Northwestern and Notre Dame have a long and storied history beginning in 1889, facing off 48 times since. Notre Dame has won the matchup 37 times to the Wildcats nine, with two ties in 1903 and 1931. This article is a not-so-brief attempt to introduce much of the history behind the rivalry between the two schools, and many of the key events. The information used is a combination of press clippings from the Chicago Tribune, previous articles, Northwestern University archives and Northwestern Wildcats Football by Larry LaTourette.
In the inaugural clash between Northwestern and Notre Dame, the visiting Fighting Irish defeated coach Charles Hollister’s Northwestern team in a muddy clash at Deering Meadow.