Notre Dame

7-1

Program prestige

Zeitgeist staturePower Program I#4 all-time– holding
scores like a Blue Blood — held without a national title in over a decade

Stature and coaches, 1936–2026

The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.

Notre Dame is Power Program today. Dynasty tier in 1947–1952.

1936: Power Program1937: Power Program1938: Power Program1939: Power Program1940: Power Program1941: Power Program1942: Power Program1943: Blue Blood1944: Blue Blood1945: Blue Blood1946: Blue Blood1947: Dynasty1948: Dynasty1949: Dynasty1950: Dynasty1951: Dynasty1952: Dynasty1953: Blue Blood1954: Blue Blood1955: Blue Blood1956: Blue Blood1957: Blue Blood1958: Blue Blood1959: Blue Blood1960: Power Program1961: Power Program1962: Power Program1963: Power Program1964: Power Program1965: Power Program1966: Blue Blood1967: Blue Blood1968: Blue Blood1969: Blue Blood1970: Blue Blood1971: Blue Blood1972: Blue Blood1973: Blue Blood1974: Blue Blood1975: Blue Blood1976: Blue Blood1977: Blue Blood1978: Blue Blood1979: Blue Blood1980: Blue Blood1981: Blue Blood1982: Blue Blood1983: Blue Blood1984: Blue Blood1985: Blue Blood1986: Blue Blood1987: Blue Blood1988: Blue Blood1989: Blue Blood1990: Blue Blood1991: Blue Blood1992: Blue Blood1993: Blue Blood1994: Blue Blood1995: Blue Blood1996: Blue Blood1997: Blue Blood1998: Blue Blood1999: Blue Blood2000: Power Program2001: Power Program2002: Power Program2003: Power Program2004: Power Program2005: Power Program2006: Power Program2007: Power Program2008: Power Program2009: Power Program2010: Power Program2011: Power Program2012: Power Program2013: Power Program2014: Power Program2015: Power Program2016: Power Program2017: Power Program2018: Power Program2019: Power Program2020: Power Program2021: Power Program2022: Power Program2023: Power Program2024: Power Program2025: Power Program2026: Power Program19401960198020002020
DynastyBlue BloodPower ProgramNational ProgramRegional Program

Run↔pass identity, by season

No play-by-play coverage before 2004more passmore run200420062008201020122014201620182020202220242026

Every coach, tenure by tenure, on the coaching page →

Notre Dame × USC

Notre Dame – USC

Jeweled Shillelagh 96 meetings since 1926 See the whole history →
All-time 53-38-5 since 1926 · .552 win rate
Streak W3 Notre Dame has won the last 3
Trophy Jeweled Shillelagh In play each fall
Next 2026 season date set by conference

No fan reading for this rivalry yet this week. The heat trend and each side’s mood appear when fans start talking about it.

The last 5 · year-by-year

  1. W 2025 Win 34-24
  2. W 2024 Win 49-35
  3. W 2023 Win 48-20
  4. L 2022 Loss 27-38
  5. W 2021 Win 31-16

Program outlook

Program outlook

Notre Dame won ten straight games to end 2025, finished 10-2, and watched the committee hand the last Playoff seat to the team that beat it in September. The Irish declined a bowl rather than accept the verdict. Now they come back with CJ Carr and a mandate so clean it doesn't need a slogan.

Since Oct 28: W 35-13 vs Navy. 7-1 this season.

Read the full essay — 4 more paragraphs

Notre Dame is the only program that doesn't need a conference to tell its story. Eleven consensus national titles, seven Heisman trophies — more than any program in the sport — an NBC broadcast contract that predates cable television, and a fanbase of subway alumni who follow the Irish by faith and geography has nothing to do with it. The program Knute Rockne built in the 1920s out of immigrant Catholic devotion became the country's team for people who have no other team, and the independence that gave it that reach is also the thing that makes the modern postseason a structural problem no recruiting class can fully solve.

