Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Encyclopedia
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, (consisting of the 69th NY, 63rd NY, 88th NY, 116th Pennsylvania, and 28th Mass. Infantry Regiments), recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer
who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I. Though the Irish regiments and Kilmer were well-known, particularly in the urban ethnic community, during the era between the Civil War and World War II, Notre Dame's claim to the nickname is justified since its third president was a famous Irish Brigade chaplain whose ministrations at Gettysburg are commemorated in the "Absolution Under Fire," part of Notre Dame's permanent art collection. This chaplain's name was Fr. William Corby. There are two identical monuments dedicated to him, one is on the battlefield at the Gettysburg National Military Park, and the other is on the campus of Notre Dame.
Notre Dame athletic teams are known as the Fighting Irish (though students are called "Domers"). Previously, and especially during the Knute Rockne
football era, Notre Dame had several unofficial nicknames—among them the "Rovers" and the "Ramblers," because of those teams' propensity to travel the nation to play its football contests, such as at the University of Southern California, long before such national travel became the collegiate norm. Later, Notre Dame was also, again unofficially, known as the "Terriers," after the Irish breed of the dog, and for some years, an Irish Terrier
would be found on the ND football sidelines.
According to the University's website, there are several legends of how Notre Dame came to be the "Fighting Irish." One story suggests the moniker was born in 1899 (much earlier than the "modern era") with Notre Dame leading Northwestern
5-0 at halftime of a game in Evanston, Illinois
. The Wildcat fans began to chant, "Kill the Fighting Irish, kill the Fighting Irish," as the second half opened. Another tale has the nickname originating at halftime of the Notre Dame-Michigan
game in 1909. With his team trailing, one Notre Dame player yelled to his teammates—who had names like Dolan, Kelly, Donnelly, Glynn, Duffy and Ryan—"What's the matter with you guys? You're all Irish and you're not fighting worth a lick." Notre Dame came back to win the game and the press, after overhearing the remark, reported the game as a victory for the "Fighting Irish." Another possible origin is the violent 1924 confrontation between Notre Dame Students and faculty and the anti-Catholic Ku Klux Klan
in South Bend. This event is described in Todd Tucker's book Notre Dame Vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan.
The most generally accepted explanation is that the press coined the nickname as a characterization of Notre Dame teams in the 1920s as a result of preexisting Irish stereotypes, the widely reported events of 1924 (although after their 10–7 loss to Iowa
, Notre Dame was referred to as the "Irish" in a newspaper article about the game), and the grit, determination, and tenacity of Coach Knute Rockne's football teams of the era. Although Notre Dame alumnus Francis Wallace popularized it in his New York Daily News
columns in the 1920s with respect to the university, as early as the Civil War Father Corby and the Irish Brigade of the Union Army had been dubbed "The Fighting Irish."
in all sports except for the following:
The Big East has added men's lacrosse, starting in the 2010 season. Previously, Notre Dame men's lacrosse competed in the Great Western Lacrosse League
.
In 2006, Notre Dame finished third among Division I institutions in the fourth annual Collegiate Power Rankings released by the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA). The Irish were seventh on the overall list that included all the top academic and athletic colleges and universities in the country at the Division I, II and III levels.
According to Coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame seriously considered joining the Big Ten Conference
in 2003, with the decision to not proceed occurring at the "11th hour." Since 2008, the Big East's football coaches have pushed the conference to deliver an ultimatum to Notre Dame to either affiliate its football team with the Big East or leave the conference entirely, according to then-Connecticut head football coach Randy Edsall. Such an ultimatum is speculated by some to have the potential to "save" the Big East, as Notre Dame would likely join the Big Ten and perhaps satisfy that conference's desire for expansion; the Big East would likely be "all done" if the Big Ten were to pull two or more teams from it. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick
has stated, however, that the university will only join the Big Ten if the conference severely damages the Big East by pulling teams from it; "[i]n other words, if the Big Ten adds just a single member, it won't be Notre Dame."
