15 Brennan was a former player under Leahy and before joining the Irish had coached the Mount Carmel High School team in Chicago and later the freshman squad and assistant at Notre Dame 151 His first two seasons the Irish were ranked fourth and ninth respectively 151 155 It was the 1956 season that began to darken his reputation for it became one of the most dismal in the team s history and saw them finish the season with a mere two wins including losses to Michigan State Oklahoma and Iowa 156 One bright spot in the 1956 season was the awarding of the Heisman Trophy to Paul Hornung who would go on to a legendary NFL career with the Green Bay Packers 157 To date Hornung is the only Heisman winner to win the award while playing for a team that had a losing record 157 The Irish would recover the following season posting a record of 7 3 158 and including in their wins a stunning upset of Oklahoma that ended the Sooners still standing record of 47 consecutive wins 159 In Brennan s final season though the Irish finished 6 4 160 Brennan was fired in mid December 161 Brennan s tenure can only be properly framed with the understanding that in a time of zero scholarship limitations in college football Notre Dame s administration inexplicably began a process of deemphasizing football severely cutting scholarships and hindering Brennan from building a roster of any meaningful depth 162 Joe Kuharich 1959 1963 Edit Former San Francisco Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins head coach Joe Kuharich took the head coaching position at Notre Dame in 1959 realizing a longtime ambition to return to his alma mater 163 164 He had earlier been courted by Notre Dame after the 1956 season after the Irish is finished 2 8 165 but before he had a chance to accept an offer Terry Brennan was given a reprieve 166 He brought a professional touch to Irish football putting shamrocks on the players helmets and shoulder stripes on their jerseys 166 Kuharich compiled a 17 23 record over four non winning seasons and remains to this day the only coach ever to have an overall losing record at Notre Dame 167 Included was a school record eight game losing streak in 1960 a year in which the Irish is finished 2 8 168 It was one of the worst stretches in program history The consensus opinion was that Kuharich never made the adjustment from pro football to college football attempting to use complicated pro coaching techniques with collegiate players and never adapted to the limited substitution rules in effect at the time having big immobile linemen playing both ways in an era where smaller quicker players were preferred 169 He often said You win some and you lose some and seemed perfectly content finishing 5 5 every year 169 This did not sit well with the Irish faithful who expected Notre Dame to beat everybody 169 When the pressure of winning became too much to bear Kuharich resigned in the spring of 1963 and assumed the post of supervisor of NFL officials 166 Because it was so late in the spring Hugh Devore was named head coach for the 1963 season while the search for a permanent replacement was being conducted 170 The players that he recruited came to within 93 seconds of an undefeated season and a national championship in 1964 under first year coach Ara Parseghian 171 Despite his unsuccessful Notre Dame tenure Kuharich remains the only Irish coach to post back to back shutouts over their greatest rival the University of Southern California Trojans in 1960 17 0 and 1961 30 0 172 Kuharich was involved in a game whose controversial ending resulted in a rule change In 1961 Notre Dame faced Syracuse at home and trailed 15 14 with three seconds left to play 173 A desperation 56 yard field goal attempt fell short as time ran out and Syracuse appeared to have won the game 173 But the Orangemen were penalized 15 yards for roughing the placekick holder and given a second chance with no time showing on the clock Notre Dame kicker Joe Perkowski drilled a 41 yard field goal for a 17 15 Irish victory 173 Syracuse protested claiming that under the existing rules the second kick should not have been allowed because time had expired 173 It never was clear whether the officials had erred in allowing the extra play and the Irish victory was permitted to stand 173 As a result of this game the rule was clarified to state that a half cannot end on an accepted defensive foul consistent with the officials ruling in this game 174 Ara Parseghian era 1964 1974 Edit Ara Parseghian statue dedicated September 22 2007 In 1964 Ara Parseghian left his job as the Northwestern head football coach when he was hired to take over the coaching duties at Notre Dame 175 He immediately brought the team back to a level of success in Irish football history that was comparable only to Rockne and Leahy These three coaches have an 80 or greater winning percentage while at Notre Dame Rockne at 881 Leahy at 864 and Parseghian at 836 Parseghian s teams never won fewer than seven nor lost more than three games during the ten game regular seasons of the era 176 In his first year the Irish improved their record to 9 1 but they lost the national championship in the last game of the season at USC when Craig Fertig connected with a touchdown pass to Rod Sherman 177 Parseghian earned coach of the year honors from the American Football Coaches Association the Football Writers Association and The Sporting News as well as several others and a cover story in Time magazine 178 179 Parseghian was also named coach of the year by several selectors in his national championship years of 1966 and 1973 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980 180 181 It was under Parseghian as well that Notre Dame lifted its 40 plus year old no bowl games policy 182 beginning with the season of 1969 after which the Irish played the No 1 Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic losing in the final minutes in a closely contested game 183 The following year Parseghian s 9 1 squad 184 ended Texas Southwest Conference record 30 game winning streak in the 1971 Cotton Bowl 183 During his eleven year career the Irish amassed a record of 95 17 4 and captured two national championships as well as the MacArthur Bowl in 1964 176 185 The Irish also had undefeated seasons in 1966 and 1973 186 187 had three major bowl wins in five appearances and produced one Heisman Trophy winner John Huarte in 1964 188 In 1971 Cliff Brown became the first African American quarterback to start a game for the program 189 Due to health issues Parseghian was forced to retire from coaching after the 1974 season 190 Dan Devine era 1975 1980 Edit This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably Please consider splitting content into sub articles condensing it or adding subheadings Please discuss this issue on the article s talk page December 2018 Coach Devine Dan Devine was hired to take over as head coach upon Parseghian s departure from Notre Dame in 1975 191 Devine was already a highly successful coach and had led Arizona State Missouri and the NFL s Green Bay Packers 191 Devine had been a leading candidate for the head coaching job at Notre Dame in 1964 when Ara Parseghian was hired 192 When approached for the job following Parseghian s resignation Devine accepted immediately joking that it was probably the shortest job interview in history 193 When he arrived at Notre Dame he already had a college coaching record of 120 wins 40 losses and eight ties and had led his teams to victory in four bowl games 194 At Notre Dame he would lead the Irish to 53 wins 16 losses and a tie as well as three bowl victories 194 His lasting achievement came midway through this run when Notre Dame won the 1977 national championship led by junior quarterback Joe Montana 195 The championship season climaxed with a 38 10 win in the 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic over previously top ranked Texas led by Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell 196 The win vaulted the Irish from fifth to first in the polls Earlier in the season before the annual game against USC played at home on October 22 Devine changed the team s jerseys from navy blue amp white to kelly green amp gold later known as the green jersey game resulting in a 49 19 victory over the Trojans 197 The Irish continued to wear green for the rest of Devine s tenure at the school 197 Like Joe Kuharich before him Devine was involved in a game while at Notre Dame whose ending resulted in a rule change still in effect today 198 On September 15 1979 the Irish faced the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor in their season opener 199 With six seconds remaining Michigan lined up for a game winning field goal attempt Notre Dame linebacker Bob Crable ran onto the backs of offensive lineman Tim Foley and defensive end Scott Zettek and was able to block the kick preserving a 12 10 Irish victory 199 A new rule was implemented the following season that prohibited this tactic 198 Because he had the unenviable task of following a legend Devine came under heavy scrutiny while at Notre Dame and it was felt that he was never fully embraced by the Notre Dame community despite winning a national championship 200 After a 5 2 start in his first season rumors of incompetence were circulated and that Devine would be dismissed and replaced by Don Shula or even Ara Parseghian who went so far as to say he would not return to Notre Dame under any circumstances 201 Even on the day of the 1977 USC game Dump Devine bumper stickers were being sold outside Notre Dame Stadium 201 He also had the notoriety of losing to his old program a shocking 3 0 loss to the Tigers at South Bend in 1978 It was not until after Devine had left Notre Dame that the fans began to appreciate him 202 203 On August 15 1980 Devine announced that he would be leaving Notre Dame at the end of the season saying he wanted to be able to spend more time with his wife 200 He moved back to Arizona and became a fundraiser for Arizona State University s Sun Devil Foundation 200 In 1985 he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and then returned to his old school at Missouri seven years later as athletic director to help navigate the school through financial troubles 200 Devine was inducted into the inaugural class of the University of Minnesota Duluth Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991 204 Gerry Faust 1981 1985 Edit Gerry Faust was hired to replace Devine in 1981 205 Prior to Notre Dame Faust had been one of the more successful high school football coaches in the country 206 As coach of Moeller High School in Cincinnati he amassed a 174 17 2 record over 19 seasons 206 Many of his players had gone on to play for Notre Dame indeed when he arrived in South Bend he was reunited with nine of his former players from Moeller Despite his success in the high school ranks Faust s success at Notre Dame was mixed and his record mediocre at best In his first season the Irish is finished 5 6 207 In Faust s second season Notre Dame improved slightly to 6 4 1 208 The most successful years under Faust were the 1983 and 1984 campaigns where the Irish is finished 7 5 and made trips to the Liberty Bowl and Aloha Bowl respectively 209 210 His final record at Notre Dame was 30 26 1 211 To avoid being fired Faust resigned at the end of the 1985 season following fan cries of Oust Faust 212 213 He announced his resignation prior to the final game of the year where Notre Dame suffered a humiliating 58 7 loss at Miami Allen Pinkett scored the Irish TD Faust proceeded to take over as head coach at Akron 214 Lou Holtz era 1986 1996 Edit This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably Please consider splitting content into sub articles condensing it or adding subheadings Please discuss this issue on the article s talk page December 2018 Coach Holtz See also 1988 Notre Dame vs Miami football game Lou Holtz had 17 years of head coaching experience by the time he was hired to lead the Irish having served as 215 head coach of William amp Mary North Carolina State the NFL s New York Jets Arkansas and Minnesota 215 Holtz began in 1986 where his predecessor left off in 1985 finishing with an identical record of 5 wins and 6 losses 216 However unlike the 1985 squad which was generally outcoached and outplayed Holtz s 1986 edition was competitive in nearly every game losing five out of those six games by a combined total of 14 points That would be his only losing season as he posted a record of 95 24 2 over the next ten seasons adding up to a 100 30 2 record overall 217 218 In 1987 Holtz led the Irish to an 8 4 record 219 Notre Dame s best player was star wide receiver Tim Brown who would win the Heisman Trophy that season and is Notre Dame s seventh and last Heisman winner to date 220 221 The season began with the Irish defeating No 9 Michigan in Ann Arbor Michigan by a score of 26 7 222 The next week the Irish defeated No 17 Michigan State by a score of 31 8 223 After defeating Purdue 224 the Irish lost to Pittsburgh and lost starting quarterback Terry Andrysiak to injury during the game 225 With sophomore quarterback Tony Rice under center the Irish reeled off five straight wins beginning with Air Force 226 then USC 227 Navy 228 Boston College 229 and No 10 Alabama 230 Notre Dame would then lose their last three to close the season starting with Penn State 231 then No 2 Miami 232 and Texas A amp M in the Cotton Bowl 233 In contrast to Faust Holtz was well known as a master motivator and a strict disciplinarian 234 235 The tone was set with Holtz s first meeting with his