Notre Dame football helmets through the years
Notre Dame’s iconic gold helmet is always listed among the most recognizable in all of college football. It may seem that Notre Dame has been wearing those gold helmets forever but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been small tweaks or entire alternate helmets and uniforms worn over the years.
Did you think pride stickers were just an Ohio State thing? They were once on Notre Dame’s helmet.
As was a shamrock for a few full seasons, not just for a Shamrock Series game.
Take a look back at the subtle changes the iconic Notre Dame helmet has had over the years and some of the alternative looks the Irish have gone with below and then tell us your favorites and least favorites in the comments section!
1960-1962: Shamrock on the Side
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From 1960-62, Notre Dame’s helmets featured a shamrock on the side. Perhaps the fact the Fighting Irish went just 12-18 those years is why they ditched them.
1963: Numbers on the Side
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Do you think Alabama is the only program to put numbers on the side of their helmets? Think again as Notre Dame did so in 1963, going just 2-7 with the look.
1964-1974: Pride Stickers
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Ohio State wasn’t the only team using pride stickers as Notre Dame wore stars on the front of their helmets during Ara Parseghian’s time heading the Irish.
1964-2011: Pretty much the exact same look
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The look you’re most used to with Notre Dame’s helmet is the one that they had from 1964 to 2010. It’s the iconic gold look with nothing on the sides. They’ve changed slightly since then and we’ll touch on that shortly, but when someone brings up Notre Dame’s gold helmet, chances are this is the one they’re speaking of.
2011-Current: Base looks gets more shine
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Midway through the 2011 season Notre Dame played host to its first night game in over two decades. The Irish laid an egg in losing to the Lane Kiffin-led USC Trojans that October night but the new look helmets that came with more shine were there to stay.
2011: Under the Lights vs. Michigan
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Notre Dame went with a throwback to the 1960-62 look with the shamrock on the side of the helmet for their 2011 clash at Michigan. Perhaps it was a fitting choice for the Irish as they somehow found a way to lose that game in an embarrassing, heartbreaking fashion.
2011: Shamrock Series vs. Maryland
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Notre Dame played Shamrock Series games, essentially taking a home game to a neutral venue, starting in 2009. It was in 2011 however that the Irish first started wearing an alternate uniform and helmet for these games, the first being a bright shamrock in a win vs. Maryland.
2012: Shamrock Series vs. Miami
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The 2012 Shamrock Series rout of Miami at Soldier Field featured a helmet that looked half like the 2011 alternate and half blue with a white leprechaun.
2013: Shamrock Series vs. Arizona State
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The regular gold helmet was used as the alternate in 2013 but had an outlined shamrock on the side. Notre Dame upset Arizona State that night in Dallas.
2014: Shamrock Series vs. Purdue
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In what would be Notre Dame’s final meeting with in-state rival Purdue until 2021, the Irish went with a blue stripe and the monogrammed ND on the side of their 2014 alternate.
2015: Father Ted Sticker
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Former Notre Dame President Father Theodore Hesburgh (Father Ted) died in February of 2015 and the Fighting Irish athletic teams all wore patches or helmet patches in his honor the next year.
2015: Shamrock Series vs. Boston College
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A leprechaun head was used on the side of the helmet when Notre Dame broke out special all-green uniforms to take on Boston College at Fenway Park in 2015.
2016: Shamrock Series vs. Army
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Perhaps Notre Dame’s wildest look in the Shamrock Series came in 2016 when the Irish went with the gold look against Army in San Antonio. The uniforms came in inspiration from the World War I memorial on the east door of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame’s campus.
2017: Honoring Ara
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Notre Dame played the entire 2017 season remembering legendary head coach [autotag]Ara Parseghian[/autotag] who passed away in August of that year.
2017: Senior Day vs. Navy
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Senior day 2017 saw Notre Dame give a nod to the legendary [autotag]Knute Rockne[/autotag] with special uniforms that barred his last name. The helmets used in that game were meant to look like the leather helmets used during Rockne’s tenure as head coach.
2018: Shamrock Series vs. Syracuse
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Notre Dame gave a nod to the New York Yankees with their 2018 Shamrock Series uniform. These were further proof that some ideas are better off left as ideas than actually coming to fruition.
2021: Shamrock Series vs. Wisconsin
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The helmet Notre Dame used in their 2021 Shamrock Series victory over Wisconsin was very similar to what they normally wear but did have a slight change on the back as the four stars were a nod to the Chicago flag since the game was again played at Soldier Field.
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