Notre Dame's championships occurred in the following sports:
The school has a comprehensive and nationally competitive Division I athletic program, but it is most famous for its football
program. Notre Dame fielded its first football team in 1887. With eleven NCAA football championships, over 800 all time wins, seven Heisman Trophy
winners, famous head coaches, a 73.6% winning percentage and the most consensus All-America
ns of any school, Notre Dame football is one of the most storied programs both on the gridiron and college athletics in general. Recently, Notre Dame has struggled, going through several head coaches and setting the all-time bowl losing streak of nine straight with the loss to LSU
in the 2007 Sugar Bowl
before beating Hawaii
in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl. Notre Dame is also the only team, including professional ones, in the nation with every home game being on national broadcast televison.
In addition to having the oldest university marching band in the country, the school has many rivalries in football, the most famous ones being with USC, Navy
, Michigan State
, Army
, Purdue
, and Michigan
. Notre Dame played in arguably the greatest, although certainly not the most-watched (due to Notre Dame games' already having been broadcast nationally that season as many times as allowed, ABC had to relegate its broadcast to a regional one), college football game in history: the famous (or infamous) 10-10 tie against Michigan State
at Spartan Stadium on November 19, 1966. Other Notre Dame rivalries include those with Stanford
, Boston College
and Pittsburgh
. Former rivalries include a very intense rivalry in the 1980s with Miami
(Catholics vs. Convicts
), and a rivalry with Penn State
, which was renewed and played on September 9, 2006, and again during the 2007 season. The football program is also known for ending the Oklahoma
NCAA record winning streak of 47 games. The streak-ending game was a 7–0 victory for the Fighting Irish on November 9, 1957. Incidentally, Oklahoma's 28-21 loss to Notre Dame to open the 1953 season was the last loss before the beginning of the streak.
* Pre-tournament era Helms Trophy
The men's basketball team, coached by Mike Brey since 2000, has made 28 NCAA Tournament
appearances and made it to the Final Four in 1978 under its legendary coach Digger Phelps
. They are also known for ending UCLA
's 88-game winning streak in 1974, a streak which had begun after Notre Dame had previously ended UCLA's 45-game winning streak in 1971.
Notre Dame's women's basketball team, coached by Muffet McGraw
, won the National Championship
in 2001 by beating Purdue
68-66. The 2001 team was led by 6-foot-5 center Ruth Riley
, who is still active in the WNBA
. Notre Dame has made it to the Sweet Sixteen in 6 out of the last 11 seasons, and has had 20 win seasons in 13 out of the past 14 seasons. McGraw has led the Irish to 14 NCAA tournament appearances including a current streak of 12 straight. McGraw would take the Irish back to the Final Four in 2011, beating Pat Summitt
's Tennessee Lady Volunteers
; the program's first win against the Lady Vols in 21 tries. That win was followed by an upset of the number one-ranked UConn Huskies (making Notre Dame the first team ever to beat both Tennessee and UConn in the same tournement) to advance the Irish to the 2011 championship game.
teams have won 8 national titles — the men's team won titles in 1977, 1978 and 1986 while the women's team won the 1987 title. After the NCAA replaced the individual men's and women's national titles with a combined fencing championship, Notre Dame won national titles in 1994, 2003, 2005 and 2011.
Notre Dame's men's ice hockey
team, coached by Jeff Jackson and captained by T.J. Jindra, won both the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
(CCHA) season and tournament
championships in 2007 with a record of 28-6-3. They were the #2 overall seed in the 2007 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament, behind Minnesota, and were the #1 seed in the Midwest bracket. They lost to Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Notre Dame was a #4 seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and faced #1 seed New Hampshire
. They beat New Hampshire 7-3 and then faced Michigan State
, the same team that knocked them out of the tournament last year. The Irish though defeated the Spartans this time 3-1 and earned their first trip in school history to the Frozen Four. In the semifinal they defeated the overall #1 seeded Michigan
5–4 in overtime earning them their first ever national championship berth against Boston College
, in which they were defeated 4–1.
The Notre Dame men's lacrosse
team — which began competing in the Big East men's lacrosse conference in 2010 — has made the NCAA lacrosse tournament
16 times in the history of the program, reaching the national semifinals (Final Four) in 2001
and 2010
and the national championship game in 2010, in which it lost to Duke
by one goal in overtime, 6-5. In 2009, the Irish went undefeated in the regular season, reached #2 in national polls, and finished with an overall record of 15-1.
team reached the NCAA semifinal round (Final Four) in 2006.