Marcus Freeman turned down NFL interest to stay, and the room is all-in on what comes next. CJ Carr — 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns, a 168 passer rating in 2025, and the first returning primary starter at Notre Dame since 2020 — enters 2026 as a Heisman frontrunner, and preseason polls have the Irish at or near No. 1. The grievance is real and specific: the committee elevated Miami over Notre Dame on a Week 1 head-to-head tiebreaker after Notre Dame went 0-2 and then won ten straight, many in routs. The fanbase's read is not conspiratorial; it's arithmetic. Going it alone means no conference title to wave when the tiebreakers land. The 2025 snub was the price of independence, paid in the most visible way possible.

The 2026 season will try to remove that variable. The mandate Freeman has built into the program — 'leave no doubt the committee can use against it' — means the Irish need a regular season clean enough that independence becomes an advantage again rather than a liability. The specific question: can Notre Dame run the table the way the 1988 Holtz team did, before a committee existed to second-guess it? The schedule will adjudicate that starting in September, under a quarterback who, if the signal holds, will be the most talented passer South Bend has seen in the Freeman era.

Update (Oct. 28, 2026): Notre Dame is 6-1. Its one loss, 28-24 at BYU on Oct. 17, came as a 10.5-point favorite.

On the field

Dynastic-with-a-question-mark: pro-style, disciplined, academically gatekept football that expects to win without performing humility about it. Freeman runs a physical scheme built around a strong offensive line, a run game that sets up play-action, and a secondary that recruits at blue-blood levels. The roster construction is deliberate — Notre Dame draws from a national talent pool but applies an academic filter that narrows the field and, in theory, raises the floor. The 2026 defense returns enough to be elite; the offense runs through Carr.

Program outlook · as of Oct 28, 2026

Notre Dame has won 8 national titles since 1936

1943194619471949196619731977198819401960198020002020

1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988

How titles are counted

The final AP poll from 1936 and the Coaches poll from 1950 through 2005, then the winner of the BCS and College Football Playoff title games. A program may claim others, named by selectors we do not count.

  • 1943: AP poll
  • 1946: AP poll
  • 1947: AP poll
  • 1949: AP poll
  • 1966: AP poll and Coaches poll
  • 1973: AP poll
  • 1977: AP poll and Coaches poll
  • 1988: AP poll and Coaches poll

Notre Dame has won 71% of its games since 1893 — 78% at home, 65% on the road.

930-335-36 all-time · 131 seasons · 1893–2026

Home 522-125-26
Away 364-185-10
Neutral 44-25
44% 1890s
64% 1900s
82% 1910s
86% 1920s
73% 1930s
85% 1940s
65% 1950s
62% 1960s
81% 1970s
65% 1980s
69% 1990s
57% 2000s
71% 2010s
82% 2020s
The era · 2014 through 2026

The CFP era

3 CFP appearances, 1 title game across 13 seasons — the era the program argued for.

Era record 126-38 13 seasons
Best season 14-2 2024
CFP bids 3 3/13 seasons
Title games 1 1 appearance
Top-10 finishes 7 AP polled only
Trajectory · quality-score line · AP rank dotted · CFP bids marked · coach regimes ribboned
Program quality AP rank (inverted) CFP appearance
CFPCFPCFP☆ 2024 The 4-8 bottom Cotton Bowl semi loss Title game, at last Kelly Freeman '14'16'18'20'22'24Now

Swipe left for earlier seasons

Chapters · 13 seasons · tap to open the archive
'14 8-5 '15 10-3 '16 4-8 '17 10-3 '18 12-1 ◆ '19 11-2 '20 10-2 ◆ '21 11-2 '22 9-4 '23 10-3 '24 14-2 ☆ '25 10-2 '26 7-1

Notre Dame’s 2014–2026 record is 126-38, with 3 playoff appearances.

Era win %
.768
Ranked seasons (AP)
13/13
Best AP finish
#2

Marcus Freeman

Marcus Freeman has held the program for 6 seasons — the era is established.

