# Notre Dame–Stanford football rivalry

The Notre Dame–Stanford football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame and Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. As of 2023, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Stanford Cardinal have met 37 times, beginning in 1925 (though the modern series began in 1988). The Notre Dame–Stanford game has been played annually since 1997, with the teams meeting at Notre Dame Stadium earlier in the season (late September to mid-October) in even-numbered years, and at Stanford Stadium on the weekend following Thanksgiving in odd-numbered years since 1999. The game typically alternates positions in Notre Dame's schedule with its other former Pac-12 opponent, USC.

## Trophy

The winner of the game gains the Legends Trophy, a Dublin Irish crystal bowl resting on a California redwood base. The trophy was presented for the first time in 1989 by the Notre Dame Club of the San Francisco Bay Area.

## Series history

The series began on January 1, 1925 (the end of the 1924 season) when Notre Dame's Four Horsemen and head coach Knute Rockne faced Stanford's Ernie Nevers and head coach Pop Warner at the 1925 Rose Bowl. Notre Dame's 27–10 victory earned their first-ever national title and the first of four national titles to come via bowl victories.
After the two teams' first meeting at the 1925 Rose Bowl, they did not play each other again until 1942. They did not meet again until playing two games in 1963 and 1964. Those four games were the only games before the modern series began. Notre Dame and Stanford have played the modern series annually since 1988 (except in 1995 and 1996). The series is renewed through at least the 2024 season, however the 2020 game was canceled as part of the Pac-12 Conference's decision to cancel all non-conference games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Game results

As of 2024, Notre Dame leads the series 24–14, though the Cardinal lead 8–6 in the last fourteen games (8–7 if Notre Dame's vacated 2012 victory is included). The Fighting Irish hold the longest win-streak in the series, with seven wins from 2002 to 2008. The Cardinal's longest win streak were a pair of 3-win streaks from 2009 to 2011 and from 2015 to 2017. The back-to-back wins in 2009 and 2010 were the school's first consecutive victories in the series. Notre Dame is 13–5 at home (14–5 if Notre Dame's vacated 2012 victory is included) while the series is tied 9–9 at Stanford. Notre Dame won the only game played at a neutral site at the 1925 Rose Bowl.
| Notre Dame victories | Stanford victories | Vacated wins |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | January 1, 1925 | Pasadena, CA | Notre Dame | 27–10 |
| 2 | October 10, 1942 | Notre Dame, IN | Notre Dame | 27–0 |
| 3 | October 26, 1963 | Stanford, CA | Stanford | 24–14 |
| 4 | October 24, 1964 | Notre Dame, IN | #2 Notre Dame | 28–6 |
| 5 | October 1, 1988 | Notre Dame, IN | #5 Notre Dame | 42–14 |
| 6 | October 7, 1989 | Stanford, CA | #1 Notre Dame | 27–17 |
| 7 | October 6, 1990 | Notre Dame, IN | Stanford | 36–31 |
| 8 | October 5, 1991 | Stanford, CA | #8 Notre Dame | 42–26 |
| 9 | October 3, 1992 | Notre Dame, IN | #18 Stanford | 33–16 |
| 10 | October 2, 1993 | Stanford, CA | #4 Notre Dame | 48–20 |
| 11 | October 1, 1994 | Notre Dame, IN | #8 Notre Dame | 34–15 |
| 12 | October 4, 1997 | Stanford, CA | #19 Stanford | 33–15 |
| 13 | October 3, 1998 | Notre Dame, IN | #23 Notre Dame | 35–17 |
| 14 | November 27, 1999 | Stanford, CA | Stanford | 40–37 |
| 15 | October 7, 2000 | Notre Dame, IN | #25 Notre Dame | 20–14 |
| 16 | November 24, 2001 | Stanford, CA | #13 Stanford | 17–13 |
| 17 | October 5, 2002 | Notre Dame, IN | #9 Notre Dame | 31–7 |
| 18 | November 29, 2003 | Stanford, CA | Notre Dame | 57–7 |
| 19 | October 9, 2004 | Notre Dame, IN | Notre Dame | 23–15 |
| 20 | November 26, 2005 | Stanford, CA | Notre Dame | 38–31 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 21 | October 7, 2006 | Notre Dame, IN | #12 Notre Dame | 31–10 |
| 22 | November 24, 2007 | Stanford, CA | Notre Dame | 21–14 |
| 23 | October 4, 2008 | Notre Dame, IN | Notre Dame | 28–21 |
| 24 | November 28, 2009 | Stanford, CA | Stanford | 45–38 |
| 25 | September 25, 2010 | Notre Dame, IN | #16 Stanford | 37–14 |
| 26 | November 26, 2011 | Stanford, CA | #4 Stanford | 28–14 |
| 27 | October 13, 2012 | Notre Dame, IN | #7 Notre Dame $^†$ | 20–13$^{OT}$ |
| 28 | November 30, 2013 | Stanford, CA | #8 Stanford | 27–20 |
| 29 | October 4, 2014 | Notre Dame, IN | #9 Notre Dame | 17–14 |
| 30 | November 28, 2015 | Stanford, CA | #13 Stanford | 38–36 |
| 31 | October 15, 2016 | Notre Dame, IN | Stanford | 17–10 |
| 32 | November 25, 2017 | Stanford, CA | #20 Stanford | 38–20 |
| 33 | September 29, 2018 | Notre Dame, IN | #8 Notre Dame | 38–17 |
| 34 | November 30, 2019 | Stanford, CA | #16 Notre Dame | 45–24 |
| 35 | November 27, 2021 | Stanford, CA | #6 Notre Dame | 45–14 |
| 36 | October 15, 2022 | Notre Dame, IN | Stanford | 16–14 |
| 37 | November 25, 2023 | Stanford, CA | #18 Notre Dame | 56–23 |
| 38 | October 12, 2024 | Notre Dame, IN | #11 Notre Dame | 49–7 |
| Series: Notre Dame leads 23–14 ||||||
| † Vacated by Notre Dame Rankings from AP Poll ||||||