team as Irish head coach in 1986 immediately demanding his players sit up straight in their chairs and look him in the eye as he spoke 236 He displayed the latter trait in spades when two of his top contributing players showed up late for dinner right before the then top ranked Irish played second ranked USC in the final regular season game of 1988 237 In a controversial move coach Lou Holtz took his 10 0 Irish squad to Los Angeles without stars Ricky Watters and Tony Brooks who he suspended for disciplinary reasons 238 This was not the first time these players had gotten into trouble and the players had been warned there would be serious consequences if it happened again 239 His move was vindicated when the Irish defeated USC anyway 238 Holtz was named national coach of the year Paul Bear Bryant Award in 1988 215 the same season he took Notre Dame to an upset of No 1 Miami in the Catholics vs Convicts series 240 and a win over No 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl thus capturing the national championship 241 The Irish is finished a perfect 12 0 in 1988 its last undefeated season and national championship to date 242 243 Occasionally despite his lack of success with the N Y Jets he was rumored to be leaving Notre Dame for the NFL Following a 6 10 season in 1990 and an 8 8 showing in 1991 the Minnesota Vikings were rumored to replace Jerry Burns with Holtz However Holtz denied these rumors each of those two seasons Holtz remained at Notre Dame the Vikings meanwhile hired Dennis Green to replace the retired Jerry Burns 244 245 Holtz nearly replaced Green five years later after retiring from Notre Dame 246 247 The 1988 national champion Fighting Irish visited President Ronald Reagan in the White House in January 1989 In 1989 Holtz led the Irish to a 12 1 record 248 The Irish began the season in the Kickoff Classic game in East Rutherford New Jersey against Virginia 249 The Irish won by a score of 36 13 250 Next top ranked Notre Dame defeated No 2 Michigan by a score of 24 19 251 That was followed by wins over Michigan State 252 Purdue 253 Stanford 254 No 17 Air Force 255 No 9 USC 256 No 7 Pittsburgh 257 Navy 258 SMU 259 and No 17 Penn State 260 The Irish would lose to No 7 Miami the following week ending Notre Dame s 23 game winning streak 261 Holtz would lead the Irish to a victory in the Orange Bowl over No 1 Colorado to end the season 262 Holtz led the Fighting Irish to a 9 3 record in 1990 263 The season began with a No 1 ranking and a victory over No 4 Michigan by a score of 28 24 264 The Irish defeated No 24 Michigan State the following week 265 then beat Purdue 266 The Irish would suffer its first defeat of the season the next week losing to Stanford by a score of 36 31 267 The Irish would rebound to post five consecutive wins defeating Air Force 268 No 2 Miami 269 Pittsburgh 270 Navy 271 and No 9 Tennessee 272 273 After losing 24 21 to No 22 Penn State 274 the Irish defeated USC by a score of 10 6 in the regular season finale 275 The Irish would get a rematch with Colorado in the Orange Bowl but would lose by a score of 10 9 276 The Fighting Irish would go 10 3 in 1991 277 After defeating Indiana to open the season 278 the Irish lost to No 4 Michigan by a score of 24 14 279 The Irish won their next seven defeating Michigan State 280 Purdue 281 Stanford 282 No 12 Pittsburgh 283 Air Force 284 USC 285 and Navy 286 The Irish would suffer a defeat to No 13 Tennessee at home blowing a 24 point lead to lose by a score of 35 34 287 Notre Dame would then lose back to back games for the first time since 1987 when they lost to unranked Penn State their first loss to an unranked opponent as well since 1987 288 The Irish would close out the regular season with a victory over Hawaii by a score of 48 42 289 The Irish would receive a berth in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans Louisiana where they defeated Florida by a score of 39 28 290 In 1992 Notre Dame finished 10 1 1 291 After defeating Northwestern to start the season 292 the Fighting Irish tied No 5 Michigan their first tie of the Holtz era 293 After defeating Michigan State 294 and Purdue 295 the Irish lost to No 19 Stanford by a score of 33 16 296 Notre Dame would win out for the rest of the season defeating Pittsburgh 297 BYU 298 Navy 299 No 9 Boston College 300 No 21 Penn State 301 No 23 USC 302 and the Cotton Bowl against No 3 Texas A amp M 303 The Irish would enjoy another successful season in 1993 finishing the season at 11 1 304 After scoring 27 points in wins over Northwestern 305 and No 2 Michigan 306 to start the season the Irish defeated Michigan State 307 Purdue 308 Pittsburgh 309 BYU 310 USC 311 Navy 312 and No 1 Florida State 313 However a loss to No 12 Boston College on a game winning field goal as time expired by a score of 41 39 ended the Irish s national championship aspirations 314 The Irish would face a rematch with No 6 Texas A amp M in the Cotton Bowl to finish the season a game the Irish won by a score of 24 21 315 In 1994 Holtz led Notre Dame to a 6 5 1 record the Irish s worst record since Holtz s first season in 1986 316 The Irish would begin by defeating Northwestern 317 but would lose to No 5 Michigan by a score of 26 24 318 The Irish defeated Michigan State the following week by a score of 21 20 319 After wins over Purdue 320 and Stanford 321 the Irish would lose three of their next four to drop out of the rankings for the first time since 1986 After beating Navy 322 the Fighting Irish lost to No 6 Florida State by a score of 23 16 323 After beating Air Force 324 Notre Dame tied USC 325 and lost to No 5 Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl by a score of 41 24 326 The Irish would improve to 9 3 in 1995 327 Despite getting upset by Northwestern to begin the season 328 the Irish won their next three defeating Purdue 329 Vanderbilt a game in which Coach Holtz missed because of a health issue and defensive coordinator Bob Davie filled in as head coach for the game 330 331 and No 10 Texas 332 After losing to No 6 Ohio State 118 the Irish reeled off six straight wins defeating No 15 Washington 333 Army 334 No 5 USC 335 Boston College 336 Navy 337 and Air Force 338 The Irish finished the 1995 campaign by losing to No 8 Florida State in the Orange Bowl 339 Lou Holtz s last season at Notre Dame in 1996 resulted in an 8 3 record 340 After defeating Vanderbilt 341 342 Purdue 343 and No 8 Texas 344 the Irish lost to No 4 Ohio State 345 Notre Dame would finish the season with a win over No 16 Washington 346 a loss to Air Force in overtime 347 a win over Navy 348 a win over Boston College 349 a win over Pittsburgh 350 a win over Rutgers 351 and an overtime loss to USC snapping the Irish s 13 game non losing streak against the Trojans 352 Holtz s option offense which helped catapult Notre Dame to many victories in the late 1980s and early 1990s also helped rack up impressive recruiting classes During the 1989 season Holtz had the following future NFL players on offense QB Rick Mirer 353 RB Ricky Watters 354 RB Anthony Johnson 355 RB Rodney Culver 356 RB Dorsey Levens 357 and WR Raghib Ismail 358 In 1990 he added RB Jeff Burris who would later move to Safety 359 FB Jerome Bettis 360 and TE Irv Smith 361 1991 saw the additions of RB Reggie Brooks 362 and FB Ray Zellars 363 1992 saw the addition of WR Derrick Mayes 364 For 1993 he added FB Marc Edwards 365 In 1995 he added RB Autry Denson 366 From the 1987 1991 NFL Drafts there were 33 Notre Dame players selected 367 From the 1992 1995 NFL Drafts there were 32 Notre Dame players selected 368 Overall Holtz took Notre Dame to one undefeated season nine consecutive New Year s Day bowl games and top 10 finishes in the AP poll in five seasons 369 Holtz retired from Notre Dame following the 1996 season 285 but would unretire in 1999 to accept the head coaching position at South Carolina where he would serve until the completion of the 2004 season 370 371 Bob Davie 1997 2001 Edit Coach Davie Bob Davie who had been Holtz s defensive coordinator from 1994 to 1996 was promoted to head coach when Holtz retired 372 Davie who turned down a head coaching offer from Purdue to accept the Irish s head coaching position 373 was a well respected defensive mind who had also served as defensive coordinator at Tulane and Texas A amp M 374 Davie had also filled in as head coach for one game during the 1995 season when Lou Holtz was dealing with a health issue 330 One of his first major decisions was to fire long time offensive line coach Joe Moore who then successfully sued the university for age discrimination 375 On Davie s watch the team suffered three bowl game losses 1997 Independence Bowl 376 1999 Gator Bowl 377 and 2001 Fiesta Bowl 378 and it failed to qualify for a bowl game in two others 1999 and 2001 The highlight of Davie s tenure was a 36 20 upset win in 1998 over No 5 Michigan the defending national champions 379 Davie s Irish also posted a 25 24 home victory over USC in 1999 380 Davie nearly defeated top ranked Nebraska in 2000 with the Irish comeback bid falling short in overtime 27 24 381 The aforementioned 2001 Fiesta Bowl was Notre Dame s first invitation to the Bowl Championship Series The Irish lost by 32 points to Oregon State 382 but would finish No 15 in the AP Poll Davie s highest ranking as head coach 383 The 2001 squad was awarded the American Football Coaches Association Achievement Award for its 100 graduation rate 384 On December 17 1999 Notre Dame was placed on probation by the NCAA for the only time in its history 385 386 The association s Committee on Infractions found two series of violations 386 The New York Times reported the main one involved the actions of a booster Kimberly Dunbar who lavished gifts on football players with money she later pleaded guilty to embezzling 385 386 In the second series of events a football player was accused of trying to sell several complimentary game tickets and of using others as repayment of a loan 385 386 The player was also said to have been romantically involved with a woman not Dunbar a part time tutor at the university who wrote a term paper for another player for a small fee and provided players with meals lodging and gifts 385 The Dunbar violation began while Lou Holtz was head coach According to the NCAA committee report Dunbar the woman at the center of the more serious violations had become romantically involved with several Notre Dame football players from June 1995 to January 1998 and had a child with one Jarvis Edison 385 Notre Dame was placed on probation for two years and lost one of its 85 football scholarships each year in what the Times termed minor penalties 385 386 Following the 1998 season the team fell into a pattern of frustrating inconsistency and alternated between successful and mediocre seasons Despite Davie s rocky tenure new athletic director Kevin White gave the coach a contract extension following the Fiesta Bowl capped 2000 season 387 then saw the team start 0 3 in 2001 the first such start in school history 388 Disappointed by the on field results coupled with the Joe Moore and Kim Dunbar scandals the administration decided to dismiss Davie after the 2001 season 389 His final record at Notre Dame was 35 25 390 After departing Notre Dame Davie accepted an offer from ESPN to serve as a play by play broadcast college football analyst a position he would hold for ten years before New Mexico hired him to be their head football coach in December 2011 391 392 393 George O Leary controversy Edit On December 9 2001 Notre Dame hired George O Leary the head coach at Georgia Tech to replace Davie 394 However while researching a local boy done good story on O Leary New Hampshire Union Leader reporter Jim Fennell uncovered misrepresentations in O Leary s resume that had influenced the administration s decision to hire him 395 The resulting media scandal embarrassed Notre Dame officials and tainted O Leary he resigned five days later before coaching a single practice recruiting a single player or hiring a single assistant coach 396 O Leary s tenure is the shortest of any head coach in FBS history 397 O Leary would go on to become the head football coach at the University of Central Florida 398 Tyrone Willingham 2002 2004 Edit Once again in need of a new head coach the school turned to Tyrone Willingham the head coach at Stanford 399 Willingham s hiring made him the first African American head coach in Notre Dame football history Bringing a feeling of change and excitement to campus Willingham led the 2002 squad to a 10 2 regular season record 400 including an 8 0 start with wins over No 7 Michigan 401 and No 11 Florida State 402 and a No 4 ranking This great early start however would be the lone highlight of Willingham s tenure as Notre Dame finished the year with a heart breaking loss to Boston College 403 then lopsided losses to USC 404 and North Carolina State in the Gator Bowl 405 The program faltered over the next two seasons under Willingham compiling an 11 12 record 406 During this time Notre Dame lost a game by at least 30 points on five occasions Furthermore Willingham s 2004 recruiting class was judged by analysts to be the worst at Notre Dame in more than two decades 407 Citing Notre Dame s third consecutive four touchdown loss to arch rival USC 408 compounded by another year of sub par recruiting efforts the Willingham era ended on November 30 2004 after the conclusion of the 2004 season when the university chose to terminate him and pay out the remainder of Willingham s six year contract 409 Willingham would not be unemployed for long however as he would accept