* Notre Dame was a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference
in soccer prior to joining the Big East in most sports.
Notre Dame's women's soccer team won the National Championship
in 1995, 2004 and 2010 and were the runner-up
in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2006, and 2008. Notre Dame is one of only three schools with multiple national titles, the others being North Carolina (20) and Portland (2). Notre Dame also ranks second in all-time title game appearances (8) behind North Carolina (22). ND's women's soccer program started in 1988 under coach Chris Petrucelli. Their 1995 Big East title was the university's first in any sport. That same year, Petrucelli's squad, under the leadership of Cindy Daws, won the program's first national title, defeating Portland 1–0. Notre Dame's current coach, Randy Waldrum, took over the program in 1999 and has maintained the Irish's success, winning the national title in 2004 by beating UCLA 4–3 as well as capturing six Big East titles. Waldrum's 2010 squad won the school's third national title, and became the lowest ranked team to do so, beating undefeated Stanford in a 1–0 decision. Three Notre Dame players have won the Hermann Trophy
, given to the United States' best male and female collegiate soccer players. They are Cindy Daws (1996), Anne Makinen
(2000) and Kerri Hanks
(2006, 2008). Hanks is one of only four players to win the award twice. Notre Dame is also one of only two schools with three or more different Hermann Trophy recipients.
championship in 1959 defeating Paul S. Kochanowski (BA `61) 3–0. Playing together Kromkowski and Kochanowski won the Men's Doubles championship that year and they won the "Teams".
Joyce Kilmer
Alfred Joyce Kilmer was an American journalist, poet, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. Though a prolific poet whose works celebrated the common beauty of the natural world as well as his religious faith, Kilmer is remembered most for a short poem entitled "Trees" , which was published in...
who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I. Though the Irish regiments and Kilmer were well-known, particularly in the urban ethnic community, during the era between the Civil War and World War II, Notre Dame's claim to the nickname is justified since its third president was a famous Irish Brigade chaplain whose ministrations at Gettysburg are commemorated in the "Absolution Under Fire," part of Notre Dame's permanent art collection. This chaplain's name was Fr. William Corby. There are two identical monuments dedicated to him, one is on the battlefield at the Gettysburg National Military Park, and the other is on the campus of Notre Dame.
Notre Dame athletic teams are known as the Fighting Irish (though students are called "Domers"). Previously, and especially during the Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
football era, Notre Dame had several unofficial nicknames—among them the "Rovers" and the "Ramblers," because of those teams' propensity to travel the nation to play its football contests, such as at the University of Southern California, long before such national travel became the collegiate norm. Later, Notre Dame was also, again unofficially, known as the "Terriers," after the Irish breed of the dog, and for some years, an Irish Terrier
Irish Terrier
The Irish Terrier is a dog breed from Ireland, one of many breeds of Terrier.The Irish Terrier is an active and compactly sized dog that is suited for life in both rural and city environments. Its harsh red coat protects it from all kinds of weather....
would be found on the ND football sidelines.
According to the University's website, there are several legends of how Notre Dame came to be the "Fighting Irish." One story suggests the moniker was born in 1899 (much earlier than the "modern era") with Notre Dame leading Northwestern
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
5-0 at halftime of a game in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
. The Wildcat fans began to chant, "Kill the Fighting Irish, kill the Fighting Irish," as the second half opened. Another tale has the nickname originating at halftime of the Notre Dame-Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
game in 1909. With his team trailing, one Notre Dame player yelled to his teammates—who had names like Dolan, Kelly, Donnelly, Glynn, Duffy and Ryan—"What's the matter with you guys? You're all Irish and you're not fighting worth a lick." Notre Dame came back to win the game and the press, after overhearing the remark, reported the game as a victory for the "Fighting Irish." Another possible origin is the violent 1924 confrontation between Notre Dame Students and faculty and the anti-Catholic Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
in South Bend. This event is described in Todd Tucker's book Notre Dame Vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan.
The most generally accepted explanation is that the press coined the nickname as a characterization of Notre Dame teams in the 1920s as a result of preexisting Irish stereotypes, the widely reported events of 1924 (although after their 10–7 loss to Iowa
1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1921 Iowa Hawkeyes football team represented the University of Iowa in the college football season of 1921. The team was coached by Howard Jones.-Preseason:...
