Notre Dame Fighting Irish football Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame . The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly . Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level , and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition . It is an independent team , not affiliated with any conference . The team plays its home games on Notre Dame ' s campus at Notre Dame Stadium , with a capacity of 80 , 795 . All home games are televised on NBC . The Fighting Irish have 13 recognized national championships , tied for first out of all FBS schools in the post - 1900 era and tied for third all - time behind Princeton and Yale . Notre Dame has also produced 96 All - Americans and 7 Heisman Trophy winners – both more than any other Football Bowl Subdivision school . History . The beginning ( 1887 – 1917 ) . American football did not have an auspicious beginning at the University of Notre Dame . In their inaugural game on November 23 , 1887 the Irish lost to Michigan by a score of 8 – 0 . Their first win came in the final game of the 1888 season when the Irish defeated Harvard Prep by a score of 20 – 0 . At the end of the 1888 season they had a record of 1 – 3 with all three losses being at the hands of Michigan by a combined score of 43 – 9 . 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 . Notre Dame continued its success near the turn of the century and achieved their first victory over Michigan in 1909 by the 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 . Jesse Harper became head coach in 1913 and remained so until he retired in 1917 . During his tenure the Irish began playing only intercollegiate games and posted a record of 34 wins , five losses , and one tie . This period would also mark the beginning of the rivalry with Army and the continuation of rivalries with Michigan State . 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 . On November 1 , 1913 , the Notre Dame squad stunned the Black Knights of the Hudson 35 – 13 in a game played at West Point . Led by quarterback Charles " Gus " Dorais and end ( soon to be legendary coach ) Knute Rockne , 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 . This game has been miscredited as the " invention " of the forward pass but is considered the first major contest in which a team used the forward pass regularly throughout the game . Rockne era ( 1918 – 1930 ) . Knute Rockne became head coach in 1918 . Under Rockne the Irish would post a record of 105 wins , 12 losses , and five ties . During his 13 years the Irish won three national championships , had five undefeated seasons , won the Rose Bowl in 1925 , and produced players such as the " Four Horsemen " . Knute Rockne has the highest win percentage ( . 881 ) in football history , college or professional . Among the events that occurred during Rockne ’ s tenure none may be more famous than the Rockne ’ s " Win one for the Gipper " speech . George " the Gipper " Gipp was a player on Rockne ’ s earlier teams who died of strep throat in 1920 . Army came into the 1928 matchup undefeated and was the clear favorite . Notre Dame , on the other hand , was having their worst season under Rockne ’ s leadership and entered the game with a 4 – 2 record . 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 . " " The speech inspired the team and they went on to upset Army and win the game 12 – 6 . The last game Rockne coached was on December 14 , 1930 when he led a group of Notre Dame all - stars against the New York Giants in New York City . The game 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 . Rockne , aged 43 , died in the plane crash of TWA Flight 599 in Kansas on March 31 , 1931 , while on his way to help in the production of the film " The Spirit of Notre Dame " . The crash site , located in a remote expanse of Kansas known as the Flint Hills , now features a Rockne Memorial . As Notre Dame ' s head coach from 1918 to 1930 , Rockne posted the all - time highest winning percentage ( . 881 ) for a football coach , either college or professional . During his 13 - year tenure as head coach of the Fighting Irish , Rockne collected 105 victories , 12 losses , 5 ties and 3 national championships . Rockne also coached Notre Dame to 5 undefeated seasons without a tie . After Rockne ( 1931 – 1940 ) . Upon Rockne ’ s death Heartley " Hunk " Anderson took the helm of the Irish leading them to a record of 16 wins , nine losses , and two ties . 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 in 1934 and was replaced by Elmer Layden , who was one of Rockne ’ s " Four Horsemen " in the 1920s . After graduating , Layden played professional football for one year and then began a coaching career . The Irish posted a record of 47 wins , 13 losses , and three ties in seven years under Layden , the most successful record of a Notre Dame coach not to win a national championship . He left Notre Dame after the 1940 season to become Commissioner of the National Football League . Leahy era ( 1941 – 1953 ) . 