the head coaching position at Washington two weeks after he was fired by the Irish 410 Charlie Weis 2005 2009 Edit This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably Please consider splitting content into sub articles condensing it or adding subheadings Please discuss this issue on the article s talk page December 2018 Coach Weis After Willingham s firing Notre Dame initially pursued Utah head coach Urban Meyer who had been an Irish assistant from 1996 to 2000 411 After Meyer accepted the Florida head coaching position and turned down the Irish 412 Charlie Weis left the NFL s New England Patriots where he won three Super Bowls as offensive coordinator 413 to become head football coach for the Irish beginning with the 2005 season 414 Weis hiring as the Irish s 30th head football coach made him the first Notre Dame graduate to hold the football head coaching position on a full fledged basis since Joe Kuharich a 1938 Notre Dame graduate 415 In his inaugural season he led Notre Dame to a record of 9 3 416 including an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl where they were defeated by the Ohio State Buckeyes 34 20 417 In the first half of the first game against Pittsburgh Notre Dame had gained more offensive yards than it had in five games combined during the previous season 418 On September 25 Weis and the Irish traveled to Seattle Washington to face Washington and former head coach Tyrone Willingham who was hired by the Huskies to be their head coach two weeks after getting fired at Notre Dame 419 420 The Irish won by a score of 36 17 419 Quarterback Brady Quinn would go on to break numerous team passing records that season and rise to the national spotlight by holding 35 Notre Dame records as well as becoming a top Heisman Trophy contender 421 Wide receiver Jeff Samardzija would be the team s leading receiver and would go on to a successful career in Major League Baseball as a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants 422 Tight end Anthony Fasano would be another key offensive player during the 2005 season who would go on to an NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys Miami Dolphins Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans 423 During the 2005 season Notre Dame signed Weis to a big raise and ten year contract extension that was set to keep the coach in South Bend through the 2015 season 424 Weis and the Irish went into the 2006 season with a No 2 preseason ranking in the ESPN Coaches Poll 425 They finished the regular season with a 10 2 record 426 losing only to Michigan 427 and USC 428 Notre Dame accepted a bid to the 2007 Sugar Bowl losing to LSU 41 14 429 This marked their ninth consecutive post season loss the longest drought in NCAA history 430 As a result Notre Dame dropped to No 17 in the final rankings 431 432 In the wake of a graduating class that sent eleven players to the NFL 433 the 2007 season 3 9 434 included various negative milestones the most losses in a single year 9 435 two of the ten worst losses ever 38 0 losses to both Michigan 436 and USC 437 and the first six game losing streak for home games 438 The Naval Academy recorded their first win over the Irish since 1963 breaking the NCAA record 43 game streak 439 In 2008 the Irish started 4 1 but completed the regular season with a 6 6 record 440 including a 24 23 home loss to Syracuse the first time that Notre Dame had fallen to an eight loss team 441 Quarterback Jimmy Clausen would be the team s star player completing over 60 of his passes his sophomore season in 2008 442 443 Despite speculation the university might fire Weis it was announced he would remain head coach 444 Weis s Notre Dame squad ended the season breaking the Irish s NCAA record nine game bowl losing streak by beating Hawaii 49 21 in the Hawaii Bowl 445 After the 2008 season offensive coordinator Mike Haywood left to accept the head coaching position at Miami OH 446 447 Instead of hiring a replacement Weis elected to assume offensive coordinator duties himself which included calling the plays 448 449 Charlie Weis entered the 2009 season with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth 450 Notre Dame started the first part of the season 4 2 with close losses to Michigan 451 and USC 452 Many of their wins were also close aside from a 35 0 victory over Nevada 453 and a 40 14 defeat of Washington State 454 Sitting at 6 2 however Notre Dame lost a close game at Notre Dame Stadium to Navy 23 21 455 This loss was the second to Navy in the last three years and would be the first loss in a four game losing streak to finish the season The following week Notre Dame lost to No 8 Pittsburgh 456 then lost to UConn at home in double overtime on senior day 457 The Irish lost to Stanford the last week of the season by a score of 45 38 458 Quarterback Jimmy Clausen and wide receiver Golden Tate would forgo their senior seasons and enter the NFL Draft 459 Weis was fired on November 30 2009 exactly five years after his predecessor 460 According to Weis buyout he was to be paid 6 million then 2 05 million annually until the contract ran out in December 2015 for a total of about 19 million 461 During that time Weis made more money annually not to coach the Irish than his successor Brian Kelly made to coach the team 462 After leaving Notre Dame Weis would serve as offensive coordinator for the NFL s Kansas City Chiefs in 2010 as well as Florida under Will Muschamp in 2011 before accepting the head coaching position at Kansas in December 2011 413 His hiring made him the fifth consecutive former Notre Dame head coach sixth counting George O Leary to be hired as head coach by another FBS school joining Gerry Faust Akron Lou Holtz South Carolina Bob Davie New Mexico and Tyrone Willingham Washington 463 O Leary was hired by UCF 464 Brian Kelly era 2010 2021 Edit This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably Please consider splitting content into sub articles condensing it or adding subheadings Please discuss this issue on the article s talk page December 2018 Coach Kelly Brian Kelly became the 29th head coach of the Fighting Irish on December 10 2009 after coaching Cincinnati to a 12 0 record and BCS bowl game berth but he left the team before the bowl game 465 In his first season Kelly led the Fighting Irish to an 8 5 record 466 Tragedy struck early in the season when Declan Sullivan a junior working for the athletic department died while filming a practice on a scissor lift in dangerously high winds 467 Dayne Crist started the season at quarterback but was injured for a second consecutive year this time in the Tulsa game which the Irish lost 468 Kelly turned to freshman quarterback Tommy Rees who led the Irish to victories in the last three games against No 14 Utah 469 Army in Yankee Stadium 470 and breaking an eight year losing streak to USC in the LA Coliseum 471 Kelly guided the Irish to a 33 17 win over Miami FL in the 2010 Sun Bowl to finish 2010 with an 8 5 record 472 473 With senior wide out Michael Floyd returning for his senior season and an outstanding recruiting class that included several highly touted defensive linemen 474 Kelly and the Irish looked to improve on their 8 5 record from the prior year However an early season upset to a Skip Holtz led South Florida team 475 and a last second loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor left the Irish at 0 2 to start the season 476 The Irish bounced back to beat No 15 Michigan State 477 and had two 4 game winning streaks with the only loss during that stretch coming at the hands of USC 478 The Irish also broke Navy s 2 game winning streak over Notre Dame 2009 10 479 Notre Dame finished the season with an 8 4 record but lost 18 14 to Florida State in the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl 480 481 concluding the 2011 campaign with and 8 5 record overall identical to the 2010 season 482 In the team s losses multiple turnovers from the quarterback position were often the culprit and as a whole turnover at critical times in the game often derailed potential Irish comebacks After the 2011 season offensive coordinator Charley Molnar left ND to accept the head coaching position at UMass 483 Safeties coach and recruiting coordinator Chuck Martin would move over to the offensive side of the ball as Molnar s replacement running the offense 484 On September 12 2012 during the football program s 125th season Notre Dame announced that it would leave the Big East Conference for the Atlantic Coast Conference ACC excluding the football and hockey programs 485 This move became official on July 1 2013 in time for the fall sports to compete within the ACC conference While the Fighting Irish football team will remain an FBS independent it has agreed to play five games per season against ACC teams starting with the 2014 football season as the schedule allows In return Notre Dame will become eligible to participate in the ACC s sub BCS level bowl arrangements 486 On November 18 2012 Notre Dame was ranked No 1 in the nation in both the AP and Coaches polls after reaching 11 0 during the regular season for the first time since 1993 also ranking No 1 in the BCS standings for the first time in the 14 year history of the selection system 487 After defeating the University of Southern California Trojans on November 24 2012 488 Notre Dame concluded its first 12 0 regular season and on December 2 2012 the Irish were formally named to appear in the BCS National Championship Game for the first time in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game In that game on January 7 2013 the Irish lost to Alabama 42 14 489 Coming off the previous year s national title game appearance the Fighting Irish were dealt a blow when 2012 starting quarterback Everett Golson was suspended from the university due to an academic violation 490 Senior Tommy Rees then took over Notre Dame s 2013 season ended with a record of 9 4 491 and a victory over Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl 492 Notre Dame finished No 20 in the AP poll 493 After the 2013 season offensive coordinator Chuck Martin left ND to accept the head coaching position at Miami OH 494 495 marking the second assistant coach to leave Kelly s staff to accept an FBS head coaching job Mike Denbrock was promoted from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator to replace Martin 496 The 2014 season started off with 6 straight victories and a No 5 national ranking heading into a showdown with No 2 Florida State in Tallahassee Florida 497 FSU won that game 31 27 on a controversial offensive pass interference call that brought back a last second Notre Dame touchdown 498 The Fighting Irish bounced back with a win against Navy 499 before dropping their final 4 games of the season They did win the Music City Bowl by defeating the LSU Tigers and finished the season at an 8 5 record 500 498 After the 2014 season the Irish again changed offensive coordinators as Mike Denbrock stepped down from the position due to prostate cancer and returned to coaching the team s receivers 501 The 2015 Fighting Irish began its season with another new offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr 502 That year s squad is arguably the most explosive offense that Brian Kelly has coached at Notre Dame During the regular season the Irish were one of twenty one schools in the country to average 200 or more passing yards and rushing yards per game 503 The Irish had fourteen plays of over 50 yards during the season which ranked 13th in the country and was a school record They also had two touchdowns of over 90 yards a 91 yard touchdown run by C J Prosise and a 98 yard touchdown run by Josh Adams The Irish only had two in the previous 126 years of Notre Dame football The running game was dominant The 5 76 yards per carry were fifth in the country They finished the regular season averaging 34 points per game including a 62 point effort against UMass the most points in a game since 1996 The Irish is finished their 2015 season with a 10 3 record 504 a ranking of No 11 in the AP and No 12 in the Coaches Poll and a Fiesta Bowl appearance a loss to Ohio State 505 The 2016 season ended with a 4 8 record 506 Brian Kelly s worst win loss record at Notre Dame up to that point The tone for the season was set early with a double overtime loss to Texas in the season opener 507 On September 24 Notre Dame lost to Duke by a score of 38 35 508 Just 4 games into the season Brian Kelly fired defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder 509 Mike Elko was hired from Wake Forest as VanGorder s replacement 510 511 After a 10 3 loss to NC State in Raleigh North Carolina during messy conditions due to Hurricane Matthew 512 Kelly publicly called out his starting center over poor snapping and atrocious play 513 At the end of the season starting quarterback DeShone Kizer declared for the NFL Draft 514 and backup quarterback Malik Zaire announced he would be transferring in the winter after graduation 515 Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr left the ND staff after the season to accept the head coaching position at Western Kentucky making him the third Irish OC under Kelly to accept an FBS head coaching position 516 Chip Long was hired from Memphis as his replacement 517 Mike Denbrock also departed the Notre Dame staff accepting the offensive coordinator position at Cincinnati under new head coach Luke Fickell 518 519 Amidst speculation that Kelly s job was in jeopardy and that Kelly was looking to leave Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick announced that Kelly