, Notre Dame was referred to as the "Irish" in a newspaper article about the game), and the grit, determination, and tenacity of Coach Knute Rockne's football teams of the era. Although Notre Dame alumnus Francis Wallace popularized it in his New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
columns in the 1920s with respect to the university, as early as the Civil War Father Corby and the Irish Brigade of the Union Army had been dubbed "The Fighting Irish."
Conference
Notre Dame is a member of the Big East ConferenceBig East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
in all sports except for the following:
- Football, in which it maintains its status as one of a handful of Division I-A IndependentsNCAA Division I-A independent schoolsNCAA Football Bowl Subdivision independent schools are four-year institutions whose football programs are not part of an NCAA-affiliated conference. This means that FBS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition like conference schools do...
. - Men's hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, also not sponsored by the Big East, competes in the Central Collegiate Hockey AssociationCentral Collegiate Hockey AssociationThe Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...
. - Men's and women's fencing, also not sponsored by the Big East, competes in the Midwest Fencing Conference.
The Big East has added men's lacrosse, starting in the 2010 season. Previously, Notre Dame men's lacrosse competed in the Great Western Lacrosse League
Great Western Lacrosse League
The Great Western Lacrosse League, also known as the GWLL, was a NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse athletic conference that existed from 1994 to 2009...
.
In 2006, Notre Dame finished third among Division I institutions in the fourth annual Collegiate Power Rankings released by the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA). The Irish were seventh on the overall list that included all the top academic and athletic colleges and universities in the country at the Division I, II and III levels.
According to Coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame seriously considered joining the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
in 2003, with the decision to not proceed occurring at the "11th hour." Since 2008, the Big East's football coaches have pushed the conference to deliver an ultimatum to Notre Dame to either affiliate its football team with the Big East or leave the conference entirely, according to then-Connecticut head football coach Randy Edsall. Such an ultimatum is speculated by some to have the potential to "save" the Big East, as Notre Dame would likely join the Big Ten and perhaps satisfy that conference's desire for expansion; the Big East would likely be "all done" if the Big Ten were to pull two or more teams from it. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick
Jack Swarbrick
John Bryan "Jack" Swarbrick, Jr. is the athletic director at the University of Notre Dame. His appointment was announced in July 2008, replacing Kevin White, who resigned in June 2008 to take the same position at Duke University.-Biography:...
has stated, however, that the university will only join the Big Ten if the conference severely damages the Big East by pulling teams from it; "[i]n other words, if the Big Ten adds just a single member, it won't be Notre Dame."
National championships
Through the summer of 2010, Notre Dame has won 56 national championships since it started competing in athletics. Since the NCAA has formed, Notre Dame has recorded 26 national championships, 18 were won by men's teams, 5 by women's teams, and 4 by combined teams.Notre Dame's championships occurred in the following sports:
- FootballNCAA Division I FBS National Football ChampionshipA college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
: 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988 - FencingNCAA Fencing team championshipNCAA fencing championship results, combined men and women , men's and women's .-Combined:Note: Team scoring in 1990 was based on weapon team events standings. From 1991 to 1994, point values increased due to fencers not qualifying as part of a team being able to contribute points from individual...
: (men's) 1977, 1978, 1986, (women's) 1987, (Combined) 1994, 2003, 2005, 2011 - Women's soccerNCAA Women's Soccer ChampionshipNCAA Women's Soccer Championships are divided into three divisions. This article lists NCAA Women's soccer championships.-Division I:The NCAA began conducting a Women's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1982 with a 12-team tournament...
: 1995, 2004, 2010 - Men's tennisNCAA Men's Tennis ChampionshipThe NCAA Men's Tennis Championships are held to crown a team, individual, and doubles champion in American college tennis. The first intercollegiate championship was held in 1883, 23 years before the founding of the NCAA, with Harvard's Joseph Clark taking the singles title...
: 1944, 1959 - Women's basketballNCAA Women's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
: 2001 - Men's cross country: 1957
- Men's golfNCAA Division I Men's Golf ChampionshipsThe NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, played in late May or early June, is the top annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, starting in 2009 the competition changed to a stroke play/match play competition with the top 8 teams after 54 holes of...