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 . 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 . He then coached the Boston College Eagles to a win in the 1941 Sugar Bowl and a share of the national championship . 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 . Leahy coached the team for 11 seasons , from 1941 to 1943 and 1946 to 1953 . He has the second highest winning percentage ( . 864 ) of any college coach in history . He led the Irish to a record of 87 wins , 11 losses , and nine ties including 39 games without a loss ( 37 – 0 – 2 ) , four national championships , and six undefeated seasons . A fifth national championship was lost because of a tie in 1953 against Iowa , in a game that caused a minor scandal at the time , when it appeared that some Irish players had faked injuries to stop the clock . Leahy retired in 1954 reportedly due to health reasons . 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 . The situation was so dire that a priest was called in to give Leahy the last rites . However , Leahy recovered , and the consequent diagnosis was that he was suffering from nervous tension and pancreatits . From 1944 to 1945 , Leahy served in the U . S . Navy and was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant . Edward McKeever , Leahy ' s assistant coach , became interim head coach when Leahy left for the Navy . During his one year at the helm the Irish managed 8 wins and 2 losses . McKeever left Notre Dame in 1945 to take over as head coach of Cornell University . He was replaced by Hugh Devore for the 1945 season who led the Irish to a 7 – 2 – 1 record . After Leahy ( 1954 – 1963 ) . The departure of Leahy ushered in a downward slope in Notre Dame ’ s performance , referred to in various circles as a period of deemphasis . Terry Brennan was hired as the Notre Dame head coach in 1954 and would stay until 1958 . He departed with a total of 32 wins and 18 losses . 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 at Notre Dame . His first two seasons the Irish were ranked fourth and ninth respectively . 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 . 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 . To date , Hornung is the only Heisman winner to win the award while playing for a team that had a losing record . The Irish would recover the following season , posting a record of 7 – 3 and including in their wins a stunning upset of Oklahoma , in Norman , that ended the Sooners ' still - standing record of 47 consecutive wins . In Brennan ’ s final season , though , the Irish finished 6 – 4 . Brennan was fired in mid - December . 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 . Joe Kuharich took over for Brennan in 1959 , and during his 4 year tenure as coach the Irish finished 17 – 23 , never finishing better than . 500 in a season . Hugh Devore once again filled in the gap between coaches and led the Irish to a 2 – 7 record in 1963 . Parseghian era ( 1964 – 1974 ) . Ara Parseghian was a former college football player for the Miami University Redskins until 1947 and became their assistant coach in 1950 and head coach in 1951 , after a two year stint playing for the Cleveland Browns . In 1956 he moved to Northwestern University , where he stayed for eight years . In 1964 , Parseghian was hired to replace Devore as head football coach and immediately brought the team back to a level of success comparable only to Rockne and Leahy in Irish football history . 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 two games during the ten game regular seasons of the era . In his first year the Irish improved their record to 9 – 1 , earning Parseghian coach of the year honors and a cover story in " Time " magazine . It was under Parseghian as well that Notre Dame lifted its 40 - plus year - old " no bowl games " policy , beginning with the season of 1969 , after which the Irish played the # 1 Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic , losing in the final minutes in a closely contested game . The following year , Parseghian ' s 9 – 1 squad ended Texas ' Southwest Conference record 30 game winning streak in the 1971 Cotton Bowl Classic . 