Expert: Thom Brooks - 9/10/2007

Question
Why didn't ND play in a bowl game between 1925 and 1970?

Answer
Justin, one of my fellow football officials emailed tonight and his answer is not much better than mine!  I'll keep searching.

because they had a rule at notre dame that they could not accept a bowl bid to any game. they didnt believe in bowls. in 1970 though, they accepted their first bowl bid to play texas in the cotton bowl. they lost , but the next year went back and a joe theismann led notre dame team upset texas...


Take care,  Thom Brooks







Justin, hello!  I put out an inquiry to 23 men, a lot of them being Irish fans, and haven't heard an answer yet!  I've attached Wikipedia's mention of their "self imposed" ban from 1925 to 1970 but the reason is not mentioned.  It appears their Board just elected to not participate due to educational or religious reasons............ If I find the answer, you shall hear from me.


The 1970 game featured Notre Dame's return to bowl games after a 45-year self-imposed ban. The Irish, led by quarterback Joe Theismann, faced top-ranked and undefeated Texas. Notre Dame led 17-14 late in the fourth quarter, but the Longhorns scored a late touchdown to clinch a 21-17 victory and an undisputed national championship. The same two teams met the next year, but this time, the Irish ended the Longhorns' 30-game winning streak with a 24-11 victory, denying Texas the Associated Press national championship (the Longhorns had already clinched the championship in the United Press International poll, which did not release a post-bowl poll at the time). Texas and Notre Dame met again in the 1978 game, with the Longhorns again ranked number one, only to see the Irish and quarterback Joe Montana roll to a 38-10 victory. The Irish vaulted from fifth to first in the final polls with the victory.

Take care,

Thom Brooks
Savannah, Georgia