Get ready, college football world, because No. 1 Miami is about to face off against No. 11 Notre Dame in South Bend this Saturday, and if you think this is just another top-25 matchup, you’re missing the whole dang point. This isn’t just some regular season game. This clash, broadcast on NBC and Peacock, has major College Football Playoff implications fresh off the first CFP rankings, making it one of the season’s most consequential matchups.
Seven Decades of Bad Blood, From Dominance to Total Shift
When these two historic programs first touched helmets in 1955, Notre Dame walked away with a clean 14-0 victory. That was just the beginning, the first of 28 meetings that have forged one of college football’s fiercest rivalries. Things really ramped up in the 1970s, hitting an absolute peak in the late 1980s. Seriously, from 1971 to 1990, these guys battled every single year, with only 1986 being the exception. The early days belonged to the Fighting Irish, who absolutely dominated with a 12-1-1 record against the Hurricanes through 1980.
But then, everything changed. The tide turned, hard. Miami went on a tear, winning five of the next six matchups leading right up to the most famous meeting of all time: the ‘Catholics vs. Convicts’ game in 1988. After that legendary showdown, the tensions cooled significantly. They only played each other once in the entire 1990s and then took a massive 20-year hiatus before reigniting the series in 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2025, and now, 2026. Despite Miami’s surge, Notre Dame still holds the all-time series lead with an 18-9-1 record, though that 2012 win did get vacated thanks to ineligible players. Ouch.
The ‘Catholics vs. Convicts’ Name: More Than Just a T-Shirt Slogan
You can’t talk about this rivalry without bringing up ‘Catholics vs. Convicts.’ This iconic moniker, a T-shirt slogan cooked up by Notre Dame students in the days leading up to the 1988 matchup, blew up once the media got hold of it. It perfectly captured the perceived differences between the two squads back then. Notre Dame was seen as the historic Catholic team, disciplined, rigid, holding the moral high ground. Miami, on the other hand? They were the bad boys of college football, fresh off revoking scholarships for two players arrested before the 1988 season, and a program that had just escaped years of mediocrity. The 1988 game marked the first time this rivalry was officially played under that ‘Catholics vs. Convicts’ banner, and it cemented its place in college football lore.
This isn’t just a rivalry game, folks. With those College Football Playoff rankings fresh in everyone’s minds, this is one of the season’s most consequential matchups. You know the history. You know the stakes. Get ready, because when No. 1 Miami steps onto that field against No. 11 Notre Dame, it’s going to be absolute fireworks. Don’t you dare miss it on NBC and Peacock!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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