Notre Dame–Stanford football rivalry

The Notre Dame–Stanford football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team of the University of Notre Dame and Stanford Cardinal football team of Stanford University. As of 2023, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Stanford Cardinal have met 37 times, beginning in 1925 (though the modern series began in 1988).^[2] The Notre Dame–Stanford game has been played annually since 1997, with the teams meeting at Notre Dame Stadium earlier in the season (late September to mid-October) in even-numbered years, and at Stanford Stadium on the weekend following Thanksgiving in odd-numbered years since 1999. The game typically alternates positions in Notre Dame's schedule with its other former Pac-12 opponent, USC.

Notre Dame–Stanford football rivalry

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Stanford Cardinal
First meeting	January 1, 1925 Notre Dame 27, Stanford 10
Latest meeting	October 12, 2024 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 7
Next meeting	November 29, 2025
Stadiums	Notre Dame Stadium Notre Dame, Indiana, U.S. Stanford Stadium Stanford, California, U.S.
Trophy	None (1925–1988) Legends Trophy (1989–present)
Statistics
Meetings total	38
All-time series	Notre Dame leads, 23–14 (.622)[1]
Trophy series	Notre Dame leads, 20–13 (.606)
Largest victory	Notre Dame, 57–7 (2003)
Longest win streak	Notre Dame, 7 (2002–2008)
Current win streak	Notre Dame, 2 (2023–present)

900km
559miles

Notre Dame

Stanford

   

Locations of Notre Dame and Stanford

Trophy

The Legends Trophy is awarded to the winner of the annual Notre Dame–Stanford football game, and currently resides with Notre Dame. The trophy was reconditioned in 2014 to allow for display of another 20+ future game score plates, and to honor the 90th anniversary of the first meeting of the two teams in the 1925 Rose Bowl.

Close up of new game score plate for Notre Dame vs. Stanford 1925 Rose Bowl

The winner of the game gains the Legends Trophy, a Dublin Irish crystal bowl resting on a California redwood base.^[2][3][4][5] The trophy was presented for the first time in 1989 by the Notre Dame Club of the San Francisco Bay Area.^[2][6][7]

Series history

The series began on January 1, 1925 (the end of the 1924 season) when Notre Dame's Four Horsemen and head coach Knute Rockne faced Stanford's Ernie Nevers and head coach Pop Warner at the 1925 Rose Bowl.^[8][9][10] Notre Dame's 27–10 victory earned their first-ever national title and the first of four national titles to come via bowl victories.^[2]

After the two teams' first meeting at the 1925 Rose Bowl, they did not play each other again until 1942.^[8] They did not meet again until playing two games in 1963 and 1964. Those four games were the only games before the modern series began. Notre Dame and Stanford have played the modern series annually since 1988 (except in 1995 and 1996).^[2] The series is renewed through at least the 2024 season, however the 2020 game was canceled as part of the Pac-12 Conference's decision to cancel all non-conference games because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Game results

Notre Dame vs Stanford in 2021

As of 2024, Notre Dame leads the series 24–14, though the Cardinal lead 8–6 in the last fourteen games (8–7 if Notre Dame's vacated 2012 victory is included).^[2] The Fighting Irish hold the longest win-streak in the series, with seven wins from 2002 to 2008.^[2][8] The Cardinal's longest win streak were a pair of 3-win streaks from 2009 to 2011 and from 2015 to 2017. The back-to-back wins in 2009 and 2010 were the school's first consecutive victories in the series.^[2] Notre Dame is 13–5 at home (14–5 if Notre Dame's vacated 2012 victory is included) while the series is tied 9–9 at Stanford.^[2][8] Notre Dame won the only game played at a neutral site at the 1925 Rose Bowl.^[8]

Notre Dame victories

Stanford victories

Vacated wins[n 1]

