Notre Dame has won 972 games as an independent, a total that ranks fifth in college football, and has done it with fewer losses than any of the four programs above it. The Irish winning percentage of .733 trails only Ohio State among schools with 900 victories, and is fractionally ahead of Michigan’s despite Michigan having nearly 50 more wins.
| Record through 2025 | 972, 341, 42, per the NCAA |
| Winning percentage | .733 |
| All time rank by wins | Fifth, level with Texas |
| First season | 1887, an 8 to 0 loss to Michigan |
| National championships | 11 claimed, 13 recognised |
| Conference championships | None, independent since 1887 |
| Postseason record | 25 wins, 21 losses in 46 games |
The NCAA’s official records, which account for vacated games, list Notre Dame at 972 and Texas at 972. Winsipedia lists 973 and 974. Either way the two are separated by no more than a single win, and the order will change most seasons.
The Percentage Is the Point
Notre Dame has 341 losses. Michigan has 362, Alabama 345, Texas 397. Across 139 seasons the Irish have lost fewer games than any program with a comparable number of wins, which is why a school that has never played a conference schedule sits second in winning percentage among the sport’s 900 win programs, behind Ohio State’s .737 and level with Alabama.
Our winningest programs page has the full top 20.
The Coaches Who Built It
| Coach | Seasons | Wins | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Kelly | 2010 to 2021 | 113 | .739 |
| Knute Rockne | 1918 to 1930 | 105 | .881 |
| Lou Holtz | 1986 to 1996 | 100 | .765 |
| Ara Parseghian | 1964 to 1974 | 95 | .836 |
| Frank Leahy | 1941 to 1953 | 87 | .855 |
| Marcus Freeman | 2021 to present | 43 | .782 |
Rockne’s .881 is the best winning percentage of any coach in college football history, and Leahy’s .855 would lead most programs. Kelly’s 113 wins are the most on the field, though the NCAA vacated 21 of them. Our head coaches page has every coach with records.
The Two Great Eras
Rockne’s teams went 105, 12 and 5 across thirteen seasons with three national titles and five unbeaten years. Leahy’s went 87, 11 and 9 with four titles and a 36 game unbeaten run from 1946 to 1949. Between them, across 24 seasons, Notre Dame lost 23 games. That is the foundation of the percentage.
The Losing Seasons
Notre Dame has had very few. The worst stretch came under Joe Kuharich, who went 17 and 23 from 1959 to 1962 and remains the only Notre Dame coach with a losing record across more than one season. The 1956 team went 2 and 8 and still produced a Heisman winner in Paul Hornung. The 2007 team went 3 and 9 under Charlie Weis, the most losses in a single season in programme history.
The Freeman Years
Marcus Freeman is 43 and 12 across four seasons, reached the 2024 national championship game with the programme’s first three playoff wins, and went 10 and 2 in 2025 before declining a bowl invitation. Notre Dame opens 2026 ranked fourth. Our bowl history page covers every postseason game.
The Bottom Line
Notre Dame is 972 wins, 341 losses and 42 ties all time, a .733 winning percentage that trails only Ohio State among programmes with 900 wins. The Irish sit fifth in total victories, level with Texas depending on the source, and have lost fewer games than any of the four programmes ahead of them. Rockne and Leahy, across 24 seasons, lost 23 games between them.