National Collegiate Athletic Association 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.
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the clerical Congregation of Holy Cross, the main campus of 1,261 acres has a suburban setting and contains landmarks such as the Golden Dome, the Word of Life mural, Notre Dame Stadium, and the basilica.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the college football team representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, north of the city of South Bend, Indiana. The team plays its home games at the campus's Notre Dame Stadium, which has a capacity of 77,622. Notre Dame is one of three schools that competes as an Independent at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level; however, they play five games a year against opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), of which Notre Dame is a member in all other sports except ice hockey.
The Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl, more commonly known as 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. Boston College and Notre Dame are also the only members of the ACC who sponsor men's ice hockey at the NCAA Division I level and this rivalry is referred to as the "Holy War on Ice".
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football rivalries refers to rivalries of the University of Notre Dame in the sport of college football. Because the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are independent of a football conference, they play a national schedule, which annually includes historic rivals University of Southern California and Navy, more recent rival Stanford, and five games with ACC teams.
Brian Keith Kelly is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Louisiana State University (LSU), a position he has held since the 2022 season. Kelly served as the head football coach at Grand Valley State University from 1991 to 2003, Central Michigan University from 2004 to 2006, the University of Cincinnati from 2006 to 2009, and the University of Notre Dame from 2010 to 2021. He led the Grand Valley State Lakers to consecutive NCAA Division II Football Championships in 2002 and 2003. Kelly's 2012 Notre Dame team reached the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, while his 2018 and 2020 Fighting Irish teams made appearances in the College Football Playoff.
The Michigan–Notre Dame football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Michigan Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
The 1980 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Dan Devine and played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana.
The 1981 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team played its home games at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Gerry Faust was the new Notre Dame head coach. The offense scored 232 points, while the defense allowed 160 points. It was Notre Dame's first losing season in 18 years.
The 1965 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1965 NCAA University Division football season. Led by second-year head coach Ara Parseghian, the Fighting Irish compiled a record of 7–2–1.
The 1968 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Ara Parseghian, the Fighting Irish compiled a record of 7–2–1. In their final game of the season, they played No. 2 USC to a 21–21 tie.
The 1978 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Dan Devine, the Fighting Irish compiled an overall record of 9–3. Notre Dame was invited to the Cotton Bowl Classic, where the Irish beat Houston, 35–34, after quarterback Joe Montana rallied the team from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter. The team played home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.
The Navy–Notre Dame football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Navy Midshipmen football team of the United States Naval Academy and Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame. It was played annually from 1927 to 2019, which made it the longest uninterrupted intersectional rivalry in college football, the third-longest uninterrupted college football rivalry overall, as well as the second-longest never-interrupted rivalry in Division I college football (FBS). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 game was canceled, ending these lengthy streaks, even though both schools still played a fall season schedule in 2020.
The 1916 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1916 college football season, led by fourth-year head coach Jesse Harper. The Irish won all but one of their nine games, falling at Army 10–30; the season concluded on Thanksgiving with a 20–0 shutout at Nebraska.
The Notre Dame–Pittsburgh football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Pittsburgh Panthers. Notre Dame leads the series 50–21–1.
The 2020 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by Brian Kelly in his 11th season at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.
The 2021 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led during the regular season by Brian Kelly in his 12th and final season at Notre Dame. They finished the season 11–2, highlighted by rivalry wins over Purdue, USC, Navy, and Stanford and an upset loss to eventual CFP participant Cincinnati. The Fighting Irish played their home games at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Indiana.
The 2022 Gator Bowl was a college football bowl game played on December 30, 2022, at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. The 78th annual Gator Bowl, the game featured Notre Dame, an FBS Independent, and South Carolina of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game began at 3:40 p.m. EST and was aired on ESPN. It was one of the 2022–23 bowl games concluding the 2022 FBS football season. Sponsored by financial technology company TaxSlayer, the game was officially known as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
The 2025 Sugar Bowl is a college football bowl game that is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2025, at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The 91st annual Sugar Bowl game will be one of the playoff quarterfinals and will feature two of the playoff teams. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:45 p.m. EST. The Sugar Bowl will be one of the 2024–25 bowl games concluding the 2024 FBS football season and the winner will advance to the college football playoff semifinals. Sponsored by the Allstate insurance company, the game is officially known as the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