Era Marcus Freeman · 2021–presentPrev: Brian Kelly (2010–2021)OC: Mike DenbrockPrev OC: Gerad Parker (2023)DC: Aaron Henry (co) / Chris AshPrev DC: Chris Ash (2025)
The full CFP-era story →The full coaching lineage →
6 years · era

Notre Dame and USC, meeting by meeting

Notre Dame leads the series 53-38-5 (since 1926); Notre Dame has won the last 3

evenNotre Dame aheadUSC ahead19401960198020002020

2025: Notre Dame won 34-24. After this game, Notre Dame led 53-38-5.

Last 25 meetings: ▲ Notre Dame won, ▼ USC won, by how much

2000: Notre Dame won 38-212001: Notre Dame won 27-162002: USC won 44-132003: USC won 45-142004: USC won 41-102005: USC won 34-312006: USC won 44-242007: USC won 38-02008: USC won 38-32009: USC won 34-272010: Notre Dame won 20-162011: USC won 31-172012: Notre Dame won 22-132013: Notre Dame won 14-102014: USC won 49-142015: Notre Dame won 41-312016: USC won 45-272017: Notre Dame won 49-142018: Notre Dame won 24-172019: Notre Dame won 30-272021: Notre Dame won 31-162022: USC won 38-272023: Notre Dame won 48-202024: Notre Dame won 49-352025: Notre Dame won 34-242007: by 3820002025

Each step is one meeting: up when Notre Dame wins, down when USC wins, flat for a tie. Counts every game in our records since 1926. Tap the line for any season.

Notre Dame in History

Moments in Notre Dame history

On this date, Nov 4, 2023: Clemson 31, Notre Dame 23

What this program never forgets

Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.

1949

The Leahy years

Four national titles in seven seasons under Frank Leahy — 1943, 1946, 1947 and 1949, the last three of them unbeaten

1977

Parseghian and Devine

Three more titles in a twelve-year window — 1966 and 1973 under Ara Parseghian, 1977 under Dan Devine

The 1988 national title

Lou Holtz's 12-0 team wins the program's last consensus championship

1988

Catholics vs. Convicts

The No. 1 vs No. 4 win over Miami that defined the era

The 2025 Playoff snub

A 10-2 team on a ten-game winning streak is left out of the 12-team field; Notre Dame declines a bowl

Wound

Moment of the year · 2026

Lost 24-28 at BYU

Week 7 of 2026. The single game that defined the season's arc. It turned on one snap in Q4 — CJ Carr to Jaden Greathouse, a 49-point win-probability swing.

50%Q1Q2Q3Q450% → 0.0%50%Q1Q2Q3Q450% → 0.0%
Notre Dame’s chance to win through the game; the line turns dark at the play.
I wanted ND to lose but I'd be lying if I didn't say I absolutely cannot believe there wasn't a flag thrown there. I am not a fan of flags determining the ending of games, but if…r/CFB game thread
vs Top-10 (#8)
2022–2026

Notre Dame has sent 24 players to the NFL Draft since 2022 — 4 of them in the first round.

Strong. 4 first-round picks. Recruits with NFL ambitions notice.

24 picks · 4 in round 1
#3 Jeremiyah Love Running Back · 2026 · Arizona Cardinals · #4/326 final season
Succeeded by Kedren Young · 4★
#5 Joe Alt Offensive Tackle · 2024 · Los Angeles Chargers
#14 Kyle Hamilton Safety · 2022 · Baltimore Ravens
#4 all-time · 72 first-round picksthe talent factory →

More in this tab

Program factsStadium, mascot, and the vitals that don't change season to season.
Program résumé
13Nat'l titles
7Heismans
3CFP apps
38Bowl apps
1887Founded
Legendary coachKnute Rockne
StadiumNotre Dame Stadium (77,622)
ConferenceFBS Independent
Ladder finishHow far up the ladder this season got.

Season standing · 2026 · 7-1 · CFP #11 / AP #4

Notre Dame is 11th in the CFP poll at 7-1 — a top-15 team.

