The University of Notre Dame’s football program spans well over a century, but the team feels anything but old. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the team and where to get Notre Dame football tickets to see every touchdown, field goal, and interception in person. .

Notre Dame’s football legacy begins at the tail end of the 19th century. In 1887, the team that would later become known as “The Fighting Irish” took to the field for the first time. It took time for them to rise through the ranks and become the powerhouse of college football we know today. 

Over the few decades after they were founded, the team would struggle to make a name for themselves both in Indiana and beyond. A large part of this struggle stems from the fact that they were banned from the Western Intercollegiate Conference, which made finding teams to play much more difficult.

The adversity the Fighting Irish faced early in their tenure still has real ramifications today. That’s why Notre Dame plays as an independent team, not placed in any particular conference. 

In fact, Notre Dame is one of only four schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) to play independently. They’re in good company, though, as the other teams are the Army, the Navy, and Brigham Young University.

Notre Dame began to really come into their own when head coach Knute Rockne hit the scene. While Rockne is certainly one of the most prominent figures in Fighting Irish history, there are many more coaches and athletes who have contributed to their illustrious history.

A team with somewhat humble beginnings, Rokne had his work cut out for him when he began coaching Notre Dame in 1918. His first season was significantly abbreviated due to the war, but he managed to win three games, tie two, and lose only a single game. 

Rockne continued to coach the team until 1930 and led the Fighting Irish to great acclaim along the way. Notre Dame had five undefeated seasons and won the national championship three times. Over his 13 years coaching the team, they achieved a record of 105 wins, five ties, and 12 losses. These incredible stats give Knute Rockne the highest winning percentage of any coach in NCAA FBS history, even to this day.

While Rockne undoubtedly had a tremendous impact on Notre Dame athletics, there are a few other head coaches who deserve recognition. Both Lou Holtz and Ara Parseghian have impressive records to show for their time in South Bend. Now, without further ado, let’s get into some of the best footballers ever to call Notre Dame Stadium their home.

Notre Dame has an impressive seven Heisman Trophy winners to their name. That total is matched only by the Ohio State Buckeyes and the University of Oklahoma Sooners. That amount is topped only by Notre Dame’s rival, the USC Trojans, who have a total of eight Heisman winners.

The Fighting Irish’s Heisman Trophy winners include:

• Angelo Bertelli
• Johnny Lujack
• Leon Hart
• Johnny Lattner
• Paul Hornung
• John Huarte
• Tim Brown

Among that historic group, Johnny Lujack is possibly the most revered for his time at Notre Dame. As the Fighting Irish’s quarterback, he won three national championships and never lost a game.

The Fighting Irish also served as a training ground for many future NFL stars, like Joe Montana, Alan Page, and Dave Casper.

Since Notre Dame is not technically affiliated with a conference, their opportunities to secure conference titles have been stymied. 

The Fighting Irish have claimed 11 national championships over the years, with their most recent victory taking place in 1988.

Notre Dame has a bevy of heated rivalries, both new and old. We could also delve into their ongoing competition with teams like the Louisville Cardinals, the Tennessee State Tigers, or the Pittsburgh Panthers. Unfortunately, this article can only be so long.

The USC Trojans have been rivals with Notre Dame since 1926, and this nearly 100-year competition is one of the most exciting in college football. Through the 93 times the two football teams have competed, Notre Dame takes the series with 47 victories to USC’s 36. They have also tied five times.

To be clear, we’re talking about the rivalry between Notre Dame and the University of Michigan Wolverines, not Michigan State. That being said, the Fighting Irish also have a notable rivalry with the Michigan State Spartans. We also aren’t talking about Notre Dame and the Central Michigan Chippewas. Clearly, the Fighting Irish have some serious beef with Michigan.

These teams first met way back in 1887 and have played 44 games since. Michigan currently leads with 25 victories as opposed to Notre Dame’s 17.

Calling this a rivalry might not seem totally fair to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, considering that Notre Dame has won every single matchup they’ve ever had. It’s true that the teams have only competed three times since 2013, but football games between the South Bend, Indiana and Raleigh, North Carolina teams are heated.

Admittedly, this particular rivalry is on the newer side by college football standards. Many of the feuds between NCAA teams have withstood the test of time and span back to the early 1900s. Notre Dame’s history with the Clemson University Tigers, though, is a bit of an outlier.

The two teams have only actually faced off six times. Four of those six games were played since 2015, cementing the competitive spirit between the teams. Clemson currently leads the series with four wins over Notre Dame’s two. However, the Fighting Irish are more motivated than ever to settle the score.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish play at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana. First built in 1930, the stadium can now seat an impressive 80,795 people.

With the help of our interactive seating chart, you can get a firsthand look at Notre Dame Stadium come game day. 

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