: 1944
Football
- Head Coach: Brian KellyBrian Kelly (coach)Brian Keith Kelly is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame, a position he has held since the 2010 season...
- Stadium: Notre Dame StadiumNotre Dame StadiumNotre Dame Stadium is the home football stadium for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. The stadium is located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States, just north of the city of South Bend....
- National Championships: 11 (1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988)
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
program. Notre Dame fielded its first football team in 1887. With eleven NCAA football championships, over 800 all time wins, seven Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winners, famous head coaches, a 73.6% winning percentage and the most consensus All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
ns of any school, Notre Dame football is one of the most storied programs both on the gridiron and college athletics in general. Recently, Notre Dame has struggled, going through several head coaches and setting the all-time bowl losing streak of nine straight with the loss to LSU
2006 LSU Tigers football team
The 2006 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the college football season of 2006–2007. The team's coach was former Oklahoma State coach Les Miles. They played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
in the 2007 Sugar Bowl
2007 Sugar Bowl
The 2007 Allstate Sugar Bowl Game was a college football bowl game, which formed part of the 2006–2007 Bowl Championship Series of the 2006 NCAA Division I-BS football season. Played on January 3, 2007, in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, it was the 73rd Sugar Bowl...
before beating Hawaii
2008 Hawaii Warriors football team
The 2008 Hawaii Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS college football season....
in the 2008 Hawaii Bowl. Notre Dame is also the only team, including professional ones, in the nation with every home game being on national broadcast televison.
In addition to having the oldest university marching band in the country, the school has many rivalries in football, the most famous ones being with USC, Navy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
, Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
, and Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
. Notre Dame played in arguably the greatest, although certainly not the most-watched (due to Notre Dame games' already having been broadcast nationally that season as many times as allowed, ABC had to relegate its broadcast to a regional one), college football game in history: the famous (or infamous) 10-10 tie against Michigan State
1966 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 1966 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1966 college football season.-Regular season:The 1966 Michigan State Spartans football vs. Notre Dame football game remains one of the greatest, and most controversial, games in college football history...
at Spartan Stadium on November 19, 1966. Other Notre Dame rivalries include those with Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
, Boston College
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
. Former rivalries include a very intense rivalry in the 1980s with Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
(Catholics vs. Convicts
Catholics vs. Convicts
The 1988 Notre Dame vs. Miami football game, colloquially known as "Catholics vs. Convicts", was played on October 15, 1988. The two teams were undefeated when they met at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won the closely contested game by a final score of 31-30.The name "Catholics vs...
), and a rivalry with Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
, which was renewed and played on September 9, 2006, and again during the 2007 season. The football program is also known for ending the Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
NCAA record winning streak of 47 games. The streak-ending game was a 7–0 victory for the Fighting Irish on November 9, 1957. Incidentally, Oklahoma's 28-21 loss to Notre Dame to open the 1953 season was the last loss before the beginning of the streak.
Men's
- Head Coach: Mike BreyMike BreyMike Brey is an American college basketball coach. He has been the men's head coach at the University of Notre Dame since July 14, 2000.-Early life and education:...
- Arena: Joyce Center
- Big East Titles: 1 (2000 West)
- National Championships: 2 (1927*, 1936*)
- Final Fours: 1 (1978)
The men's basketball team, coached by Mike Brey since 2000, has made 28 NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances and made it to the Final Four in 1978 under its legendary coach Digger Phelps
Digger Phelps
Richard "Digger" Phelps is a former American college basketball coach, most notably of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team from 1971 to 1991. Since 1993, he has served as an analyst on ESPN.-Career:...
. They are also known for ending UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
's 88-game winning streak in 1974, a streak which had begun after Notre Dame had previously ended UCLA's 45-game winning streak in 1971.
Women's
- Head Coach: Muffet McGrawMuffet McGraw-External links:...
- Arena: Joyce Center
- Big East Titles: 1 (2001 Regular Season)
- National Championships: 1 (2001)
- Final Fours: 3 (1997, 2001, 2011)
Notre Dame's women's basketball team, coached by Muffet McGraw
Muffet McGraw
-External links:...