would return for the 2017 season 520 The 2017 season ended with a 10 3 record 521 and a win in the Citrus Bowl over LSU An early one point loss to No 2 Georgia set the tone for the first half of the season The tough running of running back Josh Adams behind an experienced and talented offensive line allowed Notre Dame to string together 6 consecutive more than 20 point victories against solid competition like No 11 USC 522 and No 14 NC State 523 But a 41 8 loss to No 7 Miami in South Florida on Nov 7 2017 effectively ended the Irish hopes of a playoff run 524 They went on to struggle in final games to Navy W 24 17 and Stanford L 20 38 The strong start and disappointing finish made for mixed feeling among Irish fans after the poor 2016 season 525 The 2018 season ended with a 12 1 record 526 with the lone loss coming at the hands of the eventual National Champion Clemson Tigers in the Cotton Bowl This season marked the first time in Notre Dame history that the team would be selected as one of the four teams to participate in the College Football Playoff as the team was ranked No 3 heading into the playoffs After going 12 0 in the regular season Notre Dame would go on to lose in the 2018 Cotton Bowl Classic by a score of 30 3 Due to logistical issues created by the COVID 19 pandemic in the United States which resulted initially from the Big Ten and Pac 12 restricting non conference games Notre Dame reached an agreement to play a full ACC schedule for the 2020 season They placed first in the standings and played in the ACC Championship Game They lost to the Clemson Tigers 34 10 They then played in the 2021 Rose Bowl losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide 527 528 The 2021 campaign saw Kelly lead the Irish to an 11 1 record Notre Dame s lone loss was at home against Cincinnati Kelly s former team The Irish secured wins against rivals such as Purdue USC Navy and Stanford Two days after the Irish beat Stanford news leaked that Kelly would leave Notre Dame for LSU Kelly had said a week prior that he would never leave Notre Dame Marcus Freeman era 2021 present Edit On December 3 2021 Marcus Freeman was named the 30th head coach of the Fighting Irish 1 Freeman previously served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach of the Fighting Irish in 2021 Since the Fighting Irish are eligible Freeman made his head coaching debut in the 2021 post season where Notre Dame lost to Oklahoma State 37 35 529 Personnel Edit Coaching staff Edit Notre Dame Fighting IrishName Position Consecutive season s at Notre Dame in current position Previous positionTommy Rees Offensive coordinator 3rd Notre Dame Quarterbacks 2017 2019 Al Golden Defensive coordinator 1st Cincinnati Bengals Linebackers 2021 Brian Mason Special teams coordinator 1st Cincinnati Special teams coordinator 2018 2021 Harry Hiestand Offensive line 1st Chicago Bears Offensive line 2018 2019 Chansi Stuckey Wide receivers 1st Baylor Wide receivers 2018 2021 Deland McCullough Running backs 1st Indiana Associate head coach amp running backs 2021 Gerad Parker Tight ends 1st West Virginia Offensive coordinator wide receivers 2020 2021 Al Washington Defensive line run game coordinator 1st Ohio State Linebackers 2019 2021 Mike Mickens Cornerbacks 1st Cincinnati Cornerbacks 2018 2019 Chris O Leary Defensive backs safeties 1st Florida Tech Safeties 2017 Matt Balis Director of football performance 6th UConn Strength amp conditioning 2014 2016 Reference 530 Championships and distinctions EditNational championships Edit Notre Dame was ranked No 1 by the Dickinson System in 1924 1929 and 1930 and awarded the Rissman Trophy 531 Knute Rockne s teams gained permanent possession of this national championship trophy by winning it three times in ten years 531 Notre Dame has won eight wire service national championships awarded by the AP Poll and or Coaches Poll second most in the post 1936 poll era 532 The three Dickinson System and eight wire service national championships make a total of 11 but Notre Dame is often credited with additional national championships citation needed The 1938 1953 and 1964 seasons are part of the reason for the discrepancy In the 1938 season 8 1 Notre Dame was awarded the Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy and the national championship by the Dickinson System while TCU which finished 11 0 was awarded the championship by the Associated Press In the 1953 season an undefeated Notre Dame team 9 0 1 was named national champion by almost every major selector except the AP and UPI coaches polls 533 where the Irish is finished second in both to 10 1 Maryland In 1964 Notre Dame was named national champions by the National Football Foundation and awarded the MacArthur Bowl As Notre Dame has a policy of only recognizing AP and Coaches Poll national championships post 1936 the school does not officially recognize the 1938 1953 or 1964 national championships 533 Beyond their eleven claimed national championships Notre Dame has been named national champion by at least one NCAA designated major selector in an additional eleven seasons 1919 1920 1927 1938 1953 1964 1967 1970 1989 1993 and 2012 534 535 Notre Dame s 11 claimed national championships are Year Coach Selector Record Bowl Final AP Final Coaches1924 Knute Rockne Dickinson System 10 0 Won Rose 1929 9 0 1930 10 0 1943 Frank Leahy AP 9 1 No 1 1946 8 0 1 1947 9 0 1949 10 0 1966 Ara Parseghian AP Coaches 9 0 1 No 11973 AP 11 0 Won Sugar No 41977 Dan Devine AP Coaches 11 1 Won Cotton No 11988 Lou Holtz 12 0 Won FiestaNational Championships 11Following its appearance in the 1925 Rose Bowl Notre Dame did not play in a post season game for 44 consecutive years 1925 1968 including after many of the team s most successful seasons from the Rockne era in the 1920s and the Leahy era in the 1940s The university s stated reasons for its self imposed hiatus were that bowl games were glorified exhibitions that played no part in national championship selections and that they extended the season too far to the detriment of players academic progress 536 Appearances in the final Associated Press Poll Edit Notre Dame has made 715 appearances in the Associated Press poll over 71 seasons Notre Dame has spent 496 weeks in the Top 10 277 weeks in the Top 5 and 95 weeks at No 1 537 Notre Dame has finished the year ranked in the final Associated Press poll of the season 56 times Year Ranking Record1936 8 6 21937 9 6 2 11938 5 8 11939 13 7 21941 3 8 0 11942 6 7 2 11943 1 9 11944 9 8 21945 9 7 2 11946 1 8 0 1 Year Ranking Record1947 1 9 01948 2 9 01949 1 9 01952 3 7 2 11953 2 8 0 11954 4 8 11955 9 8 21957 10 6 31958 17 6 41959 17 5 5 Year Ranking Record1964 3 9 11965 9 7 2 11966 1 9 0 11967 5 8 21968 5 7 2 11969 5 8 2 11970 2 10 11971 13 8 21972 14 8 31973 1 11 0 Year Ranking Record1974 6 10 21976 12 9 31977 1 11 11978 7 9 31980 9 9 2 11987 17 8 41988 1 12 01989 2 12 11990 6 9 31991 13 10 3 Year Ranking Record1992 4 10 1 11993 2 11 11995 11 9 31996 19 8 31998 22 9 32000 15 9 32002 17 10 32005 9 9 32006 17 10 32012 4 12 1 Year Ranking Record2013 20 9 42015 11 10 32017 11 10 32018 5 12 12019 12 11 22020 5 10 22021 8 11 22022 18 9 4 0 0 0 0 Team awards Edit Bonniwell Trophy National Champions as awarded by the Veteran Athletes of PhiladelphiaNotre Dame Fighting Irish 1924 1929 1930Rissman Trophy Dickinson System National ChampionsNotre Dame Fighting Irish 1924 1929 1930Notre Dame retained permanent ownership of the traveling Rissman Trophy following their third national championship dd Albert Russel Erskine Trophy National ChampionsNotre Dame Fighting Irish 1929 1930Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy Dickinson System National ChampionsNotre Dame Fighting Irish 1938Litkenhous Trophy Litkenhous Ratings National ChampionsNotre Dame Fighting Irish 1949 538 MacArthur Bowl NFF National ChampionsNotre Dame Fighting Irish 1964 1966 1973 1977 1988 co champions with Michigan State dd Howard Jones Memorial Trophy National ChampionsNotre Dame Fighting Irish 1964 1966 co champions with Michigan State dd Grantland Rice Trophy FWAA National ChampionsNotre Dame Fighting Irish 1966 1973 1977 1988 539 The Joe Moore AwardNotre Dame Fighting Irish 2017 540 Distinctions Edit As of 2020 Notre Dame has the fourth highest winning percentage in NCAA Division I FBS I A history 728 minimum 100 games of football 541 As of 2019 Notre Dame has produced the second most players drafted into the National Football League of any program in the country As of the 2019 NFL draft 511 players have been drafted 542 As of 2020 Notre Dame is fifth in wins among Division I A FBS programs 918 trailing Texas 923 Alabama 929 Ohio State 931 and Michigan 964 543 As of 2020 Notre Dame is tied for the fewest losses of any NCAA Division I program 329 that has been playing football for more than 100 years with Oklahoma 541 As of 2020 Notre Dame has 109 winning seasons in 134 years of football and only 15 losing seasons including the 2012 2013 season which were posthumously stripped of their wins 544 One of two football programs with the most individual Heisman Trophy winners at seven shares the distinction with Oklahoma Ohio State has seven Heisman Trophies that were won by six players As of 2014 Notre Dame has produced more 1st Team All Americans 188 consensus All Americans 81 players on 99 selections and unanimous All Americans 33 in football than any other college program 545 546 Notre Dame is represented by 48 players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame the most of any university 547 548 12 former players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame tied with USC Helped by its status as a highly regarded academic institution ranked 19th by U S News amp World Report 549 Notre Dame is second only to Nebraska in Academic All Americans 66 Since 1962 Notre Dame has graduated 98 74 of its football players in four years As of 2006 only 13 football players in this time have left Notre Dame without finishing their degree requirements Also of note is the 90 graduation rate of ND s African American players only Navy and Boston College have higher African American graduation rates 550 Notre Dame holds the NCAA record for Most consecutive wins over one opponent beating the US Naval Academy USNA 43 times in a row before falling to them in 2007 551 The football program is also known for ending the Oklahoma Sooners NCAA record winning streak of 47 games in 1957 Coincidentally Oklahoma s 28 21 loss to Notre Dame to open the 1953 season was the last loss before the beginning of the streak 552 Notre Dame has had 13 undefeated seasons and 11 others with at most one loss or tie Notre Dame is 3 3 1 in games where the national title winners from the previous two years have met in a regular season game There have only been 13 of these games played in college football history Notre Dame has played in 7 of the 13 games 1945 Army def Notre Dame 48 0 1947 Notre Dame def Army 27 7 1968 Notre Dame tie USC 21 21 1974 USC def Notre Dame 55 24 1978 Notre Dame def Pitt 26 17 1989 Miami def Notre Dame 27 10 1990 Notre Dame def Miami 29 20 Notre Dame is one of only two Catholic universities that field a team in the Football Bowl Subdivision the other being Boston College This distinction has resulted in the Holy War rivalry No 1 vs No 2 Edit Notre Dame has participated in eleven No 1 vs No 2 matchups since the AP poll began in 1936 553 They have a record of 5 3 2 in such games with a 4 1 1 record as the No 1 team in such matchups Here s a list of such games Date No 1 Team No 2 Team OutcomeOctober 9 1943 Notre Dame Michigan W 35 14November 20 1943 Notre Dame Iowa Pre Flight W 14 13November 10 1945 Army Notre Dame L 0 48November 9 1946 Army Notre Dame T 0 0November 19 1966 Notre Dame Michigan State T 10 10September 28 1968 Purdue Notre Dame L 22 37November 26 1988 Notre Dame Southern California W 27 10September 16 1989 Notre Dame Michigan W 24 19November 13 1993 Florida State Notre Dame W 31 24January 7 2013 Notre Dame Alabama L 14 42Historic games Edit Notre Dame has played in many regular season games that have been widely regarded by both the media 554 and sports historians 555 as historic or famous games Notre Dame has played in many games labeled as game of the century games as well as several No 1 vs No 2 matchups 556 It has also participated in several games that ended record streaks in college football The games listed are widely regarded as of historical importance to the game of college football and are written about by sports historians and make many sportswriters lists 1913 Notre Dame vs Army The Forward Pass 557 1935 Notre Dame vs Ohio State Game of the Century 555 558 559 1946 Army vs Notre Dame Game of the Century 560 1957 Notre Dame vs Oklahoma End of Oklahoma s NCAA record 47 game win streak 552 561 1966 Notre Dame vs Michigan St Game of the Century 562 563 Catholics vs Convicts 555 564 565 1993 Florida St vs Notre Dame Game of the Century 566 2005 USC vs Notre Dame Bush Push game 554 2007 Navy vs Notre Dame Navy ends 43 year losing streak to Notre Dame the longest in NCAA history between annual opponents 567 Notre Dame has also played in several bowl games considered by many sportswriters to be among the best bowl games played 568 569 1970 Cotton Bowl Classic vs Texas 1973 Sugar Bowl vs Alabama 555 563 1979 Cotton Bowl Classic vs Houston Chicken Soup Game 555 All time records EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed November 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Season records Edit Main article Notre Dame Fighting Irish football seasons Notre Dame s all time record after January 2 