Holy War (Boston College vs. Notre Dame)
| First meeting | September 15, 1975 Notre Dame 17, Boston College 3 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | November 21, 2015 Notre Dame 19, Boston College 16 |
| Next meeting | September 16, 2017 |
| Trophy | Ireland Trophy Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 23 |
| All-time series | Notre Dame leads, 13–10 |
| Largest victory | Notre Dame, 54-7 (1992) |
| Longest win streak | Boston College, 6 (2001–2008) |
| Current win streak | Notre Dame, 5 (2009–present) |
The Holy War is an American rivalry between the Boston College Eagles and University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, a technical nonconference rivalry in college football, but in most sports an Atlantic Coast Conference rivalry. The series derives its name from the fact that the Eagles and the Fighting Irish represent the only two Catholic universities in the United States which still compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the highest level of competition in American college football.
Although football at both universities dates to the 19th century, the series itself is relatively young. Boston College and Notre Dame first met on the gridiron on September 15, 1975, in a game held at Foxboro Stadium in Massachusetts. Since then, the two schools have met a total of 20 times, including a match-up in the 1983 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee. An annual series was held from 1992–2004 and after a two-season hiatus the rivalry has resumed for the 2007–12 seasons and it will continue for the 2015–16 and 2018–19 seasons. Notre Dame leads the series 13–9.
The future of the series had been in question for several years after Boston College left the Big East for the ACC and the Big East asked Notre Dame to add at least three Big East schools each year to its football schedule, but on June 8, 2010, it was announced that the series would continue.
While the "Holy War" moniker dates to the first contest between the two schools in 1975 and has become popularized in the sports media, the rivalry has also acquired a number of other nicknames over the years. These include the "Vatican Bowl", the "Frank Leahy Memorial Bowl", and the "Jesuit Invitational". Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a Notre Dame alumna, referenced the rivalry using the "Holy War" moniker during a 2006 commencement address at BC's Alumni Stadium.
...
Wikipedia