The Fighting Irish may make their home in neighboring Indiana, but there’s a whole slew of faithful fans here in Illinois. Now that IL sports betting is legal in the Prairie State, the numbers of followers could increase exponentially.
While you can’t bet on college football games involving Illinois teams, the rest of NCAAF landscape is fair game. There are plenty of ways for you to get in on the action with Notre Dame, and we have the details. Let’s get started with a peek at where you can find the best Notre Dame odds.
When a Notre Dame game is on tap, you won’t have any trouble finding it on TV. Here’s what the live odds look like for the next time the team is scheduled to hit the field, courtesy of our live odds feed. Click on any odds to go directly to the sportsbook, claim your bonus and lock in your bet.
A national title would be awesome, but Notre Dame will first have to be invited to the party. They’ve hooked up with the ACC for the season at hand, so winning the conference will go a long way toward earning a berth in the college football playoffs. Here are the futures odds for the Fighting Irish to turn both tricks this year:
Props and futures open the doors to even more ways to bet on the Fighting Irish throughout the year. You’ll find props available on the individual games, as well as some based on the season as a whole that falls into the futures betting category. Here are a few examples of what you might come across:
Futures wagers are based on season-long results. Many of the top markets will stay active all year round, while attracting lots of betting action. Here are some of the top futures bets you’ll have to consider:
When you look at the futures odds board, you’ll see lines listed for eligible competitors. As wagers get placed, there can be some shifts in the numbers. Shopping around to find the best price is always best, as is staying engaged throughout the year to scout for appealing opportunities.
It’s important to remember that betting on Illinois college teams is prohibited in the Prairie State. That means no betting on the Fighting Illini or any other program based in the state. However, betting on out-of-state programs. such as Notre Dame. is perfectly fine.
The actual betting rules for NCAAF are pretty standard across the industry, but some books may handle certain situations differently than others. Here’s a basic overview:
Those are the basics, and the majority of the other rules for the specific wagers are pretty self-explanatory. That said, things may be slightly different from sportsbook to sportsbook. As such, it’s always a good idea to review the sportsbook’s NCAAF house rules. For further questions, don’t be shy about asking customer support.
In typical seasons, Notre Dame is considered an independent team in the ranks of NCAAF. There are 10 conferences at the top level in college football, but a handful of programs operate independently. The Fighting Irish are one of those teams.
For 2020, the script has changed. Notre Dame has hooked up with the ACC to play a conference schedule. It’s an intriguing change of pace for the school, not to mention their opponents. Here’s what the full schedule looks like:
Date | Opponent | Results | TV |
---|---|---|---|
Sat. Sept. 12 | vs. Duke | W, 27-13 | NBC |
Sat. Sept. 19 | vs. South Florida | W, 52-0 | USA |
Sat. Oct. 10 | vs. Florida State | W, 42-26 | NBC |
Sat. Oct. 17 | vs. Louisville | W, 12-7 | NBC |
Sat. Oct. 24 | at Pittsburgh | W, 45-3 | ABC |
Sat. Oct. 31 | at Georgia Tech | W, 31-13 | TBD |
Sat. Nov. 7 | vs. Clemson | W, 47-40 (OT) | NBC |
Sat. Nov. 14 | at Boston College | W, 45-31 | TBD |
Sat. Nov. 27 | at North Carolina | W, 31-17 | TBD |
Sat. Dec. 5 | vs. Syracuse | W, 45-21 | NBC |
Sat. Dec. 12 | at Clemson | TBD | NBC |
Generally, college football teams book games several seasons in advance. If we look ahead to 2021, the Fighting Irish will be squaring off with squads, such as Navy and Stanford. For the 2021 campaign, the team is scheduled to have games versus Ohio State and USC. Notre Dame is among the programs that have little trouble finding dance partners due to its national profile.
As a traditionally independent team, Notre Dame doesn’t have many conference rivalries like many of the top programs do. However, the team has regularly faced several opponents over the years. Here’s a look at the three teams the Fighting Irish has squared off against the most, along with the team’s record against:
Team | Number of Games | Record |
---|---|---|
Navy | 93 | 79-13-1 |
USC | 91 | 49-37-5 |
Purdue | 83 | 56-25-2 |
Notre Dame is set to resume the rivalry with all three of the above teams for the 2021 campaign. Rounding out the top five are Pittsburgh and Michigan State, two teams which Notre Dame has faced 60+ times. The program has also squared off with the following squads 30 times or more: Army, Northwestern, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Stanford, and Air Force.
The Fighting Irish entered the 2019 season ranked 9th in the nation, according to the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The team was one of the four college football playoff teams following the 2018 season — losing to Clemson in the semifinals — and optimism was high that they could surprise and make another run.
As expected, the team opened up the season with a pair of wins over Louisville and New Mexico. The competition level ramped up from there for a road game against Georgia. The Bulldogs proved to be too much to handle and outlasted the Fighting Irish for a 20-17 win.
The team was able to right the ship with three straight wins, including a 52-0 thrashing of Bowling Green. A trip to Michigan was up next, but the Fighting Irish came up woefully short in a 45-14 defeat.
After two losses, the dream of a return to the college football playoffs was all but over. However, the team pulled it together to close out the season strong with five straight wins to finish up at 10-2. That streak included a big 45-24 road win over Stanford in the finale.