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 . The Irish also had two undefeated seasons in 1966 and 1973 , had three major bowl wins in five appearances , and produced one Heisman Trophy winner . In 1971 , Cliff Brown became the first African - American quarterback to start a game for the program . Parseghian was forced to retire after the 1974 season for medical reasons . Devine era ( 1975 – 1980 ) . Dan Devine was hired to take over as head coach upon Parseghian ' s resignation in 1975 . Devine was already a highly successful coach and had led Arizona State , Missouri , and the Green Bay Packers . Devine had been a leading candidate for the head coaching job at Notre Dame in 1964 , when Ara Parseghian was hired . When approached for the job following Parseghian ' s resignation , Devine accepted immediately , joking that it was probably the shortest job interview in history . 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 . At Notre Dame he would lead the Irish to 53 wins , 16 losses , and a tie as well as three bowl victories . His lasting achievement came midway through this run , when Notre Dame won the 1977 national championship , led by junior quarterback Joe Montana . 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 . 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 . The Irish continued to wear green for the rest of Devine ' s tenure at the school . Faust era ( 1981 – 1985 ) . Gerry Faust was hired to replace Devine for the 1981 season . Prior to Notre Dame , Faust had been one of the more successful high school football coaches in the country . As coach of Moeller High School in Cincinnati he amassed a 174 – 17 – 2 record . Despite his success in the high school ranks , his success at Notre Dame was mixed and his record mediocre at best . In his first season the Irish finished 5 – 6 . The most successful years under Faust were the 1983 and 1984 campaigns where the Irish finished 7 – 5 and made trips to the Liberty Bowl and Aloha Bowl respectively . His final record at Notre Dame was 30 – 26 – 1 . Faust resigned at the end of the 1985 season ( following fan cries of " Oust Faust " ) to take over as head coach for the University of Akron . Holtz era ( 1986 – 1996 ) . Lou Holtz had 17 years of coaching experience by the time he was hired to lead the Irish . He had previously been head coach of William & Mary , North Carolina State , the New York Jets , Arkansas , and Minnesota . Holtz began in 1986 where his predecessor left off in 1985 , finishing with an identical record of 5 wins and 6 losses . 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 docket overall . In contrast to Faust , Holtz was well known as a master motivator and a strict disciplinarian . 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 . 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 . 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 . His move was vindicated when the Irish defeated USC anyway . Holtz was named national coach of the year ( Paul " Bear " Bryant Award ) in 1988 , the same season he took Notre Dame to an upset of # 1 Miami in the Catholics vs . Convicts series and a win over # 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl , thus capturing the national championship . His 1989 and 1993 squads narrowly missed repeating the feat . Overall , he 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 . Holtz resigned from Notre Dame in 1996 . Davie era ( 1997 – 2001 ) . Bob Davie , who had been Holtz ' s defensive coordinator from 1994 to 1996 , was promoted to head coach when Holtz departed . 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 . On Davie ' s watch , the team suffered three bowl game losses ( 1997 Independence Bowl , 1999 Gator Bowl , and 2001 Fiesta Bowl ) , 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 # 5 Michigan , the defending national champion . Davie also posted a 25 – 24 home victory over USC in 1999 . Davie nearly defeated top ranked Nebraska in 2000 , with the Irish comeback bid falling short in overtime 24 – 27 . 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 , but would finish # 15 in the AP Poll , Davie ' s highest ranking as head coach . The 2001 squad was awarded the American Football Coaches Association Achievement Award for its 100 % graduation rate . Following the 1998 season , the team fell into a pattern of frustrating inconsistency , alternating 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 , then saw the team start 0 – 3 in 2001 – the first such start in school history . Disappointed by the on - field results , coupled with the Joe Moore and Kim Dunbar scandals , the administration decided to dismiss Davie . His final record at Notre Dame was 35 – 25 . On December 9 , 2001 , Notre Dame hired George O ' Leary to replace Davie . However , New Hampshire Union Leader reporter Jim Fennell – while researching a " local boy done good " story on O ' Leary – uncovered misrepresentations in O ' Leary ' s resume that had influenced the administration ' s decision to hire him . The resulting media scandal embarrassed Notre Dame officials , and tainted O ' Leary ; he resigned five days later , before coaching a single practice . On December 17 , 1999 , Notre Dame was placed on probation by the NCAA for the only time in its history . The association ' s Committee on Infractions found two series of violations . " 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 . " 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 . 