2021 stands at 918 wins 329 losses and 42 ties The winning percentage of 728 is 4th All Time Its 918 wins are fifth behind Michigan Ohio State Alabama and Texas while its 329 losses are tied with Oklahoma as the second lowest of any college programs that have been playing football for 100 years or more behind Ohio State s 326 570 In state NCAA Division I record Edit Team Record Percentage Streak First meeting Last meetingBall State 1 0 1 000 Won 1 2018 2018Indiana 23 5 1 810 Won 6 1898 1991Indiana State 0 0 Purdue 57 26 2 682 Won 6 1896 571 2021Valparaiso 1 0 1 000 Won 1 1920 1920Overall Record 82 30 3Head coaches Edit Years Coach Seasons Record Pct 1887 1889 1892 1893 None 5 7 4 1 6251894 James L Morrison 1 3 1 1 7001895 H G Hadden 1 3 1 7501896 1898 Frank E Hering 3 12 6 1 6581899 James McWeeney 1 6 3 1 6501900 1901 Pat O Dea 2 14 4 2 7501902 1903 James F Faragher 2 14 2 2 8431904 Red Salmon 1 5 3 6251905 Henry J McGlew 1 5 4 5561906 1907 Thomas A Barry 2 12 1 1 8931908 Victor M Place 1 8 1 8891909 1910 Shorty Longman 2 11 1 2 8571911 1912 Jack Marks 2 13 0 2 9331913 1917 Jesse Harper 5 34 5 1 8631918 1930 Knute Rockne 13 105 12 5 8811931 1933 Hunk Anderson 3 16 9 2 6301934 1940 Elmer Layden 7 47 13 3 7701941 1943 1946 1953 Frank Leahy 11 87 11 9 8551944 Ed McKeever 1 8 2 8001945 1963 Hugh Devore 2 9 9 1 5001954 1958 Terry Brennan 5 32 18 6401959 1962 Joe Kuharich 4 17 23 4251964 1974 Ara Parseghian 11 95 17 4 8361975 1980 Dan Devine 6 53 16 1 7641981 1985 Gerry Faust 5 30 26 1 5351986 1996 Lou Holtz 11 100 30 2 7651997 2001 Bob Davie 5 35 25 5832001 George O Leary 0 0 0 2002 2004 Tyrone Willingham 3 21 15 5832004 Kent Baer 0 0 1 0002005 2009 Charlie Weis 5 35 27 5652010 2021 Brian Kelly 12 92 40 7262021 present Marcus Freeman 1 9 4 692 George O Leary did not coach a single practice or game resigning five days after being hired for misrepresenting his academic credentials Kent Baer served as interim head coach for one game at the 2004 Insight Bowl after Tyrone Willingham was fired Bowl games Edit Notre Dame has made 41 bowl game appearances winning 20 and losing 21 with one game vacated 572 After an initial appearance in a postseason contest in the 1925 Rose Bowl the Fighting Irish refused to participate in bowl games for more than four decades 573 writers like Dan Jenkins have speculated that Notre Dame might have gone to as many as twenty bowl games during the self imposed forty five year hiatus 573 It has played in the BCS National Championship Game 1 loss Rose Bowl 1 win 1 loss the Cotton Bowl Classic 5 wins 3 losses the Orange Bowl 2 wins 3 losses the Sugar Bowl 2 wins 2 losses the Gator Bowl 1 win 2 losses the Liberty Bowl 1 win the Aloha Bowl 1 loss the Fiesta Bowl 1 win 4 losses the Independence Bowl 1 loss the Insight Bowl 1 loss Hawaii Bowl 1 win the Sun Bowl 1 win the Pinstripe Bowl 1 win and the Citrus Bowl 1 win From 1994 to the 2006 football seasons Notre Dame lost 9 consecutive bowl games tied with Northwestern University for the most in NCAA history That streak ended with a 49 21 win over Hawaii in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl In the process Notre Dame scored its highest point total in post season play The record of 9 consecutive bowl losses was later tied by Northwestern in 2011 then that streak was snapped a year later Currently the Fighting Irish are in a skid with winless 0 8 record in BCS Playoff games and 0 10 in their last 10 major bowl games Notre Dame s last major bowl win came against Texas A amp M in the 1994 Cotton Bowl Date Bowl Opponent ResultJanuary 1 1925 Rose Bowl Stanford W 27 10January 1 1970 Cotton Bowl Classic No 1 Texas L 17 21January 1 1971 Cotton Bowl Classic No 1 Texas W 24 11January 1 1973 Orange Bowl No 9 Nebraska L 6 40December 31 1973 Sugar Bowl No 1 Alabama W 24 23January 1 1975 Orange Bowl No 2 Alabama W 13 11December 27 1976 Gator Bowl No 20 Penn State W 20 9January 2 1978 Cotton Bowl Classic No 1 Texas W 38 10January 1 1979 Cotton Bowl Classic No 9 Houston W 35 34January 1 1981 Sugar Bowl No 1 Georgia L 10 17December 29 1983 Liberty Bowl No 13 Boston College W 19 18December 29 1984 Aloha Bowl No 10 SMU L 20 27January 1 1988 Cotton Bowl Classic No 8 Texas A amp M L 10 35January 2 1989 Fiesta Bowl No 3 West Virginia W 34 21January 1 1990 Orange Bowl No 1 Colorado W 21 6January 1 1991 Orange Bowl No 1 Colorado L 9 10January 1 1992 Sugar Bowl No 3 Florida W 39 28January 1 1993 Cotton Bowl Classic No 3 Texas A amp M W 28 3January 1 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic No 6 Texas A amp M W 24 21January 2 1995 Fiesta Bowl No 5 Colorado L 24 41January 1 1996 Orange Bowl No 8 Florida State L 26 31December 28 1997 Independence Bowl No 15 LSU L 9 27January 1 1999 Gator Bowl No 12 Georgia Tech L 28 35January 1 2001 Fiesta Bowl No 5 Oregon State L 9 41January 1 2003 Gator Bowl No 17 North Carolina State L 6 28December 28 2004 Insight Bowl Oregon State L 21 38January 2 2006 Fiesta Bowl No 4 Ohio State L 20 34January 3 2007 Sugar Bowl No 4 LSU L 14 41December 24 2008 Hawaii Bowl Hawaii W 49 21December 31 2010 Sun Bowl Miami FL W 33 17December 29 2011 Champs Sports Bowl No 25 Florida State L 14 18January 7 2013 BCS National Championship No 2 Alabama L 14 42December 28 2013 Pinstripe Bowl vacated Rutgers W 29 16December 30 2014 Music City Bowl No 23 LSU W 31 28January 1 2016 Fiesta Bowl No 7 Ohio State L 28 44January 1 2018 Citrus Bowl No 17 LSU W 21 17December 29 2018 Cotton Bowl Classic CFP Semifinal No 2 Clemson L 3 30December 28 2019 Camping World Bowl Iowa State W 33 9January 1 2021 Rose Bowl CFP Semifinal No 1 Alabama L 14 31January 1 2022 Fiesta Bowl No 9 Oklahoma State L 35 37December 30 2022 Gator Bowl No 19 South Carolina W 45 38Shamrock Series Edit Between 2009 and 2016 and resuming again in 2018 Notre Dame has hosted an annual off site home football game known as the Shamrock Series The series promotes Notre Dame s athletic and academic brand and has brought the Fighting Irish to San Antonio New York Greater Washington D C Chicago Indianapolis Boston and the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex Prior to the 2012 season Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick announced at a news conference of plans to continue the series through 2016 He confirmed after his news conference that New York is expected to fall in that rotation and then continue to be the one consistently repeating venue for Shamrock Series games The Shamrock Series was not held in 2017 but resumed in 2018 One of the unique aspects of the Shamrock Series is its inclusion of academic and other non football activities in the area of that year s host city the days and hours leading up to the game which include pep rallies drummers circles and academic lectures 574 575 576 577 DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendanceOctober 31 20097 30 p m vs Washington StateNo 25AlamodomeSan Antonio TXNBCW 40 1453 407November 20 20107 00 p m vs ArmyYankee StadiumBronx NYNBCW 27 354 251November 12 20117 30 p m vs MarylandFedExFieldLandover MDNBCW 45 2170 251October 6 20127 30 p m vs Miami FL No 10Soldier FieldChicago ILNBCW 41 362 871October 5 20137 30 p m vs No 22 Arizona StateAT amp T StadiumArlington TXNBCW 37 34 vacated 66 690September 13 20147 30 p m vs PurdueNo 11Lucas Oil StadiumIndianapolis INNBCW 30 1456 832November 21 20157 30 p m vs Boston CollegeNo 5Fenway ParkBoston MANBCSNW 19 1638 686November 12 20163 30 p m vs ArmyAlamodomeSan Antonio TXNBCW 44 645 762November 17 20182 30 p m vs No 12 SyracuseNo 3Yankee StadiumBronx NYNBCW 36 348 104October 3 20207 30 p m vs WisconsinLambeau FieldGreen Bay WINBCNo contest September 25 202112 00 p m vs No 18 WisconsinNo 12Soldier FieldChicago ILFoxW 41 1359 571October 8 20227 30 p m vs No 16 BYU 578 Allegiant StadiumParadise NVNBCW 28 20September 5 2026vs WisconsinLambeau FieldGreen Bay WIRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern timePlayers and coaches EditSee also Notre Dame starting quarterbacks Fighting Irish football players and Notre Dame Fighting Irish football statistical leaders Heisman Trophy Edit See also Heisman Trophy Seven Notre Dame football players have won the Heisman Trophy which ties them with the University of Oklahoma for the most by any university Ohio State also has seven trophies but were won by only six players and USC won seven but has been reduced to six trophies following Reggie Bush s forfeit of the 2005 award due to NCAA violations Heisman Trophy WinnersYear Name Position1943 Angelo Bertelli QB1947 Johnny Lujack QB1949 Leon Hart End1953 Johnny Lattner HB1956 Paul Hornung OB1964 John Huarte QB1987 Tim Brown WRHeisman voting 579 1938 Whitney Beinor 9th 1943 Angelo Bertelli 1st Creighton Miller 4th Jim White 9th 1944 Bob Kelly 6th 1945 Frank Dancewicz 6th 1946 Johnny Lujack 3rd 1947 Johnny Lujack 1st 1949 Leon Hart 1st Bob Williams 5th Emil Sitko 8th 1950 Bob Williams 6th 1953 Johnny Lattner 1st 1954 Ralph Guglielmi 4th 1956 Paul Hornung 1st 1958 Nick Pietrosante 10th 1959 Monty Stickles 9th 1964 John Huarte 1st Jack Snow 5th 1965 Bill Wolski 11th 1966 Nick Eddy 3rd Terry Hanratty 6th 1967 Terry Hanratty 9th 1968 Terry Hanratty 3rd 1969 Mike McCoy 6th 1970 Joe Theismann 2nd 1971 Walt Patulski 9th 1974 Tom Clements 4th 1975 Steve Niehaus 12th 1977 Ken MacAfee 3rd Ross Browner 5th 1979 Vagas Ferguson 5th 1983 Allen Pinkett 16th 1985 Allen Pinkett 8th 1987 Tim Brown 1st 1989 Tony Rice 4th Raghib Ismail tie 10th 1990 Raghib Ismail 2nd 1992 Reggie Brooks 5th 2005 Brady Quinn 4th 2006 Brady Quinn 3rd 2009 Golden Tate 10th 580 2012 Manti Te o 2nd 2020 Ian Book 9th 581 Other national award winners Edit Maxwell AwardLeon Hart 1949 582 Johnny Lattner 1952 1953 582 Jim Lynch 1966 582 Ross Browner 1977 582 Brady Quinn 2006 583 Manti Te o 2012Walter Camp AwardKen MacAfee 1977 584 Tim Brown 1987 585 Raghib Ismail 1990 585 Manti Te o 2012 585 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardTony Rice 1989 586 Brady Quinn 2006 586 Sammy Baugh TrophyTerry Hanratty 1967 587 Brady Quinn 2005 587 Biletnikoff AwardGolden Tate 2009 588 John Mackey AwardTyler Eifert 2012 589 Dick Butkus AwardManti Te o 2012 590 591 Jaylon Smith 2015 592 Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah 2020 593 Chuck Bednarik AwardManti Te o 2012Ozzie Newsome AwardTyler Eifert 2011 Lombardi AwardWalt Patulski 1971 594 Ross Browner 1977 594 Chris Zorich 1990 594 Aaron Taylor 1993 594 Manti Te o 2012 594 Lott IMPACT TrophyManti Te o 2012 595 Bronko Nagurski TrophyManti Te o 2012 596 Outland TrophyGeorge Connor 1946 597 Bill Fischer 1948 597 Ross Browner 1976 597 AT amp T ESPN All America PlayerBrady Quinn 2006 598 The Jim Parker TrophyAaron Taylor 1993The Jack Tatum TrophyBobby Taylor 1994Chic Harley AwardPaul Hornung 1956The Kellen Moore AwardRick Mirer 1992Polynesian Player of the Year AwardRonnie Stanley 2015 599 Wuerffel TrophyDrue Tranquill 2018 600 Coaching awards Edit Paul Bear Bryant AwardAra Parseghian 1964 601 Lou Holtz 1988 601 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year AwardAra Parseghian 1964 602 Lou Holtz 1988 602 Charlie Weis 2005 602 Brian Kelly 2012 603 Home Depot Coach of the Year AwardTyrone Willingham 2002 604 Brian Kelly 2012 2018 605 Walter Camp Coach of the Year AwardBrian Kelly 2012 606 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year AwardBrian Kelly 2012 607 Associated Press Coach of the Year AwardBrian Kelly 2012 608 Sporting News Coach of the YearAra Parseghian 1966 Lou Holtz 1988 Brian Kelly 2012George Munger AwardTyrone Willingham 2002The Woody Hayes TrophyLou Holtz 1988Broyles AwardBob Diaco 2012 609 Team awards Edit Grantland Rice TrophyNotre Dame Fighting Irish 1966 1973 1977 1988 539 Joe Moore AwardNotre Dame Fighting Irish 2017 540 College Football Hall of Fame Edit See also College Football Hall of Fame Forty six former Notre Dame players and six coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame located in Atlanta Georgia 547 Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted Name Position Year inductedHunk Anderson G 1974Angelo Bertelli QB 1972Tim Brown WR 2009Ross Browner DE 1999Jack Cannon G 1965Frank Carideo QB 1954Dave Casper TE 2012George Connor T 1963Bob Crable LB 2017Jim Crowley HB 1966Zygmont Czarobski T 1977Dan Devine Coach 1985Bob Dove End 2000Ray Eichenlaub FB 1972Bill Fischer T G 1983Thom Gatewood End 2015George Gipp HB 1951Jerry Groom C 1994Ralph Guglielmi QB 2001Jesse Harper Coach 1994Leon Hart End 1973Frank Nordy Hoffman G 1978Lou Holtz Coach 2008Paul Hornung QB 1985John Huarte QB 2005Raghib Rocket Ismail KR WR 2019Johnny Lattner HB 1979Elmer Layden FB 1951Frank Leahy Coach 1970Johnny Lujack QB 1960Jim Lynch LB 1992Ken MacAfee TE 1997Jim Martin End T 1995Bert Metzger G 1982Creighton Miller HB 1976Don Miller HB 1970Edgar Miller T 1966Fred Miller T 1985Wayne Millner End 1990Alan Page DE 1993Ara Parseghian Coach 1980Knute Rockne Coach 1951Louis Salmon FB 1971Marchy Schwartz HB 1974Bill Shakespeare HB 1983Emil Red Sitko HB FB 1984John Clipper Smith G 1975Harry Stuhldreher QB 1958Joe Theismann QB 2003Adam Walsh C 1968Bob Williams QB 1988Tommy Yarr C 1987Chris Zorich DT 2007Uniforms Edit The team in their current home uniforms Notre Dame s home jersey is navy blue with white numerals gold outlining and a small interlocking ND logo on each sleeve The away jersey is white with navy numerals gold outlining and the interlocking ND on the sleeves In recent years neither jersey included the player s name on the back but names were included during the Dan Devine and Gerry Faust eras However for the Irish s Hawai i Bowl appearance in 2008 vs the University of Hawai i Notre Dame once