The reward for a 10-win campaign was a trip to the Camping World Bowl to square off with Iowa State. Notre Dame college football wrapped things up on a high note with a 33-9 win. Standout performers for the season included QB Ian Book, who returns as the starter for 2020, and WR Chase Claypool, selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 49th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
As one of the most prestigious NCAAF programs in the nation, Notre Dame has little trouble attracting talent. Through the years, hundreds of Fighting Irish players have continued their careers at the pro level. Here’s a quick look back at which Notre Dame players were selected at the 2020 NFL draft:
If we go back over the past decade, we find that several Notre Dame players have been selected in the first round of the draft. Here’s the list:
Looking ahead to the 2021 NFL draft, potential Notre Dame prospects who could hear their names called include QB Ian Book, OT Liam Eichenberg and DE Ade Ogundeji.
The legend of Notre Dame football becomes readily apparent if you spend any time studying the history of college football. Some of the greatest coaches the sport has ever seen have roamed the sidelines in South Bend, including Knute Rockne, Frank Leahy and Ara Parseghian.
Parseghian last coached in 1974. To that point, the program had won nine national titles since its inception. Dan Devine was next in line and picked up another title in 1977. Gerry Faust wasn’t able to get over the hump during his tenure in the early 1980s but the legendary Lou Holtz helped make it happen in 1988.
Since Holtz left in 1996, only five men have coached for the Fighting Irish, but there haven’t been any national championships. Here’s a quick look at the records for each of them:
Coach | Tenure | Record |
---|---|---|
Brian Kelly | 2010-Present | 74-36 |
Charlie Weis | 2005-09 | 35-27 |
Kent Baer | 2004 (interim) | 0-1 |
Tyrone Winningham | 2002-04 | 21-15 |
Bob Davie | 1997-2001 | 35-25 |
Notre Dame home games have been played in the same spot since 1930. Before that, the program played its games at Cartier Field, a venue that seated up to 30,000 fans.
Following the 1928 campaign, the stadium was torn down to make way for the new digs. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played home games for the 1929 season at Soldier Field in Chicago. Here are the details on where you can catch Notre Dame football games in person:
The main national broadcast partner for Fighting Irish games is NBC. Notre Dame is unique in that it’s the only NCAAF team to have a standalone deal with a major broadcaster. The majority of the team’s games can be found there.
Notre Dame has a massive national following. When games aren’t on NBC, they can be found on one of the other major outlets for college football games: ABC, CBS, Fox or ESPN. All of the above options are available via numerous cable, satellite and streaming options.
The radio home for Notre Dame games is WSBT 96.1 FM and 960 AM out of South Bend, IN. The audio feed is also picked by numerous outlets across Illinois, including 1000 WMVP-AM out of Chicago. Fighting Irish games are on Sirius-XM and the TuneIn radio app.
If you’re looking to head out to catch the game, there are several stellar sports bar options across Illinois. Places to put on the to-visit list include Declan’s Irish Pub and The Irish Oak in Chicago, both of which are recognized as top spots to cheer on the Fighting Irish.
The Fighting Irish are one of the most history-laden teams in college football. The program traces its root back to the early days of the spot, and plenty of success has been found along the way. Notre Dame has had a whole host of legendary players and coaches.
The official school colors are blue and gold, while the famous Notre Dame Leprechaun serves as a school mascot. There are several conflicting stories on how the name Fighting Irish came about, but let’s just say that it has stuck regardless.
While it has been a while since the team last claimed a national title, Notre Dame has been a fixture in the Top 25 poll for many seasons. Here are some of the more notable facts and figures about the team:
There have been 11 officially claimed national titles in Notre Dame history, the last of which came in 1988. The closest the team has come in recent times was following the 2018 season. The team was one of the four teams to make it to the college football Playoffs, but they were swiftly handled by Clemson in the semifinal round.
The Fighting Irish have also been national champs for the following reasons: 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973 and 1977.
The Fighting Irish nickname has been attached to the team for over a century. Early roots suggest it first reared its head as a taunt from opposing fans during an 1899 game against Northwestern. Another story claims it came about during a 1909 game against Michigan in which a Notre Dame player called out his teammates for not fighting hard enough. By the 1920s, the name had officially stuck. This was as the team was in the midst of one of its notable stretches and quickly gaining national prominence as a result.
Nearly every team that plays at the top level in NCAAF is a member of one of 10 conferences. Notre Dame is one of the few teams who aren’t. Based on its fanbase and following, it’s safe to say the school would be welcomed with open arms if it ever decides to officially join the ranks of the conference-affiliated. For now, the independent label is working just fine. The Fighting Irish have zero trouble filling out the schedule years in advance, and the team has a national broadcast deal with NBC to boot.
No, but the team has agreed to play an ACC conference schedule for the 2020 campaign. The season as a whole has been somewhat up in the air in the current environment. Several conferences and schools have either delayed or postponed their seasons. Notre Dame was among those with an impacted schedule, so a one-year deal with the ACC made sense for competitive purposes and to round out the docket.
On the low end, tickets for a Notre Dame football game can be had for a little over $40. The average price checks in at about $145, but costs will naturally vary on the open market based on demand. Additionally, keep in mind that the best seats in the house can command top dollar. This is especially true for seasons in which Notre Dame appears to be in the running for a national championship or at least a playoff spot.