On Friday, Notre Dame football will face Indiana in the initial round of the College Football Playoff, setting the stage for an in-state clash between two distinctive college athletic nicknames. The No. 7 Fighting Irish (11-1) will take on the No. 10 Hoosiers (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) in a bid to advance to the quarterfinals against No. 2 Georgia, who secured a first-round bye in the 12-team bracket after clinching the SEC championship.
The Hoosier moniker, originally coined for Indiana residents, will collide with the renowned “Fighting Irish” nickname, which has a less definitive origin story similar to Indiana’s. Exploring the roots of Notre Dame’s moniker reveals a historical tie to Irish immigrant soldiers in the Union during the Civil War, particularly within the Irish Brigade, with Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., a revered figure who later led Notre Dame, playing a pivotal role.
Various theories have emerged regarding the adoption of the “Fighting Irish” term in relation to the football program, with incidents during games against Northwestern and Michigan in 1899 and 1909 respectively being popularly cited. Despite earlier monikers like the Catholics and the Ramblers, Notre Dame officially embraced the Fighting Irish nickname in 1927 under the directive of university president Rev. Matthew Walsh, who emphasized the ideal it represented.
Notre Dame’s mascot, the leprechaun, symbolizes the resilient spirit and determination of the Fighting Irish, originating in the 1960s as a recognizable emblem of the university’s athletic identity. The mascot selection process involves tryouts each season, with the chosen student donning a green suit, Irish country hat, and wielding a shillelagh, succeeding a lineage of Irish terrier dogs that previously led the program.
While the leprechaun mascot has faced criticism, Notre Dame has defended its significance, distinguishing it from stereotypes associated with other sports teams’ names and mascots in a statement to the Indiana.