again wore last names on their jerseys Gold pants with a small ND logo just below the left waist are worn with both home and away jerseys Former quarterback Brady Quinn in the current away uniform Notre Dame s helmets are solid gold with gray facemasks the gold being emblematic of the University s famed Golden Dome Notre Dame s tradition for the team s student managers to spray paint the team s helmets prior to each game ended in 2011 when the football equipment staff along with Notre Dame Athletics Director Jack Swarbrick and head coach Brian Kelly outsourced the painting process to Hydro Graphics Inc Over the years Notre Dame has occasionally worn green instead of blue as its home jersey sometimes adopting the jersey for an entire season or more at a time Currently Notre Dame reserves its green jerseys for special occasions Often on such occasions the Irish will take the field for warmups dressed in blue only to switch to green when they go back to the locker room before kickoff This tradition was started by Dan Devine in 1977 before the USC game Notre Dame has also been known to switch jerseys at halftime as during the 1985 USC game and in the loss to Nile Kinnick led Iowa in 1939 although this was to help avoid confusion between their navy uniforms and Iowa s black ones The current design of the jersey is kelly green with gold numbers and white outlining For the 2006 Army game Coach Charlie Weis broke out the Green jerseys as a reward to his senior players as well finally ending the string of losses by the Irish when wearing green Notre Dame wore throwback green jerseys in 2007 against USC in honor of the 30th anniversary of the 1977 National Championship team 610 On at least one occasion 1992 Sugar Bowl Notre Dame has worn an away variant of the jersey a white jersey with green numbers Champion supplied football jerseys for The University of Notre Dame for over 50 years until they switched to Adidas in 2001 On July 1 2014 the University of Notre Dame Athletic department began wearing uniforms and footwear supplied by Under Armour Former tight end Tyler Eifert During Gerry Faust s tenure 1981 85 Notre Dame s blue jerseys switched from the traditional navy to royal blue with gold and white stripes on the sleeves The navy blue jerseys returned in 1984 No uniform numbers have been retired by Notre Dame Upon being issued a number each player is given a card that lists some of the more famous players who have worn that particular number Number 3 is perhaps the most famous number in Irish football history having been worn by Ralph Guglielmi George Izo Daryle Lamonica Coley O Brien Joe Montana Michael Floyd Rick Mirer and Ron Powlus among others 611 Number 5 is also notable as it is the only number to be worn by one of the Four Horsemen Elmer Layden a Heisman Trophy Winner Paul Hornung and a National Title winning Quarterback Terry Hanratty 611 Number 7 has been worn by such Irish greats as 1964 Heisman Trophy winner John Huarte 1970 Heisman runner up Joe Theismann Steve Beuerlein Jimmy Clausen and Jarious Jackson 611 In 2011 both Michigan and Notre Dame wore throwback uniforms in their game against each other For the Shamrock Series games Notre Dame and their outfitters have announced that the school will wear specially designed helmets jerseys and pants Facilities EditNotre Dame Stadium Edit Notre Dame Stadium on game day with student section and band Main article Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team Located on the southeast part of the university s campus in Notre Dame Indiana and with a seating capacity of 77 622 Notre Dame Stadium is one of the most renowned venues in college football 612 The Sporting News ranks Notre Dame Stadium as 2 on its list of College Football Cathedrals 613 and the stadium experience evokes a more traditional feel Notre Dame Stadium is used for football related activities and for Commencement since 2010 Notre Dame Stadium had no permanent lighting until the expansion project in 1997 NBC paid for the lighting as they have televised all Notre Dame home football games since 1991 On April 12 2014 it was announced during the annual Blue Gold Spring Game that a FieldTurf synthetic surface would replace the grass field after the 2014 Commencement Weekend In November 2014 the University of Notre Dame embarked on a 400 million stadium expansion called the Crossroads Campus Project which was completed in time for the 2017 season Cartier Field Edit Main article Cartier Field Cartier Field was the original playing field of the Fighting Irish In 1930 it was replaced by Notre Dame Stadium due to the growing popularity of ND football Notre Dame s practice facility still bears the Cartier Field name Most ND practices take place on Cartier Field Guglielmino Athletics Complex Edit Known by fans as The Gug pronounced goog The Guglielmino Athletics Complex is Notre Dame s football headquarters The Gug houses the offices for all team staff members an auditorium a weight room a training room the equipment room the practice locker room a brand new napping room and various other spaces for the football team to utilize The complex was underwritten by Don F Guglielmino and his family Irish Athletic Center Edit The indoor practice facility has a synthetic turf field and a video board at midfield for replay and graphics On the second level of the facility there is a 1 600 square foot recruiting lounge In all the facility totals 111 400 square feet and the ceiling is 95 feet at its peak Rivalries EditMain article Notre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalries The first Jeweled Shillelagh awarded to the winner of the annual USC vs Notre Dame game Notre Dame has rivalries with several universities Although the Fighting Irish competes as an Independent they play a national schedule that includes annual or otherwise regularly scheduled rivalry games USC Navy Purdue Michigan Michigan State Stanford and Pitt are among Notre Dame s rivals USC Edit Main article Notre Dame USC football rivalry USC is Notre Dame s primary rival and the schools compete annually for the Jeweled Shillelagh The rivalry has produced 39 national championships 614 113 118 14 Heisman Trophy winners 615 and 184 Consensus All Americans through the 2021 season 616 It is considered one of the most prominent rivalries in college football 617 618 619 620 and has been called the greatest rivalry not dictated by conference affiliation or geography 621 The teams have played each other annually since 1926 except from 1943 to 1945 and 2020 Notable games in the series include the 1977 Green Jersey game and the 2005 Bush Push game Through the 2021 season Notre Dame leads the all time series 48 36 5 and the trophy series 33 29 3 622 Navy Edit Main article Navy Notre Dame football rivalry Navy and Notre Dame played 93 games without interruption from 1927 to 2019 Notre Dame had a 43 game win streak during this time frame the longest streak by one team over another in Division I A football which ended in 2007 623 While the 2020 contest was cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic the series resumed in 2021 Through the 2021 season Notre Dame leads the series 80 13 1 624 Michigan Edit Main article Michigan Notre Dame football rivalry The first meeting between Notre Dame and Michigan was in 1887 the first official football game in Notre Dame s history 9 The two schools have met 44 times in total the latest matchup in 2019 Through the 2021 season the two schools are both in the top five in all time Division I winning percentage with Notre Dame fourth and Michigan fifth 625 Despite being played continuously since 1978 the series ended after the 2014 season Shortly before the 2012 game the Associated Press reported that Notre Dame had exercised a three year out clause in their series contract This was due to Notre Dame s arrangement with the Atlantic Coast Conference under which the Fighting Irish must play five games per season against ACC opponents after the school joined the ACC in all sports except for football and hockey in 2014 626 In 2016 Michigan announced that the rivalry would resume for a home and home series in 2018 and 2019 627 Through the 2021 season Michigan leads the series 25 17 1 628 Michigan State Edit Main article Michigan State Notre Dame football rivalry Meeting for the first time in 1897 Notre Dame and Michigan State play for the Megaphone Trophy The two schools played in 64 out of 70 seasons from 1948 to 2017 but have not met since Their next scheduled game is in 2026 629 Notable games in the series include the 1966 Game of the Century Through the 2021 season Notre Dame leads the all time series 48 28 1 and the trophy series 33 27 1 630 Miami FL Edit See also 1988 Notre Dame vs Miami football game and Catholics vs Convicts film Notre Dame and the Miami Hurricanes first met during the 1955 college football season 631 They met three times during the 1960s 1960 1965 and 1967 and proceeded to play each other annually from 1971 to 1990 except in 1986 Notre Dame consistently dominated the series in the 1970s but in the 1980s Miami began to dominate as the once docile rivalry intensified significantly Both teams were national contenders in the later part of the decade and both teams cost each other at least one national championship Hostilities were fueled when the Hurricanes routed the Fighting Irish in the 1985 season finale 58 7 with Miami widely accused of running up the score in the second half The rivalry gained national attention and both teams played their most famous games from 1988 to 1990 The game known as Catholics vs Convicts in South Bend was won by the Fighting Irish 31 30 The following year Miami ended Notre Dame s 23 game winning streak with a 27 10 victory The rivalry ended after the Fighting Irish dashed 2 Miami s hopes for a repeat national championship with a 29 20 victory in South Bend Notre Dame dropped Miami from its schedule due to the intensified rivalry The two teams are next scheduled to meet during a yet to specified date during the 2025 season They also will play each other in yet to be scheduled dates in the 2031 2032 2034 and 2037 seasons 632 Gameday traditions EditSee also Band of the Fighting Irish The band playing in a pre game ceremony before a football game Due to its long and storied history Notre Dame football boasts many traditions unique to Notre Dame Some of these are The tradition of having 23 9 karat gold in the helmet paint continues with the painting process provided by Hydro Graphics Inc and no longer by student managers The gold particles that are used on the helmet were collected from the re gilding on the Notre Dame dome in 2007 During the 2011 season however a new helmet paint scheme was introduced While retaining the basic gold helmet and grey facemask look the new gold is much more reflective than the old there have already been several variations of this new gold chrome look including brick and fish scale texturing 563 Formerly prior to the start of the game the team attended Mass in semi formal attire at the Sacred Heart Basilica At the conclusion of Mass fans formed a line that the team walked through from the chapel to the stadium 633 However in 2011 the team changed its movements prior the game instead taking buses back to The Gug for final meetings 634 In 2013 Mass was moved to Friday night as a result the walk now originates from the Gug 635 In 2022 Coach Freeman announced that the tradition of mass before home games will return 636 Team raising their helmets to the student section Earlier on game day the Band of the Fighting Irish trumpet section plays Notre Dame Our Mother amp the Notre Dame victory march under the Golden Dome with visitors standing at the bottom of the rotunda and behind the band members on each upper floor 637 Coming out of the locker room players slap the famous Play Like a Champion Today sign This sign originated in 1986 when head coach Lou Holtz stumbled across a black and white photo of a similar sign and wanted one for his own players 638 Prior to the start of the game with around 15 30 seconds left on the pregame clock a clip of Cathy Richardson singing Here Come The Irish is played followed up by I m Shipping Up To Boston which continues to play until the football is kicked off 639 Between the third and fourth quarters of home games the Notre Dame Marching Band plays the finale to the 1812 Overture as the crowd reacts with a synchronized waving of arms with their fingers in the shape of a K for Kelly W for both Weis and Willingham and L for Lou Holtz Starting in 1960 Sergeant Tim McCarthy of the Indiana State Police read out a driving safety announcement to the crowd during the fourth quarter When Sergeant McCarthy began his announcement the crowd went silent to hear his message which invariably ended with a pun 640 641 Sergeant McCarthy retired from this duty in the 2015 season after 55 years of fan favorite messages He was honored on the field on September 26 2015 to deliver his last in person address in which he repeated the same announcement he did on his first gameday 642 He died on October 1 2020 643 At the conclusion of every home game the team turns to the student section to salute them by raising their helmets in the air They do this after a win or after a loss 633 Then the band plays the Alma Mater Notre Dame Our Mother Those who stay link arms and sing the lyrics Irish in the NFL EditSince the NFL began drafting players in 1936 495 Notre Dame football players have been selected by NFL teams Additionally Notre Dame has had 65 players selected in the first round of the NFL draft including five