Notre Dame and Navy have played each other almost every year since 1927 — one of the longest-running rivalries in college football. The reason goes back to World War II, when the U.S. Navy used Notre Dame’s campus to train officers and kept the university afloat. Notre Dame has kept Navy on its schedule ever since as a debt of honor. Notre Dame leads the series 82–13–1.
The 99th game is on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts — the first time the rivalry has been played in New England.
| Notre Dame vs. Navy | |
|---|---|
| First meeting | 1927 |
| Meetings | 98 through 2025; the 99th is October 31, 2026 |
| Series record | Notre Dame leads 82–13–1 |
| Longest streak | Notre Dame won 43 straight from 1964 to 2006 |
| Navy’s last win | 28–27 in 2016 |
| Played in Ireland | 1996 (Croke Park), 2012 and 2023 (Aviva Stadium), all in Dublin |
When is the 2026 Navy vs. Notre Dame game?
The 2026 game is on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, home of the New England Patriots, and is televised on ABC. It is the 99th meeting between the two schools.
Like most of Navy’s “home” games in the series, it is at a large NFL stadium rather than in Annapolis. Recent meetings: Notre Dame won 49–10 at Notre Dame Stadium in 2025, 51–14 at MetLife Stadium in 2024, and 42–3 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin in 2023.
Why does Notre Dame play Navy every year?
Because of what the Navy did for Notre Dame during World War II. With most young men in the armed forces, enrollment at the then all-male university collapsed and the school faced serious financial trouble. In 1943 the Navy made Notre Dame a base for its V-12 officer-training program — the largest in the country — and paid to use the campus. Around 12,000 officers trained there between 1942 and 1946.
Father Theodore Hesburgh, Notre Dame’s longtime president, later put it simply: “The Navy came in and kept us afloat until the war was over.” In gratitude, Notre Dame promised Navy a place on its schedule for as long as Navy wants one. The two schools still describe the game as a debt of honor, and Notre Dame has protected it through decades of conference changes and television deals.
The war also shaped Notre Dame’s football. Its 1943 national championship team included sailors and Marines training on campus, among them two future Heisman Trophy winners, Angelo Bertelli and Johnny Lujack.
What is the Notre Dame–Navy series record?
Notre Dame leads 82–13–1 after 98 meetings. The series is lopsided, but it has produced some famous games:
- 1964–2006 — the streak. Notre Dame won 43 games in a row, the longest winning streak by one team over an annual opponent in major college football.
- 2007 — Navy ends it. Navy won 46–44 in triple overtime at Notre Dame Stadium, breaking the streak after 43 years.
- 2016 — Navy’s most recent win, 28–27 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Has Notre Dame vs. Navy been played every year?
Every year from 1927 to 2019 — the longest uninterrupted intersectional series in college football. The streak ended in 2020, when the game, originally scheduled for Dublin, was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The series resumed in 2021, and the Dublin game was made up in August 2023.
What are the traditions of the Notre Dame–Navy game?
- The alma maters. Since 2005, both teams stand at attention after the game while each school’s alma mater is played.
- Neutral-site “home” games. The game has never been played at Navy’s own stadium in Annapolis, which is too small for the crowd. Navy hosts at large stadiums instead, including Jacksonville, San Diego, MetLife Stadium and now Gillette Stadium.
- Future officers. Every Navy player is a midshipman who will serve as an officer in the Navy or Marine Corps after graduation, which gives the game a different feel from any other on Notre Dame’s schedule.
Why has Notre Dame vs. Navy been played in Ireland?
Notre Dame — the “Fighting Irish” — has deep Irish-American roots and an enormous following among Irish-American fans, which makes Dublin a natural stage. The rivalry has been played there three times:
- 1996 at Croke Park, the home of Gaelic games.
- 2012 at Aviva Stadium, the home of Irish rugby and soccer.
- 2023 at Aviva Stadium, when Notre Dame won the season opener 42–3 — the make-up for the 2020 Dublin game canceled during the pandemic.
The Dublin games drew thousands of traveling American fans, many of whom turned the trip into a week in Ireland. If you are planning to follow a team to Ireland for an American football game — college or NFL, like the Steelers’ 2025 game at Croke Park — the advice is the same: book hotels as soon as the game is announced, because Dublin sells out fast, then add a few days in the west. See our Irish city break for Dublin and Belfast, the Best of Ireland for a longer trip, and our guide to the best pubs in Dublin for game night.
Frequently asked questions
Who has won more games, Notre Dame or Navy?
Notre Dame, by a wide margin: it leads the series 82–13–1 through the 2025 season.
When did Navy last beat Notre Dame?
In 2016, when Navy won 28–27 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Where is the 2026 Notre Dame–Navy game?
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at noon ET.
Why is the Notre Dame–Navy rivalry called a debt of honor?
Because the Navy’s World War II training program kept Notre Dame financially afloat, and Notre Dame promised to keep playing Navy in return.
How many times has Notre Dame played Navy in Ireland?
Three times, all in Dublin: 1996 at Croke Park, and 2012 and 2023 at Aviva Stadium.
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