The final game of the college football season features two of the more storied programs in the sport.
No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 8 Ohio State will compete at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 20 inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in the first 12-team College Football Playoff national championship.
Monday’s game is a moment of reflection for the Irish, as it marks a return to the national championship game for the first time since the 2013 BCS championship game and a chance at the team’s first title since 1988.
To make the CFP championship game, Notre Dame first beat No. 10 Indiana at home in the first round of the College Football Playoff before knocking off No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. The Irish then beat No. 6 Penn State in the Orange Bowl semifinal with a game-winning 41-yard field goal from kicker Mitch Jeter as time expired to seal their place in the CFP title game.
A win on Monday for Notre Dame would add to its championship pedigree, as the Fighting Irish have 11 claimed national championships and hold 983 total wins on its resume. It would also end a 36-year national championship drought for the Irish.
For a football program that boasts such a national fanbase, however, the name ‘Notre Dame’ does not give a clear indication of where, exactly, it is in the college football landscape.
For those fans who are unfamiliar with the Fighting Irish, here’s what you need to know about where Notre Dame is located and more:
Where is Notre Dame located?
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Enrollment: 8,968
The University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, roughly 93 miles east of Chicago. As noted by U.S. News & World Report, Notre Dame had an undergraduate enrollment of 8,968 in the fall of 2023.
Notre Dame’s campus is famously known for its 134-foot ‘Touchdown Jesus’ mural that stands in the distance of Notre Dame Stadium and the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.
What conference is Notre Dame in?
Unlike its opponent, Notre Dame is not a member of a conference. Instead, the Irish compete as one of three independents at the FBS level in college football.
Football is the only sport in which Notre Dame competes as an independent. It is a full member of the Atlantic Coast Conference in every other major sport besides men’s hockey, in which they compete as a member of the Big Ten.
Click here to read more on why Notre Dame is not part of a conference for football.
Notre Dame CFP history
Notre Dame heads into Monday’s national championship game with a 3-2 record in the College Football Playoff, with all of the Irish’s wins coming this season.
The 2024-25 College Football Playoff is the third trip to the CFP for Notre Dame, who made its playoff debut in 2019.
En route to its first CFP championship game appearance Monday, Notre Dame beat No. 10 Indiana in the first round, No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal and No. 6 Penn State in the Orange Bowl semifinal.
Here’s a full breakout of Notre Dame’s past CFP scores and results:
2019 CFP (Cotton Bowl semifinal): No. 2 Clemson 30, No. 3 Notre Dame 3
2021 CFP (Rose Bowl semifinal): No. 1 Alabama 31, No. 4 Notre Dame 14
2024-25 CFP (CFP first round): No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 10 Indiana 17
2024-25 CFP (Sugar Bowl quarterfinal): No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 2 Georgia 10
2024-25 CFP (Orange Bowl semifinal): No. 7 Notre Dame 27, No. 6 Penn State 24