Notre Dame football nose tackle Howard Cross III breaks down Indiana
Notre Dame football nose tackle Howard Cross III on Indiana’s ‘interconnected discipline’ on offense and how it’s similar to that of Army and Navy
Notre Dame football hosts Indiana on Friday in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The in-state matchup is also a battle between unique nicknames in college athletics.
The No. 7 Fighting Irish (11-1) take on the No. 10 Hoosiers (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) for a spot in the quarterfinals against No. 2 Georgia, which earned a first-round bye in the 12-team bracket after winning the SEC.
The Hoosier moniker has its origins as a nickname for people from Indiana. But where did the term “Fighting Irish” come from? Just like Indiana, Notre Dame’s nickname has no perfect explanation for its origin.
Here’s an explanation of Notre Dame’s nickname, how it started and where it came from:
Why is Notre Dame called the Fighting Irish?
According to Notre Dame, how the term “Fighting Irish” was originally coined for “Irish immigrant soldiers who fought for the Union during the Civil War in what became called the Irish Brigade, including three regiments from New York.” As noted by Notre Dame, the university “has a valid claim to the nickname because the brigade’s beloved chaplain was Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., who later became the third president of Notre Dame.”
According to another article by Notre Dame, the term “Fighting Irish” may have come to be associated with the football program in 1899. That theory suggests that, when Notre Dame was leading Northwestern 5-0 at halftime on the road, Wildcats fans were believed to have chanted “Kill the Fighting Irish” as the second half started.
Another theory came from 1909, when at halftime of a Notre Dame-Michigan game, a Notre Dame player yelled to his teammates, “What’s the matter with you guys? You’re all Irish and you’re not fighting worth a lick,” according to the school. Notre Dame went on to win the game, and the press reported the game as a victory for the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame was originally referred to as the Catholics during the 1800s, before being commonly called the Ramblers during the 1920s. Notre Dame president Rev. Matthew Walsh officially adopted the Fighting Irish nickname in 1927.
In a statement, Walsh said “The university authorities are in no way averse to the name ‘Fighting Irish’ as applied to our athletic teams. … I sincerely hope that we may always be worthy of the ideal embodied in the term ‘Fighting Irish.’”
What is Notre Dame’s mascot?
Notre Dame’s mascot is a leprechaun, which represents “the tenacious spirit of the Fighting Irish and their determination,” according to the school.
The design first came about in the 1960s and has become synonymous with Notre Dame athletics as one of the most recognized logos and mascots in college sports.
Each season, the school holds tryouts to be the school mascot, which is a student who dresses in a green suit with an Irish country hat. The mascot also carries a shillelagh. The leprechaun first became the school’s mascot in 1965 after the program was originally led by a series of Irish terrier dogs.
The mascot was labeled the fourth-most offensive in college football in 2021. However, the school defended its mascot, noting “there is no comparison between Notre Dame’s nickname and mascot and the Indian and warrior names (and) mascots used by other institutions such as the NFL team formerly known as the Redskins,” in a statement to the Indianapolis Star.