Why Notre Dame Continues Annual Football Rivalry with Navy: A Tradition Built on Mutual Respect

The Notre Dame vs. Navy rivalry has withstood the test of time and will continue to do so

Nov 6, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Navy Midshipmen running back Carlinos Acie (25) is tackled by Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety DJ Brown (2) in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

One of the most unlikely rivalries in college football takes place this weekend and is one of the biggest meetings in over a half century between the programs.

Notre Dame is in the midst of a push for the College Football Playoff and that comes as no surprise to anyone.

However, it's an undefeated Navy team that is putting up the fourth-most points per game in the entire FBS and has dreams of crashing the CFP party.

The two teams have met every year since 1927 (except for 2020) with Notre Dame clearly having the upper hand. How is it that Navy has remained on Notre Dame's schedule for all these years, though?

Notre Dame's Dire Circumstances Led to Annual Navy Game

Nov 18, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Navy Midshipmen wide receiver Tyler Carmona (88) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Julian Love (27) stand for the United States Naval Academy Alma Mater after the game at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

At the peak of World War II, Notre Dame was in in the midst of troubling times as a university. That is when Notre Dame President, Rev. Hugh O'Donnell wrote a letter to the United States Navy offering the university as a location for the Navy to host its V12 program to help develop more commissioned officers than the Annapolis campus could handle.

Notre Dame was far from the only school to benefit from this as 131 different college and universities did the same. However, Notre Dame having only male students at the time meant the school's enrollment was just 700 civilian students at the time Navy stepped in. Had the Navy not, Notre Dame very well could have closed its doors forever.

At best, perhaps the university would have stayed but the athletic programs wouldn't have continued as we know them today.

1,851 active seamen trained at Notre Dame when the program started on July 1, 1943 and helped save the University of Notre Dame.

As a result, Notre Dame made a promise to Navy as a thank you for helping keep the university afloat.

"As long as Navy wants to be on Notre Dame's schedule, they'll be on Notre Dame's schedule" - Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, former Notre Dame President

Notre Dame's 43-Game Winning Streak Over Navy

Aug 26, 2023; Dublin, IRL; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Navy Midshipmen prepare for the snap in the second half at Aviva Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Of the academies, Navy doesn't have the same football tradition that Army does. Army has won five national championships and three Heisman Trophies during its time while Navy has finished a season ranked just 14 times in program history.

As you've likely heard regarding Notre Dame and Navy's unique history, Notre Dame has owned this series, leading 80-13-1 all-time against the Midshipmen.

That includes from 1964-2006, when Notre Dame won 43-straight games against the Naval Academy, the longest winning streak by any team in an annual college football rivalry game.

That doesn't mean there weren't a few close calls in it:

1984: A late field goal by John Carney gave Notre Dame an 18-17 edge over Navy in a season Notre Dame finished just 7-5 after losing to SMU in the Aloha Bowl.

1997: A Navy Hail Mary at Notre Dame Stadium was deflected and caught by a Navy player, but Notre Dame defensive back Allen Rossum chased the player down and shoved him out of bounds at the Notre Dame one-yard line as time expired. Notre Dame won 21-17 that afternoon.

2003: Walk-on kicker DJ Fitzpatrick made a 40-yard field goal for Notre Dame as time expired to win the game 27-24 over Navy, and to move the winning streak to 40 games for Notre Dame in the series.

Notre Dame vs. Navy Rivalry: Mutual Respect

Charlie Weis' struggles at Notre Dame are well documented after things came crashing down for him following BCS appearances in his first two seasons as head coach. One lasting legacy Weis left on Notre Dame has to do with the annual Navy game, however.

Following Notre Dame's 42-21 victory over Navy in 2005, Weis had his players stand behind the Navy players for the playing of the Navy alma mater following the game. That tradition has continued to this day following each game Notre Dame plays against a service academy, including after losses shows a just a small detail of the "mutual respect" you so often hear about when the two programs play.

Notre Dame's advanced media put together a video highlighting the history and mutual respect between the two programs nearly a decade ago that is worth your time to watch this week. It tells the unique history between the schools and offers a look at each other from both program's points of view, despite an awkward nod to Under Armour taking place in the middle of it. You can check it on in full below.

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