Holy War (Boston College–Notre Dame)
The Holy War is an American rivalry between the Boston College Eagles and University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a technical nonconference rivalry in College football, but in most sports an Atlantic Coast Conference rivalry. The series derives its name from the fact that the Eagles and the Fighting Irish represent the only two Catholic universities in the United States which still compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the highest level of competition in American college football. Series history. Although football at both universities dates to the 19th  century, the series itself is relatively young. Boston College and Notre Dame first met on the gridiron on September 15, 1975, in a game held at Foxboro Stadium in Massachusetts. Since then, the two schools have met a total of 22 times, including a match-up in the 1983 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. An annual series was held from 1992 to 2004 and after a two-season hiatus the rivalry resumed for the 2007–12, 2015, 2017, and 2019 seasons as part of Notre Dame's scheduling agreement with the ACC. Notre Dame leads the series 16–9 with one other  win by Notre Dame (2012) vacated. The future of the series had been in question for several years after Boston College left the Big East for the ACC and the Big East asked Notre Dame to add at least three Big East schools each year to its football schedule, but on June 8, 2010, it was announced that the series would continue. While the "Holy War" moniker dates to the first contest between the two schools in 1975 and has become popularized in the sports media, the rivalry has also acquired a number of other nicknames over the years. These  include the "Vatican Bowl", and the "Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl." Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a Notre Dame alumna, referenced the rivalry using the "Holy War" moniker during a 2006 commencement address at BC's Alumni Stadium. It it one of the most unbalanced rivalries in college sports from a fan perspective, with many Boston College fans rating it the highest rivalry for their team, but very few Notre Dame fans to do so. Notable moments. Since their first meeting in 1975, the Fighting Irish and Eagles have generated some memorable moments in the past forty plus years. The  teams played each season from 1992 until 2004. Over the course of 24 games, here are some of the more memorable ones: Trophies. The Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl is a trophy, in the form of a large cut-crystal bowl, given to the winner of the Boston College-Notre Dame football game. It is named after the legendary Frank Leahy, who was the head coach at both schools. The award is presented to the winning team at the conclusion of the game by members of the Notre Dame Club of Boston. The Ireland Trophy, created by the Notre Dame student  government in 1994, is presented annually "as a token of goodwill, camaraderie and friendly rivalry" to the winner of the game. Future had been in question. After the 2012 season, the Irish became partial member of the ACC, in all sports except football, where they remained independent. Although, as part of the deal to become an associate member in the ACC, the Irish are contracted to five games against ACC opponents every season. With these new obligations, the scheduled 2015–2018 games needed to be amended. BC was originally supposed to host in 2015 at Alumni Stadium, but instead a game  was scheduled at Fenway Park, with the Irish hosting the neutral site location in their ongoing Shamrock Series. On October 21, 2014, Notre Dame's future games with ACC schools through 2025 were announced. The Fighting Irish visited Boston College on September 16, 2017, and the Eagles returned to Notre Dame on November 23, 2019. The teams also will play on dates to be announced in 2022 at Notre Dame and in 2025 at Boston College.