### Game notes

* ↑ The only shutout of the series
* ↑ The first meeting of the modern series
* ↑ The start of a five-game streak in which the away team won
* ↑ Stanford's first win in the modern series
* ↑ First time both teams were ranked entering the game
* ↑ The start of a seven-game streak in which the home team won
* ↑ The start of a seven-game winning streak for Notre Dame – the longest streak in series history
* ↑ The first victory for an away team since 1993 The largest margin of victory in any game of the series
* ↑ Notre Dame fires coach Charlie Weis two days later
* ↑ Stanford's first win streak in the series The largest margin of victory for Stanford in the series Stanford's first win at Notre Dame since 1992
* ↑ Second time both teams were ranked entering the game
* ↑ Second straight time (and third time ever) both teams were ranked entering the game. Notre Dame forced overtime on a field goal with 20 seconds left after their drive was extended by Tyler Eifert drawing a pass-interference call on Terrence Brown. In OT, Irish quarterback Tommy Rees, replacing an injured Everett Golson, connected with T. J. Jones for a touchdown. Stanford had a chance to tie to force a second overtime, but after four straight runs by Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor, his final effort was ruled short of the goal line. The last play was reviewed and upheld, though the ruling met with controversy after the game.
* ↑ Third straight time (and fourth time ever) both teams were ranked entering the game
* ↑ Fourth straight time (and fifth time ever) both teams were ranked entering the game. Third straight game decided by one score or less.
* ↑ Fifth straight time (and sixth time ever) both teams were ranked entering the game.
* ↑ Seventh time both teams were ranked entering the game.
* ↑ Eighth time both teams were ranked entering the game, but first time both were ranked in the top 10 entering the game.
* ↑ Notre Dame's first win at Stanford since 2007