Friendly Rivals: The Annual Navy – Notre Dame Game

Friendly Rivals 

The Annual Navy – Notre Dame Game 

By Denis M. Crawford, College Football Hall of Fame Historian 

This weekend the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame travel to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA to take on the Midshipmen of the United States Naval Academy. The Irish lead the all-time series 82-13-1. The one-sided nature of the rivalry led to calls to end it for competitive reasons, especially during Notre Dame’s 43-game winning streak (1964-2006). Upon his hiring, Hall of Fame head coach Lou Holtz asked legendary Notre Dame president Fr. Theodore Hesburgh why Notre Dame played Navy every year. The reason had to do with gratitude and friendship. “Navy came in and kept us afloat. They’re the best friends we’ve got,” Hesburgh said. This is the story of one of college football’s friendliest rivalries.  

V-12 

Notre Dame was an all-men’s school until 1972. During the Second World War, with so many college-aged men joining the service, Notre Dame’s enrollment plummeted. On the brink of insolvency, Notre Dame faced the risk of closing its doors. Navy, which had been a rival of Notre Dame since 1927, stepped forward and assisted Notre Dame by designating the South Bend school a V-12 officer’s training center. Those Navy apprentice seamen and Marine privates admitted to the program were able to take undergraduate classes at Notre Dame and participate in their athletic programs. This stabilized class sizes, athletic teams, and, most importantly, Notre Dame’s budget.  

Notre Dame became the largest V-12 program in the nation. 14 Naval apprentices played for the 1943 Irish national championship team, including 1947 Heisman winner Johnny Lujack. 17 Marine privates were also a part of the 1943 Irish team, including 1943 Heisman winner Angelo Bertelli. Thanks to the Navy, the University of Notre Dame and Notre Dame football were saved.  

The Biggest Games 

1927: The first game between the two teams occurred in Baltimore. Knute Rockne’s Irish defeated the defending national champion Navy 19-6. 

1943: Using 31 participants in the V-12 program, Notre Dame defeated Navy 33-6 in Cleveland on their way to the national championship.  

1963: Navy defeats Notre Dame 35-14 in South Bend as Heisman winner Roger Staubach thew two touchdown passes. 

1964: Notre Dame begins its 43-game winning streak in the series with a 40-0 victory in Philadelphia. The game features reigning Heisman winner Roger Staubach and the eventual 1964 winner from Notre Dame, John Huarte.  

2007: Navy ends the epic streak with an even more epic game. The Midshipmen secured a 46-44, 3 OT thriller at Notre Dame Stadium when the defense tackled Irish running back Travis Thomas short of the goal to prevent a game-tying two-point conversion.  

A Variety of Venues 

The vast majority of Irish home games in the series are held at Notre Dame Stadium, but the Navy has never hosted the game at their home field in Annapolis. To take advantage of the interest in the game, Navy has arranged their home games in larger venues including Baltimore, Cleveland, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Washington D.C. Three of the games have even been held overseas. The contest was staged in Dublin, Ireland in 1996, 2012, and 2023. This year will mark the first time the game has been played in the Boston area. No matter where the game is played, one of college football’s most beloved moments takes place. After the game both teams sing each other’s alma mater in front of the opposing student section. That’s class personified.  

Going Forward 

The discontinuation of rivalries is one of the many issues facing college football as it forges ahead in a new environment. Notre Dame has not been immune, as annual contests with Michigan and USC have come and gone due to scheduling concerns amid conference realignment. Perhaps Navy vs. Notre Dame will one day end, but it will take a fight. Given the words of Fr. Hesburgh all those years ago to Lou Holtz, Notre Dame wishes to repay their debt of honor annually. Perhaps former Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk expressed the Middies desire to play Notre Dame in the best way: “Continuing this traditional and classic rivalry for years to come has always been a priority.” 

This Saturday, a rivalry steeped in gratitude and friendship continues.