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 . " 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 . " 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 . Willingham era ( 2002 – 2004 ) . Once again in need of a new head coach , the school turned to Tyrone Willingham , the head coach at Stanford . Bringing a feeling of change and excitement to campus , Willingham led the 2002 squad to a 10 – 2 regular season record , including an 8 – 0 start with wins over # 7 Michigan and # 11 Florida State , and a # 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 , then lopsided losses to USC and North Carolina State ( in the Gator Bowl ) . The program faltered over the next two seasons under Willingham , compiling an 11 – 12 record . 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 . Citing Notre Dame ' s third consecutive four - touchdown loss to arch - rival USC 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 . Reports circulated that Urban Meyer might be hired as Willingham ' s successor . Meyer was a highly sought after coach and a former wide receivers coach at Notre Dame . Following a well - publicized courtship by the Irish , Meyer chose instead to accept the head coaching position at the University of Florida . Notre Dame subsequently hired Charlie Weis , the offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots ( who at the time were enroute to their third Super Bowl victory in four years ) . Weis had graduated from Notre Dame , but had never played for its football team . Weis era ( 2005 – 2009 ) . Charlie Weis became head football coach for the Irish beginning with the 2005 season . In his inaugural season he led Notre Dame to a record of 9 – 3 , including an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl , where they were defeated by the Ohio State Buckeyes 34 – 20 . Weis ' s impact was apparent when , 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 . 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 contender . Weis and the Irish went into the 2006 season with a # 2 preseason ranking in the ESPN / Coaches Poll . They finished the regular season with a 10 – 2 record , losing only to Michigan and USC . Notre Dame accepted a bid to the 2007 Sugar Bowl , losing to LSU 41 – 14 . This marked their ninth consecutive post - season loss , the longest drought in NCAA history . As a result , Notre Dame dropped to # 17 in the final rankings . In the wake of a graduating class that sent eleven players to the NFL , the 2007 season ( 3 – 9 ) included various negative milestones : the most losses in a single year ( 9 ) ; two of the ten worst losses ever ( 38 – 0 losses to both Michigan and USC ) ; and the first 6 - game losing streak for home games . The Naval Academy recorded their first win over the Irish since 1963 , breaking the NCAA - record 43 - game streak . In 2008 , the Irish started 4 – 1 , but completed the regular season with a 6 – 6 record , including a 24 – 23 home loss to Syracuse , the first time that Notre Dame had fallen to an eight - loss team . Despite speculation the university might fire Weis , it was announced he would remain head coach . 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 Hawai ' i Bowl . 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 . Notre Dame started the first part of the season 4 – 2 , with close losses to Michigan and USC . Many of their wins were also close , aside from a 35 – 0 victory over Nevada and a 40 – 14 thrashing of Washington State . Sitting at 6 – 2 , however , Notre Dame lost a close game at Notre Dame Stadium to an unranked Navy team , 23 – 21 . This loss was the second to Navy in the last three years . Weis was fired on November 30 , 2009 , exactly five years after his predecessor . Kelly era ( 2010 – present ) . Brian Kelly became the 31st head coach of the Fighting Irish on December 10 , 2009 , after coaching Cincinnati to a 12 – 0 record and BCS bowl - game berth . In his first season , Kelly led the Fighting Irish to a 7 – 5 regular season . Dayne Crist would start the season at quarterback , but would be injured for a second consecutive year in the Washington State game . Kelly turned to freshman quarterback Tommy Rees , who led the Irish to victories in the last three games against # 14 Utah , Army in Yankee Stadium , and breaking the eight year losing streak to USC in the LA Coliseum . Kelly guided the Irish to a 33 – 17 victory over Miami ( FL ) in the 2010 Sun Bowl to finish 2010 with an 8 – 5 record . With senior wide out Michael Floyd returning