Notre Dame's Sleepiest Football Rivalry Game

Oct. 13, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Stepfan Taylor (33) attempts to dive over the goal line as Notre Dame Fighting Irish nose guard Louis Nix (9) and linebacker Manti Te'o (5) defend in overtime at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 20-13. Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Notre Dame's Sleepiest Football Rivalry Game

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated May 23, 2026 2:14 PM ET

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Notre Dame football's long history also includes a long list of rivals.

Some have been teams that Notre Dame has played dating back more than 100 years, while others are teams that have been regulars on the schedule at different times, but taken time off as well.

One team that Notre Dame plays annually these days has been a schedule regular for roughly 30 years, but aside from a couple of meetings all-time, the game feels about as dull as a rivalry game possibly could.

Notre Dame-Stanford Football Rivalry Carries On

News came out this week that Notre Dame and Stanford have agreed to a two-year deal to extend their rivalry game.

Notre Dame will travel to Stanford to close the 2027 season, while Stanford will make its regular mid-October trip to South Bend in 2028.

Aside from the Covid year of 2020, Notre Dame and Stanford have met every season since 1997. Unfortunately, you can count the memorable games between the two in that time period on one hand.

From 2012 to 2015, the game was regularly a huge deal.

2012 saw Notre Dame outlast a gritty Stanford team with an overtime stop for the ages.

2014 saw Notre Dame score in the final seconds to remain unbeaten for the time, as Ben Koyack helped pull off a miracle.

And 2015 was one of the great collapses in the history of Notre Dame football, as defeat was snatched from the hands of victory in the closing seconds of the regular season, costing the Fighting Irish a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Aside from those, where is the memorable moment or game?

Matt LoVecchio's first start as Notre Dame's quarterback back in 2000?

A David Grimes catch that was ruled incomplete?

When David Grimes pulled the greatest catch that didn’t count for Notre Dame! ‍♂️ how this is not a catch?! pic.twitter.com/8keAetqlQx
— The cfb lliason (@realfbllliason) January 31, 2026

Notre Dame and Stanford - Great Rivals in Theory

In theory, Notre Dame and Stanford should be ideal football rivals.

Both of them played a major role in college football becoming such a national sport and the 1925 Rose Bowl between the two launched Notre Dame to previously unseen heights.

The extremely high academic standards between the two is undeniable, as well.

However, the rivalry just lacks much excitement whatsoever.

As Marcus Freeman gets set to begin his fifth year as Notre Dame's head coach, the programs are in two entirely different places.

Notre Dame has dominated the series of late, winning six of the last seven, with each of those victories being by 21 or more points.

In a college football world that continues to see tradition get thrown to the wayside more and more each day, I'm happy to see a rivalry still be able to be worked out between schools.

I just wish that rivalry brought more excitement than just Stanford's band being banned from Notre Dame Stadium three decades ago.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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