, won the National Championship
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
in 2001 by beating Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers Women's Basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Big Ten Conference. Purdue is rich in tradition and history, holding the record for Big Ten Championships, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning...
68-66. The 2001 team was led by 6-foot-5 center Ruth Riley
Ruth Riley
Ruth Ellen Riley is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Silver Stars in the Women's National Basketball Association . Her Notre Dame team won the NCAA women's championship in 2001, and her Detroit Shock team won the WNBA championship in 2003 and 2006...
, who is still active in the WNBA
Women's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
. Notre Dame has made it to the Sweet Sixteen in 6 out of the last 11 seasons, and has had 20 win seasons in 13 out of the past 14 seasons. McGraw has led the Irish to 14 NCAA tournament appearances including a current streak of 12 straight. McGraw would take the Irish back to the Final Four in 2011, beating Pat Summitt
Pat Summitt
Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division...
's Tennessee Lady Volunteers
Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition...
; the program's first win against the Lady Vols in 21 tries. That win was followed by an upset of the number one-ranked UConn Huskies (making Notre Dame the first team ever to beat both Tennessee and UConn in the same tournement) to advance the Irish to the 2011 championship game.
Fencing
The Notre Dame men's and women's fencingFencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
teams have won 8 national titles — the men's team won titles in 1977, 1978 and 1986 while the women's team won the 1987 title. After the NCAA replaced the individual men's and women's national titles with a combined fencing championship, Notre Dame won national titles in 1994, 2003, 2005 and 2011.
Ice hockey
- Head Coach: Jeff Jackson
- Arena: Compton Family Ice Arena (Formerly at Joyce Center, 1968-2011)
- Conference Titles (CCHA): 2 (2007, 2009)
- Frozen Four Appearances: 2 (2008, 2011)
Notre Dame's men's ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team, coached by Jeff Jackson and captained by T.J. Jindra, won both the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...
(CCHA) season and tournament
CCHA Tournament
The CCHA Tournament is the conference tournament for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association . The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the tournament also receives the Mason Cup, which began in 2001...
championships in 2007 with a record of 28-6-3. They were the #2 overall seed in the 2007 NCAA Men's Hockey Tournament, behind Minnesota, and were the #1 seed in the Midwest bracket. They lost to Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Notre Dame was a #4 seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament and faced #1 seed New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
. They beat New Hampshire 7-3 and then faced Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
, the same team that knocked them out of the tournament last year. The Irish though defeated the Spartans this time 3-1 and earned their first trip in school history to the Frozen Four. In the semifinal they defeated the overall #1 seeded Michigan
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
5–4 in overtime earning them their first ever national championship berth against Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, in which they were defeated 4–1.
Men's
- Head Coach: Kevin Corrigan
- Field: Arlotta Stadium, Loftus Sports Center
- Conference Titles (MLA): 8 (1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993)
- Conference Titles (GWLL): 12 (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009)
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 16 (1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
- Final Four Appearances: 2 (2001, 2010)
The Notre Dame men's lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team — which began competing in the Big East men's lacrosse conference in 2010 — has made the NCAA lacrosse tournament
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
16 times in the history of the program, reaching the national semifinals (Final Four) in 2001
2001 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 2001 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship game was played at Rutgers Stadium in front of 24,135 fans. A Princeton goal with 41 seconds remaining in the first overtime period lifted second-seeded Tigers to a 10-9 victory against top-seeded Syracuse . With the victory, Princeton earned its sixth...
and 2010
2010 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
-First round:The biggest surprise of the first round was Army's double-overtime upset of No. 2 seed Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. Some analysts ranked it among the greatest upsets in the history of the tournament...
and the national championship game in 2010, in which it lost to Duke
Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse
The Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse team represents Duke University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
by one goal in overtime, 6-5. In 2009, the Irish went undefeated in the regular season, reached #2 in national polls, and finished with an overall record of 15-1.
Women's
The Notre Dame women's lacrosseLacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team reached the NCAA semifinal round (Final Four) in 2006.
