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Official tickets of the College Football Classic.
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August 02nd 2023
Notre Dame Football will be making their highly-anticipated return back to Ireland this summer when they take on Navy Football in the 2023 Aer Lingus College Football Classic. Here’s everything you need to know about Notre Dame Football before the big game in August!
Notre Dame’s first football game dates back to November 23rd, 1887, when 'The Fighting Irish’ took on Michigan. Unfortunately, Michigan won 8-0 in a low-scoring fixture. The Notre Dame band was in attendance at this game, making it one of the nation's oldest football bands! Although Notre Dame lost their first football game, it didn’t take long for them to find their winning ways. In 2023, the school has a win-loss record of 882-320!
Notre Dame’s athletic teams are often referred to as ‘The Fighting Irish’. This expression was accepted by the University President at the time, Rev. Matthew Walsh, as the official nickname of Notre Dame in 1927. There are several different stories describing how this nickname first came about. The most popular explanation is that the term was first coined by the press, who characterised Notre Dame athletic teams as 'The Fighting Irish’ due to their never-say-die fighting spirit, along with their Irish qualities of grit, determination, and tenacity.
Notre Dame boasts a total of 11 consensus National Championships, nine of these were achieved in the poll-era that began in 1936. In the poll-era, teams are ranked throughout the season and a National Champion is crowned. Notre Dame has the second-most National Championships in the poll-era, only Alabama has more. Some of college football’s best coaches have been part of Notre Dame Football, including coaching legends Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz, who both had over 100 wins as head coaches of Notre Dame Football. Knute Rockne remains a legendary figure in the college football scene, as he spent 13 years with Notre Dame Football and finished his coaching career with a 105-12-5 win, loss and tie record.
Aside from coaching, Notre Dame boasts a star-studded list of football stars. The Heisman Trophy is an annual award presented to the best player in college football, and no college has more Heisman Trophy winners than Notre Dame; seven Notre Dame Football players have won this prestigious accolade.
Notre Dame Football play their home games at Notre Dame Stadium, which is located in South Bend, Indiana. The stadium was originally built in 1930. In 1997 the stadium was expanded from a seating capacity of 59,079 seats to 80,795 seats. 'The Fighting Irish’ play 12 games in their college football regular season. Seven of these games will be played at their home stadium. The Notre Dame Stadium isn’t exclusive to American Football; this iconic football stadium has also hosted events such as the NHL Winter Classic, a soccer match between Liverpool FC and Borussia Dortmund, and concerts from country music star Garth Brooks!
Notre Dame has produced some of the best talent that pro football has ever seen. From legendary figures like four-time Super Bowl Champion Joe Montana to Hall of Fame running back Jerome Bettis- Notre Dame knows how to create footballing legends.
Notre Dame finished last season with a 9-4 record. 'The Fighting Irish' also wrapped up their 2022 season with a thrilling 45-38 Gator Bowl victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks, in the neutral stadium of TIAA BANK Field in Jacksonville, Florida, the home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, on Friday, December 30th. This was Coach Freeman’s first trophy as head coach of Notre Dame Football. There’s no doubt this victory will give his squad a boost as they head into the 2023 season.
It’s been over 10 years since Notre Dame played in Ireland. The last time Notre Dame played Navy in Ireland, they won convincingly with a score of 50-10 against the Midshipmen. No doubt Navy Football will want revenge this time around! Notre Dame were the visiting team in 2012, with the Naval Academy listed as the designated home team. However, in 2023, 'The Fighting Irish’ are the home team and will be sure to make the Aviva Stadium their home away from home. Notre Dame are set to battle it out against the Navy Midshipmen on Saturday, August 26th, in the Aviva Stadium as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic five-game series.
We are so excited to welcome Notre Dame Football back to Ireland!
The official Aer Lingus College Football Classic App is now available to download at: https://collegefootballireland.com/app/#learn-more
