Notre Dame football to wear green jerseys vs. Ohio State
Notre Dame understood the assignment. There wasn’t a better day for Fighting Irish football to announce when it would wear green jerseys in the 2023 season than St. Patrick’s Day.
The program delivered.
The university announced Friday that the Irish will wear green at Notre Dame Stadium against Ohio State on Sept. 23. Last year, the Irish wore green jerseys in a 24-17 win over California on Sept. 17.
Here’s a look at how Notre Dame has fared playing in jerseys with any sort of green on them in the last 40 years. The program ran its record in such instances in that span to 10-6 and extended the green-game winning-streak to five games dating back to 2011.
| Season | Opponent | Site | W/L | Final Score | Notes |
| 1983 | USC | South Bend | W | 27-6 | |
| 1985 | USC | South Bend | W | 37-3 | Changed into green at halftime |
| 1991 | Florida | New Orleans | W | 39-28 | White jerseys with green numbers; 1992 Sugar Bowl |
| 1994 | Colorado | Tempe, Ariz. | L | 41-24 | 1995 Fiesta Bowl |
| 1998 | Georgia Tech | Jacksonville, Fla. | L | 35-28 | 1999 Gator Bowl |
| 2002 | Boston College | South Bend | L | 14-7 | |
| 2005 | USC | South Bend | L | 34-31 | |
| 2006 | Army | South Bend | W | 41-9 | Senior Day |
| 2007 | USC | South Bend | L | 38-0 | |
| 2010 | Army | New York | W | 27-3 | Shamrock Series |
| 2011 | Michigan | Ann Arbor, Mich. | L | 35-31 | White jerseys with green numbers |
| 2011 | Maryland | Washington D.C. | W | 45-21 | Shamrock Series |
| 2015 | Boston College | Boston | W | 19-16 | Shamrock Series |
| 2016 | Army | San Antonio, Texas | W | 44-6 | Shamrock Series |
| 2018 | Florida State | South Bend | W | 42-13 | Senior Day |
| 2022 | California | South Bend | W | 24-17 |
The legend of green grew in 1977 when Notre Dame warmed up for its game against rival USC in traditional home blue uniforms but came back out of the locker room for kickoff in green ones. The Irish beat the No. 5 Trojans, 49-19, to notch their first victory in the rivalry matchup since 1973. Quarterback Joe Montana three two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores. Notre Dame went on to win the national championship.
Dan Devine was a major proponent of the “Irish wear green” movement, even replacing the blue numbers on Notre Dame’s traditional white road jerseys with green ones. Lou Holtz was much pickier in deciding when to put his Irish in green. And in the nearly three decades since Holtz left his post in South Bend, Notre Dame has only worn green a dozen times.
The color will always be synonymous with the program regardless. How could it not be when Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Lujack posed in a green jersey on the cover of LIFE magazine in 1947? If Notre Dame upsets Ohio State in September, the push for the Irish to wear green in big games will get stronger.