No. Date Location Winner Score Notes 1 January 1, 1925 Pasadena, CA Notre Dame 27–10 2 October 10, 1942 Notre Dame, IN Notre Dame 27–0 [nb 1] 3 October 26, 1963 Stanford, CA Stanford 24–14 4 October 24, 1964 Notre Dame, IN #2 Notre Dame 28–6 5 October 1, 1988 Notre Dame, IN #5 Notre Dame 42–14 [nb 2] 6 October 7, 1989 Stanford, CA #1 Notre Dame 27–17 [nb 3] 7 October 6, 1990 Notre Dame, IN Stanford 36–31 [nb 4] 8 October 5, 1991 Stanford, CA #8 Notre Dame 42–26 9 October 3, 1992 Notre Dame, IN #18 Stanford 33–16 [nb 5] 10 October 2, 1993 Stanford, CA #4 Notre Dame 48–20 11 October 1, 1994 Notre Dame, IN #8 Notre Dame 34–15 [nb 6] 12 October 4, 1997 Stanford, CA #19 Stanford 33–15 13 October 3, 1998 Notre Dame, IN #23 Notre Dame 35–17 14 November 27, 1999 Stanford, CA Stanford 40–37 15 October 7, 2000 Notre Dame, IN #25 Notre Dame 20–14 16 November 24, 2001 Stanford, CA #13 Stanford 17–13 17 October 5, 2002 Notre Dame, IN #9 Notre Dame 31–7 [nb 7] 18 November 29, 2003 Stanford, CA Notre Dame 57–7 [nb 8] 19 October 9, 2004 Notre Dame, IN Notre Dame 23–15 20 November 26, 2005 Stanford, CA Notre Dame 38–31 No. Date Location Winner Score Notes 21 October 7, 2006 Notre Dame, IN #12 Notre Dame 31–10 22 November 24, 2007 Stanford, CA Notre Dame 21–14 23 October 4, 2008 Notre Dame, IN Notre Dame 28–21 24 November 28, 2009 Stanford, CA Stanford 45–38 [nb 9] 25 September 25, 2010 Notre Dame, IN #16 Stanford 37–14 [nb 10] 26 November 26, 2011 Stanford, CA #4 Stanford 28–14 [nb 11] 27 October 13, 2012 Notre Dame, IN #7 Notre Dame † 20–13OT [nb 12] 28 November 30, 2013 Stanford, CA #8 Stanford 27–20 [nb 13] 29 October 4, 2014 Notre Dame, IN #9 Notre Dame 17–14 [nb 14] 30 November 28, 2015 Stanford, CA #13 Stanford 38–36 [nb 15] 31 October 15, 2016 Notre Dame, IN Stanford 17–10 32 November 25, 2017 Stanford, CA #20 Stanford 38–20 [nb 16] 33 September 29, 2018 Notre Dame, IN #8 Notre Dame 38–17 [nb 17] 34 November 30, 2019 Stanford, CA #16 Notre Dame 45–24 [nb 18] 35 November 27, 2021 Stanford, CA #6 Notre Dame 45–14 36 October 15, 2022 Notre Dame, IN Stanford 16–14 37 November 25, 2023 Stanford, CA #18 Notre Dame 56–23 38 October 12, 2024 Notre Dame, IN #11 Notre Dame 49–7 Series: Notre Dame leads 23–14[1] † Vacated by Notre Dame Rankings from AP Poll[14][20]

Game notes

1. The only shutout of the series^[8]
2. The first meeting of the modern series
3. The start of a five-game streak in which the away team won^[2]
4. Stanford's first win in the modern series
5. First time both teams were ranked entering the game^[14]
6. The start of a seven-game streak in which the home team won^[2]
7. The start of a seven-game winning streak for Notre Dame – the longest streak in series history^[2][8]
8. The first victory for an away team since 1993^[2]
   The largest margin of victory in any game of the series^[8]
9. Notre Dame fires coach Charlie Weis two days later^[15]
10. Stanford's first win streak in the series^[2]
    The largest margin of victory for Stanford in the series
    Stanford's first win at Notre Dame since 1992
11. Second time both teams were ranked entering the game
12. Second straight time (and third time ever) both teams were ranked entering the game. Notre Dame forced overtime on a field goal with 20 seconds left after their drive was extended by Tyler Eifert drawing a pass-interference call on Terrence Brown. In OT, Irish quarterback Tommy Rees, replacing an injured Everett Golson, connected with T. J. Jones for a touchdown. Stanford had a chance to tie to force a second overtime, but after four straight runs by Stanford RB Stepfan Taylor, his final effort was ruled short of the goal line. The last play was reviewed and upheld, though the ruling met with controversy after the game.^{[16][17][18][19]}
13. Third straight time (and fourth time ever) both teams were ranked entering the game
14. Fourth straight time (and fifth time ever) both teams were ranked entering the game. Third straight game decided by one score or less.
15. Fifth straight time (and sixth time ever) both teams were ranked entering the game.
16. Seventh time both teams were ranked entering the game.
17. Eighth time both teams were ranked entering the game, but first time both were ranked in the top 10 entering the game.
18. Notre Dame's first win at Stanford since 2007

See also

• American football portal
• College football portal

• List of NCAA college football rivalry games

Notes

1. Notre Dame's win in 2012 was vacated as a result of NCAA sanctions against the Notre Dame football program issued on November 22, 2016, after the NCAA found that a student-trainer committed academic misconduct for two football players and provided six other players with impermissible academic extra benefits. The NCAA also rejected Notre Dame's appeal on February 13, 2018. This win is not included in Notre Dame's all-time record, nor is it counted in the series record between the two teams.^[11] See Wikipedia:WikiProject College football/Vacated victories for an explanation of how vacated victories are recorded.^[12][13]