for his senior season and an outstanding recruiting class that included several highly touted defensive linemen , 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 , and a last second loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor would leave the Irish at 0 - 2 to start the season . The Irish bounced back to beat # 15 Michigan State and had two 4 - game winning - streaks , with the only loss during that stretch coming at the hands of the Trojans . The Irish also broke Navy ' s 2 - winning streak over Notre Dame ( 2009 - 10 ) . Notre Dame finished the season an identical 8 – 5 record , with an 18 – 14 loss to Florida State in the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl . In their loses , multiple turnovers from the quarterback position were often the culprit , and as a whole turnovers at critical times in the game would often derail potential Irish comebacks . Championships and distinctions . National championships . The following is a list of Notre Dame ' s 11 claimed national championships : 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 # 1 . Notre Dame has finished the year ranked in the final Associated Press poll of the season 49 times : Number one vs . number two . Notre Dame has participated in nine " # 1 vs # 2 " matchups since the AP poll began in 1936 . They have a record of 5 – 2 – 2 in such games , with a 4 – 0 – 1 record as the # 1 team in such matchups . Here ' s a list of such games : Historic games . Notre Dame has played in many regular season games that have been widely regarded by both the media and sports historians as historic or famous games . Notre Dame has played in many games labeled as " game of the century " games as well as several # 1 vs # 2 matchups , 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 sports writer ’ s lists . Notre Dame has also played in several bowl games considered by many sportswriters to be among the best bowl games played : All - time records . Season records . Notre Dame ' s all time record through the 2011 regular season stands at 853 wins , 299 losses , and 42 ties . The winning percentage of . 732 is second behind Michigan . Its 853 wins are third behind Michigan and Texas , while its 299 losses are the lowest of any college programs that have been playing football for 70 years or more . Bowl games . Notre Dame has made 31 Bowl appearances , winning 15 and losing 16 . It has played in the Rose Bowl ( 1 win ) , the Cotton Bowl Classic ( 5 wins , 2 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 , 3 losses ) , the Independence Bowl ( 1 loss ) , the Insight Bowl ( 1 loss ) , Hawaii Bowl ( 1 win ) and the Sun Bowl ( 1 win ) . From 1994 to the 2006 football seasons , Notre Dame lost 9 consecutive bowl games and setting an NCAA record for consecutive bowl losses . That streak ended with a 49 – 21 blowout of Hawaii in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl . In the process , Notre Dame scored its highest point total in post - season play . Players and coaches . Heisman Trophy . Seven Notre Dame football players have won the prestigious Heisman Trophy , more than any other university ( Ohio State has 7 trophies won by 6 players ; USC has 6 trophies , following R . Bush ' s forfeit of the 2006 award due to NCAA violations ) . Heisman Voting : College Football Hall of Fame . 49 former Notre Dame players and coaches have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame , located in South Bend , Indiana . Notre Dame leads all universities in players inducted . Uniforms . Notre Dame ' s home jersey is dark blue with white numerals , gold outlining , and a small interlocking " ND " logo at the base of the collar . The away jersey is white with blue numerals , gold outlining , and the interlocking " ND " at the collar . 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 . Notre Dame ' s helmets are solid gold with gray facemasks , the gold being emblematic of the University ' s famed " Golden Dome . " It is a Notre Dame tradition for the team ' s student managers to spray - paint the team ' s helmets prior to each game , ensuring that they keep their gold shine each week . 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 . On at least one occasion ( 1992 Sugar Bowl ) Notre Dame has worn an away variant of the jersey : a white jersey with green numbers . Adidas is the current outfitter of Notre Dame football and all Notre Dame athletics . 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 which 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 . 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 ) . 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 . Facilities . 