Top 15 nationally. NY6-bowl conversation.

Sub-FBSBuildingBowlRankedContenderPlayoff
Coaching historyCurrent head coach Marcus Freeman, hired 2021

Coaching history

  • Hired Marcus Freeman2021
  • Brian Kelly departs113-40, 12 seasons
  • Hired Brian Kelly2010
  • Charlie Weis departs35-27, 5 seasons
  • Hired Charlie Weis2005
  • Tyrone Willingham departs21-15, 3 seasons
  • Hired Tyrone Willingham2002
  • Bob Davie departs35-25, 5 seasons
Coordinator lineageOffense and defense under each coordinator.

Notre Dame’s offense and defense, by coordinator

FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2026), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.

Offense2014–2026
2014201620182020202220242026
2014 · Mike Denbrock2015–2016 · Mike Sanford2017–2019 · Chip Long2020–2022 · Tommy Rees2023 · Gerad Parker2024–2026 · Mike Denbrock
Defense2014–2026
2014201620182020202220242026
2014–2016 · Brian VanGorder2017 · Mike Elko2018–2020 · Clark Lea2021 · Marcus Freeman2022–2024 · Al Golden2025 · Chris Ash2026 · Aaron Henry (co) / Chris Ash
Elite (≥70th pct)AveragePoor (≤30th pct)
Gameday customsThe gameday customs unique to this program.

Rituals

Things this fanbase does every Saturday — none of them invented in the last decade.

Play Like a Champion Today (the sign)

since 1980s (Lou Holtz era)

more

The blue-and-gold sign hangs above the tunnel from locker room to field. Every Notre Dame player taps it on the way out. Origin is contested (Holtz says he brought it; Devine claims earlier). The sign is now a national archetype — copied at every level of football. The original survives, scuffed by 40 years of palm taps.

Victory March (the fight song)

since 1908

more

'Cheer cheer for old Notre Dame...' Written by Michael and John Shea in 1908. The most recognizable college fight song in America. Plays through Notre Dame Stadium PA after every score. The trumpet quartet's a cappella version before kickoff at the Grotto is its own sub-ritual.

Trumpet Quartet at the Grotto

since 1990s

more

Four trumpeters from the band play the Alma Mater and Victory March at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. Spiritual/musical sub-ritual that draws hundreds of fans. Distinctly Notre Dame — no other program has a Marian shrine in its pre-game flow.

Touchdown Jesus

since 1964

more

Mural of Christ with raised hands, painted as 'Word of Life' (1964). Visible from inside Notre Dame Stadium until the 1997 expansion partially obscured it. The Christ figure's pose mirrors a referee signaling touchdown — hence the universal nickname. The mural is sacred art that became sports iconography by geometric accident.

The Shillelagh and the Leprechaun

since 1965

more

The student-portrayed Leprechaun mascot was formally adopted in 1965 (replacing the previous 'Fighting Irish' iconography). The shillelagh — the gnarled walking stick — is wielded during games. The Megaphone Game vs USC and the Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy connect this to specific rivalry pageantry.

Cultural identityWhat college football loses if this program didn't exist.
Canon appearancesMoments that made college football's permanent record.

Featured in The Canon

#4
Marcus Freeman — Notre Dame, December 2021
The 25 Best Coaching Hires of the 2020s
Browse The Canon →
BowlsLast 5 bowls 4-1, 23-21 since 1970

Recent postseason (1970-2024): 23-21

Most recent: 2024 CFP title game — loss 23-34. Last 5 postseason: 4-1.

2024 L2024 W2024 W2024 W2023 W
Reddit blowupsThe plays that blew up on r/CFB.

r/CFB moments

6.3k
[Postgame Thread] Notre Dame Defeats USC 48-20
Oct 2023 · r/CFB
3k
[Postgame Thread] USC Defeats Notre Dame 38-27
Nov 2022 · r/CFB
2k
[Postgame Thread] Notre Dame Defeats USC 34-24
Oct 2025 · r/CFB

All-time top community posts

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