Notre Dame football boasts a storied history in bowl games, reflecting its longstanding prominence in college football. The Fighting Irish first appeared in a bowl game at the 1925 Rose Bowl, securing a victory over Stanford. Despite early success, Notre Dame then adopted a no-bowl policy until 1969, missing out on potential appearances.
When they returned to bowl participation, the Irish quickly re-established their prowess, winning the 1970 Cotton Bowl and capturing the 1973 Sugar Bowl national title under coach Ara Parseghian. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, led by coaches like Lou Holtz, Notre Dame continued to excel, highlighted by a dramatic 1989 Fiesta Bowl win that clinched the 1988 national championship.
In the 21st century, Notre Dame has had a mixed bowl record but remains a competitive force, appearing in prestigious games like the Fiesta, Sugar, and Rose Bowls. The program’s bowl history underscores its enduring impact and tradition in college football.
| Opponent | Month/Year | Bowl | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Stanford Cardinal | January 1925 Attendance: 53,000 | Rose Bowl Pasadena, California | W. 27-10 |
 | Texas Longhorns | January 1970 Attendance: 73,000 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | L, 17-21 |
| Texas Longhorns | January 1971 Attendance:73,000 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | W, 24-11 |
 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | January 1973 Attendance: 80,010 | Orange Bowl Miami, Florida | L, 40-6 |
 | Alabama Crimson Tide | December 1973 Attendance: 85,161 | Sugar Bowl New Orleans, Louisiana | W, 24-23 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | January 1975 Attendance: 71,801 | Orange Bowl Miami, Florida | W, 13-11 |
 | Penn State | December 1976 Attendance: 67,827 | Gator Bowl Jacksonville, Florida | W, 20-9 |
| Texas Longhorns | January 1978 Attendance: 76,701 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | W, 38-10 |
 | Houston Cougars | January 1979 Attendance: 32,500 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | W, 35-34 |
 | Georgia Bulldogs | January 1981 Attendance: 77,895 | Sugar Bowl New Orleans, Louisiana | L, 17-10 |
 | Boston Colege Eagles | December 1983 Attendance: 47,071 | Liberty Bowl Memphis, Tennessee | W, 19-18 |
 | SMU Mustangs | December 1984 Attendance: 41,777 | Aloha Bowl Honolulu, Hawaii | L, 2-20 |
 | Texas A&M Aggies | January 1988 Attendance: 73,006 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | L, 35-10 |
 | West Virginia Mountaineers | January 1989 Attendance: 74,911 | Fiesta Bowl Tempe, Arizona | W, 34-21 |
 | Colorado Buffalos | January 1990 Attendance: 81,191 | Orange Bowl Miami, Florida | W, 21-6 |
| Colorado Buffalos | January 1991 Attendance: 77,062 | Orange Bowl Miami, Florida | L, 9-10 |
 | Florida Gators | January 1992 Attendance: 76,447 | Sugar Bowl New Orleans, Louisiana | W, 39-28 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | January 1993 Attendance: 71,615 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | W, 28-3 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | January 1994 Attendance: 69,855 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | W, 24-21 |
| Colorado Buffalos | January 1995 Attendance: 73,968 | Fiesta Bowl Tempe, Arizona | L, 24-41 |
 | Florida State Seminoles | January 1996 Attendance: 72,198 | Orange Bowl Miami, Florida | L, 26-31 |
 | LSU Tigers | December 1997 Attendance: 50,459 | Independence Bowl Shreveport, Louisiana | L, 9-27 |
 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | January 1999 Attendance: 70,791 | Gator Bowl Jacksonville, Florida | L, 28-35 |
 | Oregon State Beavers | January 2001 Attendance: 75,428 | Fiesta Bowl Tempe, Arizona | L, 9-41 |
 | NC State Wolfpack | January 2003 Attendance: 73,491 | Gator Bowl Jacksonville, Florida | L, 6-28 |
| Oregon State Beavers | December 2004 Attendance: 45,917 | Insight.com Bowl Phoenix, Arizona | L, 21-38 |
 | Ohio State Buckeyes | January 2006 Attendance: 76,196 | Fiesta Bowl Tempe, Arizona | L, 34-20 |
 | LSU Tigers | January 2007 Attendance: 77,781 | Sugar Bowl Tempe, Arizona | L, 41-14 |
| Hawaii Rainbow Warriors | December 2008 | Hawaii Bowl Honolulu, HI | W, 49, 21 | |
 | Miami Hurricanes | December 2010 | Sun Bowl El Paso, TX | W, 33-17 |
| Florida State Seminoles | December 2011 | Champs Sports Bowl Orlando, FL | L, 13-18 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | January 2013 | BCS Championship Miami, FL | L, 14-42 |
| Rutgers Scarlett Knights | December 2013 | Pinstripe Bowl New York, NY | W, 29-16 | |
| LSU Tigers | December 2014 | Music City Bowl Nashville, TN | W, 31-28 |
| Ohio State Buckeyes | January 2016 | Fiesta Bowl | L, 28-44 |
| LSU Tigers | January 2018 | Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL | W, 21-17 |
 | Clemson Tigers | December 2018 | Cotton Bowl Dallas, Texas | L, 3-30 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | December 2019 | Camping World Bowl Orlando, FL | W, 33-9 | |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | January 2021 | Rose Bowl Dallas, Texas | L, 14-31 |
| Oklahoma State Cowboys | January 2022 | Fiesta Bowl Glendale, AZ | L, 35-37 | |
| South Carolina Gamecocks | December 2022 | Gator Bowl Jacksonville, FL | W, 45-38 | |
 | Oregon State Beavers | December 2023 | Sun Bowl El Paso, TX | W, 40-8 |
 | Indiana Hoosiers | December 2024 | CFP 1st Round Notre Dame, IN | W, 27-17 |
 | Georgia Bulldogs | January 2025 | Sugar Bowl New Orleans, LA | W, 23-10 |
Author, here. Regrets to all – I was answeering the question “Do the Irish need to land…(some defenseman)”
Remember – “need” is a 4-letter-word. (swear-word) It’s too early to see, as OUR Irish are still forming under Coach Freeman.