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 80 , 795 , Notre Dame Stadium is one of the most renowned venues in college football . The " Sporting News " ranks Notre Dame Stadium as # 2 on its list of " College Football Cathedrals " . With no JumboTron and just two modest scoreboards , the stadium experience evokes a more traditional feel . Notre Dame Stadium is used for football related activities and for Commencement ( since 2010 ) . 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 brand new athletics complex . The Gug houses the new football offices , a brand new state - of - the - art weight room , and practice week locker rooms for the football team . The Gug is utilized by all Notre Dame athletes . The complex was underwritten by Don F . Guglielmino and his family . Rivalries . USC , Michigan , Michigan State , and Navy are among Notre Dame ' s rivals . USC . USC is Notre Dame ' s primary rival . The rivalry has produced more national titles , Heisman trophies , and All - Americans than any other . It is considered one of the most important rivalries in college football , and is often called the greatest rivalry not dictated by conference affiliation or geography . Other than during World War II , the teams have played each other since 1926 . Notre Dame leads the series 43 – 33 – 5 . Michigan . Michigan is considered Notre Dame ' s other major rival . The rivalry is Notre Dame ' s first and oldest , although the two teams did not play each other for many years . It is heightened by the two schools ' competition for all - time win percentage , which Michigan leads . The 2011 meeting was won by Michigan 35 – 31 in Ann Arbor . Michigan leads the all - time series 23 – 15 – 1 , with 6 of the Wolverine victories coming before 1900 . Michigan State . The Michigan State Spartans are one of Notre Dame ' s most important rivals with the two teams playing for the Megaphone Trophy . Notre Dame holds an all - time 46 – 28 – 1 series winning margin . The one tie was the Game of the Century , one of the greatest college football games ever played . The Spartans ' 28 victories over Notre Dame are second - most of any school after USC . The Megaphone Trophy series record is 32 – 26 – 1 in favor of Notre Dame . Michigan State won the Megaphone Trophy in 2010 after beating the Irish 34 – 31 in East Lansing on an overtime fake field goal play known as " Little Giants " . In 2011 , the Irish reclaimed the trophy with a 31 – 13 victory in which they led all the way . Navy . Navy and Notre Dame have one of the longest continuous series in college football , having played 83 games without interruption since 1927 . Notre Dame had a 43 game win streak , the longest in Division 1 - A football , which ended in 2007 . Navy won in 2007 , 2009 , and 2010 . Game day traditions . Due to its long and storied history , Notre Dame football boasts many traditions unique to Notre Dame . Some of these are : Irish in the NFL . Pro Football Hall of Fame . Ten former Notre Dame players have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame , second only to USC ( 11 ) . < br > < nowiki > * 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 . < / nowiki > 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 television and radio . 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 . Until the 2006 Air Force game , Notre Dame had a record 169 consecutive games broadcast nationally on either NBC , ABC , ESPN , or CBS . 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 ( the Irish have only " hosted " Mountain West teams since , to keep all of its games on one of the four aforementioned networks ) . Notre Dame is also famous for being the first team to leave the College Football Association , which controlled TV rights , and establish its own network TV deal with NBC . Television . NBC has been televising Notre Dame Home football games since the 1991 season . The deal was considered to be a major coup for NBC , given the high popularity of Notre Dame football at the time . Notre Dame is the only Division 1 - A football team to have all of its home games televised exclusively by one television network . In addition to TV broadcasts , NBC also maintains several dedicated websites to ND football , and Notre Dame Central , which provides complete coverage , full game replays and commentary of the Notre Dame team . NBC ' s television contract with Notre Dame was renewed in June , 2008 and is set to continue through the 2015 football season . Radio . Radio rights to the Fighting Irish are currently held by ISP Sports , who began a 10 year deal with the team in 2008 . The new deal displaced its previous broadcast partner , Westwood One , who had broadcast Notre Dame football nationally on radio for 40 consecutive years ( after taking over from the Mutual Radio Network ) . Notre Dame ended its relationship with Westwood One at the conclusion of the 2007 football season citing financial reasons .