Since The Observer only dates back to 1966, our record of Notre Dame’s national championship triumphs is incomplete — but what remains offers a record of resilience and dominance. After the 2024 Irish made a stunning playoff run, securing Sugar and Orange Bowl victories over Georgia and Penn State before reaching the national championship, we look back at three legendary title seasons. From Ara Parseghian’s poetic 1973 victory over Alabama to Joe Montana’s clutch performance in 1977 and Lou Holtz’s gritty, trash-talking 1988 squad, The Observer captured moments that define the championship spirit that continues to drive Notre Dame football.
A battle in the bayou: Notre Dame’s 1973 national championship victory Over Alabama
Jan. 17, 1974 | Vic Dorr | Jan. 17, 1974 | Fred Graver | Feb. 5, 1974 | Alan R. Wujciak | Researched by Lilyann Gardner
The 1973 National Championship victory over the University of Alabama was nothing short of poetic, and Notre Dame student Alan R. Wujciak (‘76) attested to this with an ode to Head Coach Ara Parseghian and his team in The Observer.
Echoing Parseghian’s own sentiments about the 1973 players being the best all-around team that he had ever coached, Wujciak's rhyming verse read:
But out of the South comes the Crimson Tide
Trying to ruin the Irish pride.
But Ara said, “I’ll have none of this noise,
I have faith in all of my boys.”
This faith was not unfounded as a tense matchup unfolded between the number one ranked Crimson Tide and the number three ranked Fighting Irish in Tulane Stadium. A back-and-forth battle commenced from the game’s kickoff to the final drive.
The Irish struck early but Alabama was quick to reply, and by the start of the third quarter, Notre Dame was down 17-14, leading to a fraught second half.
Fans were on the edge of their seats, and many were desperate to see a historic win after an arduous Amtrak journey from Chicago to New Orleans.
Staff Reporter Fred Graver (‘76) described the ride as stifling and prolonged, with over 100 people standing in the coaches and a broken headlight forcing them to travel at 10 miles per hour for an extended period.
The exhausting travels were all worth it, however, when quarterback Tom Clements connected with tight end Robin Weber to move the Irish away from the opposing end zone and secure the 24-23 victory.
Sports Editor Vic Dorr (‘74) wrote, “On New Year’s Eve in New Orleans, they convinced 85,000 fans in the Sugar Bowl, some 40 million TV viewers and the AP pollsters, that they were not only Ara’s best but the nation’s best as well.”
Parallel beginnings, different endings: 1977 Irish rally to a national championship
Jan. 19, 1979 | Terry Eurick | Jan. 19, 1979 | Paul Stevenson | Feb. 6, 1978 | Mike Ridenour & David Beno | Researched by Cade Czarnecki
The 1977 Notre Dame football season started much the same as the 2024 season — the Irish prevailed over a highly ranked opponent in their opening game. In ‘77, the foe was the University of Pittsburgh, the defending national champions. Then, shockingly, Notre Dame lost its second game. In the 1977 season it was a defeat at the hands of Ole Miss while, of course, the defeat in 2024 came at the hands of Northern Illinois University.
Following the tough loss, the 1977 squad rallied. Fullback Terry Eurick suggested that the early season loss took the pressure off the team as national expectations subsequently relaxed. Yet, in a similar fashion to 2024, the 1977 Irish started a winning streak the following week and rode it all the way to the National Championship game. While no official title game existed at the time, the Cotton Bowl against top-ranked Texas on January 2, 1978, effectively served as a de facto championship matchup after late-season losses by powerhouse programs Arkansas and Michigan ended their title aspirations.
About 76,700 fans saw the Joe Montana-led Irish defeat Texas 38-10 in the Cotton Bowl on January 2, 1978. Paul Stevenson, the Sports Editor for the Observer at the time, said that he saw head coach Dan Devine’s pregame message on the blackboard in the locker room before the game: “It’s not where you start, it is where you finish.” The Irish would soon find out that they finished as the unanimous National Champions after being voted first in the UPI (coaches) and AP (writers) polls and being awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy and MacArthur Bowl.
On February 5, 1978, the newly-minted National Champs held a pep rally at the Athletic and Convocation Center. Covered live by ABC, 6,000 students and dignitaries listened to Otis Bowen, then Governor of Indiana, proclaim the date as “Notre Dame Day.” Notably, it was revealed that Fr. Edmund Joyce penned a letter to Bowen before the Cotton Bowl, urging him to attend the game as it was believed Bowen had never been in attendance for a Notre Dame loss. Bowen heeded the advice, and the victory pep rally serves as evidence of the power of superstition.
Trash-talking Irish earn 1988 championship
Jan. 19, 1988 | Marty Strasen | Jan. 19, 1988 | Marty Strasen | Jan. 19, 1988 | Steve Megargee | Researched by Thomas Dobbs
Last Monday night in Atlanta, former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz was in attendance to watch the Irish take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in their first national championship game appearance in over a decade. Like countless Notre Dame fans, Holtz welcomed the underdog narrative, remarking, “In a one-game, winner-take-all, anything can happen. I like Notre Dame’s culture.”
That same culture exuded by Notre Dame this past season — one of determination, self-belief and aggressiveness — was a hallmark of Holtz’s tenure, best exemplified by his 1988 championship team. “This football team is what Notre Dame spirit is all about,” Holtz said after leading the Irish to an undefeated 12-0 season. “There may be more talented teams, but there won’t be any that typify the Notre Dame spirit better than this one.”
The 1988 Irish claimed an unblemished record, defeating three top-ranked teams in their undefeated 12-0 season. They opened with a 19-17 defeat of Michigan, which finished the season ranked fourth and capped the campaign with a 34-21 victory over No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl. Along the way, they toppled No. 1 Miami and No. 2 USC. “It’s really a dream to win the national championship,” Holtz reflected. “I dreamed about it, but I never thought I’d be part of something like this as a head coach.”
In 1988, quarterback Tony Rice overcame early struggles, dismissing critics who labeled him “a running quarterback who can’t throw,” by leading Notre Dame to a national championship with 1,389 passing yards and a team-high in rushing. In 2024, Riley Leonard faced similar doubts after transferring from Duke, but his poised leadership in high-stakes moments echoed Rice’s transformation, proving that Notre Dame quarterbacks thrive not by avoiding pressure but by rising to it.
Rice shone in the Fiesta Bowl, earning MVP honors with 213 passing yards and two touchdowns. Yet, the Irish also drew criticism, earning 11 penalties, including eight personal fouls. “They’ve got to clean up their act,” said West Virginia’s Kevin Koken after the game, though Holtz conceded, “Our players were in the wrong 100 percent.”
Despite a penalty-ridden performance, the Irish secured a victory. Senior captain Andy Heck summed up the season’s magic: “For what is good and right in America, Notre Dame deserves to be champs. This is the greatest thing I’ve ever been a part of.”