overall number one picks Of the 46 Super Bowls competed only 14 teams have won the event without an Irish player on the roster 644 Looking at both participating team rosters there have only been five Super Bowls that did not feature at least one former Notre Dame player on either team s roster Denver vs Atlanta 1999 Dallas vs Buffalo 1994 Washington vs Denver 1988 Dallas vs Denver 1978 and Baltimore vs Dallas 1971 644 Eleven former players have won multiple Super Bowls Mark Bavaro Rocky Bleier Nick Buoniconti Eric Dorsey Dave Duerson David Givens Terry Hanratty Bob Kuechenberg Joe Montana Steve Sylvester and Justin Tuck 644 Pro Football Hall of Fame Edit Twelve former Notre Dame players plus one non player alumnus have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame ranking it second to USC s 14 among all college football programs 645 646 1963 Curly Lambeau Green Bay Packers 1919 49 1963 John McNally Milwaukee Badgers 1925 1926 Duluth Eskimos 1926 1927 Pottsville Maroons 1928 Green Bay Packers 1929 1933 1935 1936 Pittsburgh Pirates Steelers 1934 1937 1938 1964 George Trafton Chicago Bears 1920 32 1968 Wayne Millner Boston and Washington Redskins 1936 41 1945 1975 George Connor Chicago Bears 1948 55 1986 Paul Hornung Green Bay Packers 1957 62 1964 66 1988 Alan Page Minnesota Vikings 1967 78 Chicago Bears 1978 81 2000 Joe Montana San Francisco 49ers 1979 92 Kansas City Chiefs 1993 94 2001 Nick Buoniconti Boston Patriots 1962 68 Miami Dolphins 1969 74 1976 2002 Dave Casper Oakland Raiders 1974 80 Houston Oilers 1980 83 Minnesota Vikings 1983 2015 Jerome Bettis Los Angeles St Louis Rams 1993 1995 Pittsburgh Steelers 1996 2005 2015 Tim Brown Los Angeles Oakland Raiders 1988 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2004 2016 Edward J DeBartolo Jr Former San Francisco 49ers Owner received B A from Notre Dame inducted into Pro Hall of Fame in 2016 as a Contributor McNally graduated from St John s MN but started his career at Notre Dame and is listed as a hall of famer under both schools in the Pro Football Hall of Fame 647 Current NFL players Edit Name Debut Position TeamJosh Adams 2018 RBAaron Banks 2021 G San Francisco 49ersAlex Bars 2019 G Chicago BearsIan Book 2021 QB Philadelphia EaglesMiles Boykin 2019 WR Baltimore RavensChase Claypool 2020 WR Chicago BearsScott Daly 2021 LS Detroit LionsSheldon Day 2016 DT Cleveland BrownsLiam Eichenberg 2021 OT Miami DolphinsJalen Elliott 2020 S Detroit LionsMatthias Farley 2016 S Las Vegas RaidersWill Fuller 2016 WR Alohi Gilman 2020 S Los Angeles ChargersRobert Hainsey 2021 OT Tampa Bay BuccaneersKyle Hamilton 2022 S Baltimore RavensDaelin Hayes 2021 OLB Baltimore RavensJ J Jansen 2008 LS Carolina PanthersJamir Jones 2020 LB Jacksonville JaguarsTony Jones Jr 2020 RB New Orleans SaintsKhalid Kareem 2020 DE Cincinnati BengalsTommy Kraemer 2021 G Detroit LionsJulian Love 2019 CB New York GiantsCole Kmet 2020 TE Chicago BearsNick Martin 2016 C Las Vegas RaidersZack Martin 2014 G Dallas CowboysMike McGlinchey 2018 OT San Francisco 49ersJavon McKinley 2021 WR Detroit LionsSam Mustipher 2019 C Chicago BearsQuenton Nelson 2018 G Indianapolis ColtsAdetokunbo Ogundeji 2021 OLB Atlanta FalconsJulian Okwara 2020 OLB Detroit LionsRomeo Okwara 2016 OLB Detroit LionsJeremiah Owusu Koramoah 2021 LB Cleveland BrownsTroy Pride Jr 2020 CB Carolina PanthersC J Prosise 2016 RBIsaac Rochell 2017 DE Cleveland BrownsKyle Rudolph 2011 TE New York GiantsKeiVarae Russell 2016 CB New Orleans SaintsBen Skowronek 2021 WR Los Angeles RamsHarrison Smith 2012 S Minnesota VikingsJaylon Smith 2016 OLB New York GiantsDurham Smythe 2018 TE Miami DolphinsEquanimeous St Brown 2018 WR Green Bay PackersRonnie Stanley 2016 OT Baltimore RavensGolden Tate 2010 WRManti Te o 2013 LBJerry Tillery 2019 DE Los Angeles ChargersStephon Tuitt 2014 DE Pittsburgh SteelersDrue Tranquill 2019 LB Los Angeles ChargersTommy Tremble 2021 TE Carolina PanthersDexter Williams 2019 RBKyren Williams 2022 RB Los Angeles RamsAs of December 29 2021 648 Media EditThe Fighting Irish are unique among sports teams in the United States as they are the only team professional or college to have all their games broadcast nationally on the radio as well as the only team to have all of their home games broadcast nationally on television 649 Notre Dame famously left the College Football Association a consortium that administered television broadcast rights on behalf of over 64 schools in 1990 in order to establish its own broadcasting deal with NBC From 1968 to 2007 Westwood One served as the official radio partner for the Irish broadcasting their games for 40 consecutive years 650 Until the 2006 Air Force game Notre Dame had a record 169 consecutive games broadcast nationally on either NBC ABC ESPN or CBS 651 The 2006 ND vs Air Force game was broadcast on CSTV a college sports channel owned by CBS who had an exclusive contract with the Mountain West Conference of which Air Force is a member Radio Edit Radio rights to the Fighting Irish are held by Skyview Networks who began distributing the broadcasts as part of a multi sport arrangement in 2020 652 Current broadcast team Edit Paul Burmeister play by play 2018 present Ryan Harris color commentator 2018 present Jack Nolan network studio host 2020 presentFormer commentators Edit Tony Roberts play by play 1980 2005 Tom Pagna color analyst Pat Haden Ralph Guglielmi Lindsey Nelson Al Wester Don Criqui play by play 1974 1976 2006 2017 Allen Pinkett color analyst 2002 2017 Tom Hammond Mike Mayock Tony DungyTelevision Edit Main article Notre Dame Football on NBC NBC has been televising Notre Dame Home football games since the 1991 season 7 In addition to TV broadcasts NBC also maintains several dedicated websites to ND football and Notre Dame Central 653 which provides complete coverage full game replays and commentary of the Notre Dame team NBC s television contract with Notre Dame was renewed in April 2013 and is set to continue through the 2025 football season 654 It also aired football games on NBC s streaming service Peacock started in the 2021 season with the home opener on September 11 2021 against Toledo aired exclusively on the streaming service 655 656 Internationally Sky Sports has been covering Notre Dame Football home games in the United Kingdom Republic of Ireland Italy and Germany since 2018 as a result of Comcast s takeover of Sky Current broadcast team Edit Jac Collinsworth play by play Jason Garrett color commentator Zora Stephenson sideline reporter Future schedules EditAlthough the Notre Dame football program is not a full member of the Atlantic Coast Conference ACC it has an agreement to play an average of five ACC schools per season In return Notre Dame has access to the non College Football Playoff ACC bowl line up 657 658 Notre Dame utilizes a format of six home games in South Bend five away games and one major metropolitan area neutral site Shamrock Series home game for scheduling 574 This includes preserving traditional yearly rivalries with USC Stanford and Navy 659 five rotating ACC opponents two away ACC games will coincide in even years with away games at Navy and three away ACC games will coincide in odd years with home games against Navy 660 two home and home series one home game and one away game one one time opponent home game and the traveling Shamrock Series home game 661 662 2023 Edit DateOpponentSiteTVResultAugust 26Navy 663 664 Aviva StadiumDublin IrelandNBCSeptember 2Tennessee State 665 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCSeptember 9at North Carolina State 666 Carter Finley StadiumRaleigh NCSeptember 16Central Michigan 667 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCSeptember 23Ohio State 668 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCSeptember 30at Duke 666 Wallace Wade StadiumDurham NCOctober 7at Louisville 666 Cardinal StadiumLouisville KYOctober 14USC 669 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCOctober 28Pittsburgh 666 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCNovember 4at Clemson 666 670 Memorial StadiumClemson SCOctober 18Wake Forest 666 670 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCNovember 25at Stanford 659 Stanford StadiumStanford CAThe University of Notre Dame officially released the 2023 schedule on January 18th 2023 671 2024 Edit DateOpponentSiteTVResultAugust 31at Texas A amp M 672 Kyle FieldCollege Station TXSeptember 7Northern Illinois 673 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCSeptember 14at Purdue 674 Ross Ade StadiumWest Lafayette INSeptember 21Miami OH 659 670 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INOctober 12Stanford 659 670 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCOctober 19at Georgia Tech 666 675 Mercedes Benz StadiumAtlanta GAOctober 26vs Navy 676 MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford NJNovember 9Florida State 666 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCNovember 16Virginia 666 677 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCNovember 30at USC 659 670 Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles CATBAMiami FL 666 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCTBA An additional non ACC home game will be scheduled 2025 Edit DateOpponentSiteTVResultSeptember 13Texas A amp M 672 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCSeptember 20Purdue 674 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCSeptember 27at Arkansas 678 Donald W Reynolds Razorback StadiumFayetteville AROctober 18USC 659 670 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCNovember 8Navy 679 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCTBANC State 666 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCTBASyracuse 666 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNBCTBAat Boston College 666 Alumni StadiumChestnut Hill MATBAat Miami 666 Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens FLTBAat Pittsburgh 666 Acrisure StadiumPittsburgh PATBA An additional 2 non ACC home games will be scheduled 2026 Edit DateOpponentSiteResultSeptember 5vs Wisconsin 680 Lambeau FieldGreen Bay WISeptember 26at Purdue 674 Ross Ade StadiumWest Lafayette INOctober 3at North Carolina 670 Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill NCOctober 17Virginia 681 677 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovember 28at USC 659 670 Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles CATBALouisville 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAMichigan State 682 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBASyracuse 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAat Florida State 681 Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee FLTBAat NavyNavy Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis MDTBA An additional 2 non ACC home games will be scheduled 2027 Edit DateOpponentSiteResultSeptember 4Purdue 674 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INOctober 2Georgia Tech 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INOctoberUSC 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovember 6Virginia Tech 681 670 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovemberat Stanford 659 Stanford StadiumStanford CATBANavy 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAat Clemson 681 Memorial StadiumClemson SCTBAat Duke 681 Wallace Wade StadiumDurham NCTBAat Michigan State 682 Spartan StadiumEast Lansing MITBAat Wake Forest 681 BB amp T FieldWinston Salem NCTBA An additional 2 non ACC home games will be scheduled 2028 Edit DateOpponentSiteResultSeptember 16Arkansas 683 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INSeptember 23at Purdue 674 Ross Ade StadiumWest Lafayette INOctoberStanford 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovember 4at Virginia Tech 681 684 Lane StadiumBlacksburg VANovemberat USC 659 Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles CATBAat Navy 659 Navy Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis MDTBABoston College 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAClemson 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAMiami 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAat Pittsburgh 681 Acrisure StadiumPittsburgh PATBA An additional 2 non ACC home game will be scheduled 2029 Edit DateOpponentSiteResultSeptember 1Alabama 685 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INSeptember 15at South Florida 686 Raymond James StadiumTampa FLOctober 6at North Carolina State 681 670 Carter Finley StadiumRaleigh NCOctoberUSC 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovember 3Georgia Tech 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovember 10at Florida State 681 670 Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee FLNovemberat Stanford 659 Stanford StadiumStanford CATBANavy 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAWake Forest 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAat Syracuse 681 JMA Wireless DomeSyracuse NYTBA An additional 2 non ACC home games will be scheduled 2030 Edit DateOpponentSiteResultAugust 31Indiana 687 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INSeptember 14at Alabama 685 Bryant Denny StadiumTuscaloosa ALOctoberStanford 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovember 2at Louisville 681 670 Cardinal StadiumLouisville KYNovemberat USC 659 Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles CATBAat Navy 659 Navy Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis MDTBADuke 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAFlorida State 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBANorth Carolina 