Women's
- Head Coach: Randy Waldrum
- Field: Alumni Field
- Conference Titles (MCC)*: 4 (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994)
- Conference Titles (Big East): 10 (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008)
- National Championships: 3 (1995, 2004, 2010)
- College Cup Appearances: 17 (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
in soccer prior to joining the Big East in most sports.
Notre Dame's women's soccer team won the National Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championships are divided into three divisions. This article lists NCAA Women's soccer championships.-Division I:The NCAA began conducting a Women's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1982 with a 12-team tournament...
in 1995, 2004 and 2010 and were the runner-up
Runner-up
Runner-up is a term used to denote a participant which finishes in second place in any of a variety of competitive endeavors, most notably sporting events and beauty pageants; in the latter instance, the term is applied to more than one of the highest-ranked non-winning contestants, the...
in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2006, and 2008. Notre Dame is one of only three schools with multiple national titles, the others being North Carolina (20) and Portland (2). Notre Dame also ranks second in all-time title game appearances (8) behind North Carolina (22). ND's women's soccer program started in 1988 under coach Chris Petrucelli. Their 1995 Big East title was the university's first in any sport. That same year, Petrucelli's squad, under the leadership of Cindy Daws, won the program's first national title, defeating Portland 1–0. Notre Dame's current coach, Randy Waldrum, took over the program in 1999 and has maintained the Irish's success, winning the national title in 2004 by beating UCLA 4–3 as well as capturing six Big East titles. Waldrum's 2010 squad won the school's third national title, and became the lowest ranked team to do so, beating undefeated Stanford in a 1–0 decision. Three Notre Dame players have won the Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
, given to the United States' best male and female collegiate soccer players. They are Cindy Daws (1996), Anne Makinen
Anne Mäkinen
Anne Maarit Mäkinen is a former Finnish football player, who last played for Swedish club AIK in Stockholm. She was a central midfielder....
(2000) and Kerri Hanks
Kerri Hanks
Kerri Michel Hanks is an American soccer forward who last played for Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer...
(2006, 2008). Hanks is one of only four players to win the award twice. Notre Dame is also one of only two schools with three or more different Hermann Trophy recipients.
Other sports
John A. Kromkowski, (BA '60)(MA '61)(Phd '72), won the National Intercollegiate Men's Singles Table TennisTable tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
championship in 1959 defeating Paul S. Kochanowski (BA `61) 3–0. Playing together Kromkowski and Kochanowski won the Men's Doubles championship that year and they won the "Teams".
Athletic directors
| Athletic director | Years |
|---|---|
| Jesse Harper Jesse Harper -External links:* * at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com... |
1913–1917, 1931–1933 |
| Knute Rockne Knute Rockne Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history... |
1920–1930 |
| Elmer Layden Elmer Layden Elmer Francis Layden was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he starred at fullback as a member of the legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield... |
1934–1940 |
| Hugh Devore Hugh Devore Hugh John Devore was a football player and coach whose close connection to the University of Notre Dame saw him serve in both capacities, while also seeing time as head coach at two other colleges as well as the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles.-Early career:Devore was born and... |
1945 |
| Frank Leahy Frank Leahy Francis William Leahy was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive... |
1947–1949 |
| Moose Krause | 1949–1981 |
| Gene Corrigan | 1981–1987 |
| Dick Rosenthal Dick Rosenthal Richard Anthony "Dick" Rosenthal was a NBA forward with the Ft. Wayne Pistons. He played collegiate basketball for the Notre Dame men's basketball team, where he averaged 16.4 points per game over his career. The Pistons drafted him in the first round of the 1954 NBA Draft... |
1987–1995 |
| Mike Wadsworth Mike Wadsworth Mike Wadsworth was an all-star Canadian Football League defensive lineman.Wadsworth, a native of Ottawa, Ontario, played high school football at De La Salle High School in Toronto before attending the University of Notre Dame... |
1995–2000 |
| Kevin White | 2000–2008 |
| Jack Swarbrick Jack Swarbrick John Bryan "Jack" Swarbrick, Jr. is the athletic director at the University of Notre Dame. His appointment was announced in July 2008, replacing Kevin White, who resigned in June 2008 to take the same position at Duke University.-Biography:... |
2008–present |
External links
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish Official Athletic Website
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish Video on FoxSports.com
- College Football IA Independents Standings on ESPN.com