From the archives: See Penn State vs Notre Dame face off in college football over the years

Torn pieces of newspaper fluttered down from apartment balconies, toilet paper was strung over utility wires, and the streets of State College were packed full with chants of “We are ... Penn State!” and “We want Miami!” as hundreds came out in celebration of the Penn State Nittany Lions beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 24-19 during the 1986 college football season.

Penn State would go on to play the Miami Hurricanes in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, which they would ultimately win to remain undefeated and earn a national title.

The history between Penn State and Notre Dame goes back over 100 years beginning in 1913, and stretches into the 21st century with the last game played between the two teams coming in 2007. There are 112 years of history here, and the current series is deadlocked at 9-9-1; a tie back in 1925 has kept either powerhouse from being declared a winner in this century-long rivalry.

Now, aptly 100 years after that tie, we find ourselves in 2025, where Penn State and Notre Dame are set to play each other in the College Football Playoff semifinals in the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Who will come out on top? Well, that speculation is best left to people who aren’t me, but we do have plenty of history to go over. Take a look at some of the top moments.

2007 (31-10, Penn State wins)

1992 (17-16, Notre Dame wins)

1976 (20-9, Notre Dame wins)

1986 (24-19, Penn State wins)

1925 (Tie)

This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 5:49 AM.

Andrew Henderson

Lexington Herald-Leader

Andrew is the deputy audience editor for McClatchy’s mid-sized and smaller newsrooms. His home newsroom is the Lexington Herald-Leader and he occasionally writes opinion columns for the paper. He was previously the editor of the Oldham Era and is a graduate of Western Kentucky University. Andrew is from Olive Hill in Carter County.