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAat Boston College 681 Alumni StadiumChestnut Hill MATBA An additional 2 non ACC home games will be scheduled 2031 Edit DateOpponentSiteResultSeptember 1at Clemson 681 670 Memorial StadiumClemson SCSeptember 13South Florida 686 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INSeptember 27at Indiana 659 Memorial StadiumBloomington INOctober 11at Virginia 681 670 Scott StadiumCharlottesville VAOctoberUSC 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovember 15Florida 688 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovember 22North Carolina State 681 670 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovemberat Stanford 659 Stanford StadiumStanford CATBANavy 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAMiami 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAat Pittsburgh 681 Acrisure StadiumPittsburgh PATBAat North Carolina 681 Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill NCTBA An additional non ACC home game will be scheduled 2032 Edit DateOpponentSiteResultSeptember 11at Florida 688 Ben Hill Griffin StadiumGainesville FLOctoberStanford 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INOctober 30at Georgia Tech 681 670 Bobby Dodd StadiumAtlanta GANovemberat USC 659 Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles CATBAat Navy 659 Navy Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis MDTBAFlorida State 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBALouisville 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAWake Forest 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAat Miami 681 Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens FLTBA An additional 3 non ACC home games will be scheduled 2033 Edit DateOpponentSiteResultSeptember 3at Michigan 689 Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor MISeptember 24at Duke 681 670 Wallace Wade StadiumDurham NCOctoberUSC 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovember 5Virginia Tech 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INNovemberat Stanford 659 Stanford StadiumStanford CATBANavy 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAPittsburgh 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAat Boston College 681 Alumni StadiumChestnut Hill MATBAat Louisville 681 Cardinal StadiumLouisville KYTBA An additional 3 non ACC home games will be scheduled 2034 Edit DateOpponentSiteResultSeptember 2Michigan 689 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INOctoberStanford 659 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INOctober 26at Miami 681 670 Hard Rock StadiumMiami Gardens FLNovemberat USC 659 Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumLos Angeles CATBAat Navy 659 Navy Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis MDTBAClemson 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBASyracuse 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAVirginia 681 Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame INTBAat Pittsburgh 681 Acrisure StadiumPittsburgh PATBA An additional 3 non ACC games will be scheduled 2 home and 1 away References Edit a b Jeyarajah Shehan December 2 2021 Notre Dame hires Marcus Freeman as next coach Irish listen to players also retain Tommy Rees to lead offense CBS Sports Notre Dame Football 2017 Media Guide PDF University of Notre Dame Archived from the original PDF on October 5 2017 Retrieved October 5 2017 Football Bowl Subdivision Records PDF NCAA org Retrieved September 9 2019 Color Athletics Branding On Message University of Notre Dame Retrieved January 27 2020 1 Archived March 27 2016 at the Wayback Machine 2017 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records PDF Indianapolis The National Collegiate Athletic Association July 2017 pp 110 115 Retrieved October 29 2020 a b Sandomir Richard August 25 1991 College Football Notre Dame Scored a 38 Million Touchdown on Its TV Deal The New York Times Retrieved April 6 2008 NBC and Notre Dame Extend Football Agreement Through 2010 CSTV com December 18 2003 Archived from the original on May 15 2012 Retrieved April 6 2008 a b Dame ENR MarComm Web University of Notre First game in Notre Dame Football history Moments 125 Football University of Notre Dame 125 nd edu Dame ENR MarComm Web University of Notre Notre Dame s First Win Moments 125 Football University of Notre Dame 125 nd edu a b Notre Dame s first team Irishlegends com Retrieved November 16 2017 Irish Coach Could Make Ugly History Buffalonews com September 7 2004 Retrieved November 16 2017 a b Steele Michael R January 8 2013 The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia Skyhorse Publishing Inc ISBN 9781613213742 via Google Books Jennings Notre Dame Michigan history preserves rivalry ESPN com September 6 2013 Retrieved June 18 2016 Notre Dame Scholastic PDF Archives nd edu December 1908 Retrieved November 16 2017 Notre Dame Football History Madeira hccanet org Archived from the original on September 28 2017 Retrieved November 16 2017 Jesse Harper Bio Notre Dame Football UND COM The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics Und com Retrieved November 16 2017 Jesse Harper Coaching Record College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved November 16 2017 Dame ENR PAZ University Communications Web University of Notre Echoes Notre Dame vs Army The rivalry that shaped college football News Notre Dame Magazine University of Notre Dame Magazine nd edu Retrieved November 16 2017 Notre Dame Michigan State Football Rivalry UHND com Uhnd com August 7 2015 Retrieved November 16 2017 1913 The Program Changer Und com Retrieved November 16 2017 a b c Dame ENR MarComm Web University of Notre This Day In History The Forward Pass 1913 vs Army Moments 125 Football University of Notre Dame 125 nd edu Retrieved November 16 2017 a b c Notre Dame vs Army The game that changed college football 100 years ago Indystar com Retrieved November 16 2017 Knute Rockne named Notre Dame coach Rarenewspapers com Retrieved November 16 2017 Dame ENR MarComm Web University of Notre This Day In History Rockne Takes The Reins Moments 125 Football University of Notre Dame 125 nd edu a b Scofield Dan The True Story Of Knute Rockne College Football s Most Renowned Coach Bleacher Report a b c Knute Rockne Coaching Record College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved November 16 2017 a b Numbers don t tell story of Knute Rockne Espn com July 9 2012 Retrieved November 16 2017 a b Collins Michael The 1925 Rose Bowl Notre Dame Vs Stanford Bleacher Report Chalk Talk the Notre Dame Box Scout com Retrieved November 16 2017 Marder Keith Spellen Mark Donovan Jim September 27 2017 The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia The Ultimate Guide to America s Favorite College Team Citadel Press ISBN 9780806521084 via Google Books 1918 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved November 16 2017 5 Greatest Notre Dame vs Michigan State College Football Games of All Time Athlonsports com Retrieved November 16 2017 ENR MarComm Web University of Notre Dame This Day In History Rockne Takes The Reins Moments 125 Football University of Notre Dame 125 nd edu Notre Dame Football UND COM The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics Und com Archived from the original on September 28 2017 Retrieved November 16 2017 Notre Dame Athletics Collection 1899 2011 XML Archives nd edu Retrieved November 16 2017 Schmidt Raymond June 18 2007 Shaping College Football ISBN 9780815608868 Retrieved November 16 2017 Leslie s Weekly Google com 1921 Retrieved November 16 2017 Notre Dame Football Review PDF 1919 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved November 16 2017 Notre Dame Alabama National Titles For The Record Notredame 247sports com Retrieved November 16 2017 College football national championship history Ncaa com May 15 2017 Retrieved November 16 2017 a b c GUSTKEY EARL December 14 1999 Gipp Still an Inspiration Long After His Death via LA Times a b Notre Dame Football UND COM The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics Und com Archived from the original on September 10 2015 Retrieved November 16 2017 The History of Antibiotics HealthyChildren org Osacky Michael September 20 2013 What Does It Mean to Win One For The Gipper Parade com Retrieved November 16 2017 Keyes Ralph 2006 The quote verifier who said what where and when St Martin s Press p 78 ISBN 0 312 34004 4 Letter From The Publisher Sports Illustrated April 14 1969 Archived from the original on October 26 2012 Retrieved May 3 2010 Win One For The Gipper Sports Illustrated September 17 1979 Archived from the original on October 26 2012 Retrieved May 3 2010 Keith Marder Mark Spellen Jim Donovan 2001 The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia The Ultimate Guide to America s Favorite College Team Citadel Press p 148 ISBN 0806521082 Grantland Rice American sports writer Britannica www britannica com Retrieved May 5 2022 Grantland Rice December 3 1921 Where The West Got The Jump In Addition To Developing Strong Defense and Good Running Game Has Built Up Forward Pass PDF American Golfer Archived from the original PDF on March 4 2016 Retrieved May 15 2016 Chicago Tribune Historical Newspapers Archives chicagotribune com Retrieved November 16 2017 Rockne Knute Indiana Football Hall of Fame Indiana football org Retrieved November 16 2017 Notre Dame Football UND COM The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics Und com Archived from the original on December 23 2015 Retrieved November 16 2017 Dame ENR MarComm Web University of Notre October 18 1924 The Four Horsemen Arrive Moments 125 Football University of Notre Dame 125 nd edu Seven Mules Forever Irish Ndfootballhistory com Retrieved November 16 2017 1924 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved November 16 2017 Notre Dame vs Army A New Yorker State of Mind Newyorkerstateofmind com Retrieved November 16 2017 Phinizy Coles We Know of Knute Yet Know Him Not Si com Retrieved November 16 2017 a b c Robinson Alan September 9 2007 Rockne s gaffe remembered The Daily Texan Texas Student Media Archived from the original on September 8 2007 Retrieved September 6 2007 1928 Notre Dame Football PDF Archives nd edu Retrieved November 16 2017 Henry R Peter Pund Inductees Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Archived from the original on September 28 2007 Retrieved August 11 2007 Rockne s Win one for the Gipper speech Newsday com Retrieved November 16 2017 a b The New York Times This Day In Sports The New York Times Retrieved November 16 2017 Dame ENR MarComm Web University of Notre This Day In History Win One For The Gipper Moments 125 Football University of Notre Dame 125 nd edu a b Pennington Bill November 16 2010 Army Notre Dame Game Stirs Yankee Stadium s Football Ghosts The New York Times Retrieved November 16 2017 1929 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved November 16 2017 1930 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved November 16 2017 Notre Dame s 1929 National Championship Notre Dame Football History Uhnd com June 24 2013 Retrieved November 16 2017 a b Notre Dame s 1930 National Championship Notre Dame Football History Uhnd com July 3 2013 Retrieved November 16 2017 1929 Notre Dame Football PDF Archives nd edu Retrieved November 16 2017 1930 College Football National Championship Tiptop25 com Retrieved November 16 2017 Reading Eagle Google News Archive Search News google com Retrieved November 16 2017 Notre Dame vs New York Giants 1930 Game Program Mmqb si com Retrieved November 16 2017 King Gilbert The Game that Put the NFL s Reputation on the Line Smithsonianmag com Retrieved November 16 2017 Rockne s Last Game Retrieved May 24 2008 New York Times December 15 1930 Knute Rocke Dies with Seven Others in Mail Plane Dive The New York Times Retrieved November 16 2017 Movie Review The Screen Close Ups of Gridiron Stars The New York Times Retrieved November 16 2017 The Spirit of Notre Dame 1931 Overview TCM com Turner Classic Movies Knute Rockne Memorial College Football News Archived from the original on January 12 2013 Retrieved May 24 2008 Knute Rockne born Mar 04 1888 History com Retrieved November 16 2017 a b UND COM The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics Und com Retrieved November 16 2017 Carter Bill November 23 2012 For a Notre Dame Family a Legacy of Optimism With an Asterisk or Two The New York Times Retrieved November 23 2012 Hunk Anderson Coaching Record College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved November 16 2017 TheWolfpacker com NC State football has past ties with Notre Dame Ncstate rivals com October 4 2016 Retrieved November 16 2017 1931 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results College Football at Sports Reference com Retrieved November 16 2017 1931 Notre Dame Football PDF Archives nd edu Retrieved November 16 2017 a b Notre Dame Football UND COM The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics Und com Retrieved November 16 2017 The history of Nebraska vs Northwestern on the football field Northbynorthwestern com Archived from the original on August 12 2017 Retrieved November 16 2017 Steele Michael R September 1 2012 The Notre Dame Football Encyclopedia Skyhorse Publishing Inc ISBN 9781613210765 via Google Books The Notre Dame Scholastic PDF Archives nd edu October 1931 Retrieved November 16 2017 Pennsylvania Quakers v Notre Dame Fighting Irish Pictures Getty Images Archived from the original on August 12 2017 Retrieved August 11 2017 span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.