When was the last time Notre Dame Fighting Irish won the National Championship? 

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have one of the most historical traditions in all of college football. Going back to the days of Coach Knute Rockne, the Fighting Irish claim 11 national titles.

Admittedly, three of those titles pre-date the AP or Coaches' Poll rankings. Furthermore, another of the titles was a split title, with the Irish winning the AP crown but losing the Coaches Poll.

Still, Notre Dame is historically excellent and seemingly always has been. But particularly for young fans, it's a fair question to wonder exactly when the Irish were last on top.

When did Notre Dame last win a national title?

College football Hall of Fame member Rocket Ismail played for Notre Dame's last title team. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

The answer is 1988. Well, that or Jan. 2, 1989, when the Irish finished off their title by taking down No. 3 West Virginia by a 34-21 count in the Fiesta Bowl. The Irish completed a 12-0 season in which they finished No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches' polls for a clear national title. It's their most recent crown.

That Notre Dame team, coached by Lou Holtz, took down a trio of top 10 teams during the season. Most impressive was a win over No. 2 USC to end the regular season and a mid-October upset of then-No. 1 Miami in the so-called "Catholics versus Convicts" battle.

In posting such a strong resume, Notre Dame avoided the battles of the day. A college football national championship until the early 1990s was essentially mythical. Teams played out schedules, competed in bowl games, and then the polls decided the de facto champion or champions. For instance, in 1973, Notre Dame won the AP crown, but not the Coaches' Poll.

Notre Dame in the BA/BCS/CFP Era

By the early 1990s, a series of events ultimately led to genuine attempts to determine a national champion. What began as one game became a four-game playoff and is now the 12-team College Football Playoff. Notre Dame has struggled to keep up with that transition.

In the 2012 season, Notre Dame earned a spot in the BCS title game against Alabama. The Irish lost 42-14. The Irish also made the four-team College Football Playoff after the 2018 and 2020 seasons. Neither game went well, with Clemson drilling Notre Dame 30-3 in 2018. Alabama again victimized the Irish by a 31-14 account in the game which took place after the 2020 season.

Notre Dame also stumbled through a nine-game bowl losing streak between 1994 and 2006. That tied with Northwestern for the most consecutive bowl losses.

Of course, the 2024 CFP has the Irish back on the climb, with the program's first CFP wins and now a semifinal chance to move on toward a first national title since the days of President Ronald Reagan.

The Fighting Irish take on the Penn State Nittany Lions at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami in the Orange Bowl on Thursday for a spot in the College Football Playoff Championship Game against either the Texas Longhorns or the Ohio State Buckeyes.

What do you think of Notre Dame's chances this year? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.