SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The football rivalry between Notre Dame and Navy, one of the longest-running in college football history, has continued for nearly a century. The first encounter took place in 1927 in Baltimore, Maryland, where Notre Dame secured a 19-6 victory.
The rivalry has endured through the years, with a significant moment happening in 1942 during World War II when the U.S. Navy transformed the Notre Dame campus into a training center for the V-7 program, providing financial support that helped the university survive a difficult period.
The teams have faced off annually, producing memorable moments such as Roger Staubach leading Navy to a 35-14 win in 1963, followed by Notre Dame’s 40-0 victory in 1964. Over the next 43 years, Notre Dame established a Division I record by winning 43 consecutive games against Navy, until Navy broke the streak in 2007 with a thrilling triple-overtime victory, 46-44.
The rivalry faced its first interruption in 2020 due to COVID-19, but picked up again in 2021 and has continued annually since then. Last year, Notre Dame triumphed over Navy in Ireland with a decisive 42-3 win. This season, both teams are ranked in the top 25, with Notre Dame at No. 12 and Navy at No. 24, heightening the anticipation for their upcoming clash.
“It’s awesome. It’s a great rivalry that goes back many years and there’s a lot of history behind it,” said Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. He acknowledged the impressive turnaround of the Navy program under Coach Brian Newberry, noting their undefeated record this season. “To play a 6-0 team, as the head coach, you’d much rather do that than play a team that’s 0-6 because it doesn’t take much to motivate your guys,” Freeman added, expressing eagerness for the matchup.
Kickoff for this significant rivalry game is scheduled for Saturday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., at 12 p.m. EDT. The 97th meeting between the two storied programs will be available for viewing on ABC/ESPN+.