When was the last time Notre Dame was ranked No. 1? Closer look at Fighting Irish's NCAA records

Notre Dame football has been a fixture in the AP Poll as one of the sport's traditional powerhouses. While rankings do not directly select the national champion anymore, the program continues to appear regularly in the weekly release. However, the Fighting Irish don't rank as high as they used to.

The Fighting Irish last ranked No. 1 on the AP Poll in 2012. Having not made the preseason poll, the team got into and climbed the rankings as Notre Dame maintained an undefeated record. The program achieved the No. 1 rank in Week 12 that season.

Alabama had led the AP Poll from Week 1 to Week 10 of the 2012 season. Oregon took the No. 1 spot in Week 11 after a Crimson Tide loss. Undefeated Notre Dame reached the top spot in Week 12 and held there until Week 14.

However, the Brian Kelly-led Irish team dropped to No. 4 in the final ranking of the season in Week 15 after losing the BCS national championship game 42-14 to Alabama, marking the team's first defeat of the college football season.

How many times has Notre Dame been ranked No. 1?

Notre Dame has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll a total of 98 times. This is the fourth-most by any college football program since the rankings started in 1936. This is a testament to how iconic the program is in the world of college football.

The Fighting Irish had their first No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll in 1938, and they made frequent appearances in the top spots throughout the 1900s. This was significantly aided by the successful eras of Frank Leahy, Ara Parseghian and Lou Holtz in charge of the program.

Notre Dame trails Alabama, Ohio State and Oklahoma in the number of No. 1 rankings in the AP Poll. The Crimson Tide have held the top spot 140 times, the Buckeyes had the position 105 times and the Sooners have achieved the feat 101 times.

How many times has Notre Dame ended the season as the No. 1 team?

Notre Dame has finished the college football season in the top spot of the AP Poll eight times, playing a crucial role in their national championships in those seasons. Here's a look at the seasons in which the Fighting Irish ended No. 1:

Seasons	Coaches	Records
1943	Frank Leahy	9-1
1946	Frank Leahy	8-0-1
1947	Frank Leahy	9-0
1949	Frank Leahy	10-0
1966	Ara Parseghian	9-0-1
1973	Ara Parseghian	11-0
1977	Dan Devine	11-1
1988	Lou Holtz	12-0