Notre Dame and North Carolina are set to meet in football for the 23rd time ever this Saturday as the Irish head to Chapel Hill. It’s not at all thought of as a true rivalry in football but you may be surprised to learn that since 1899, Notre Dame has only played 15 teams more frequently than they have the Tar Heels. For Carolina, just 13 teams have shown up on the schedule more times than the Irish, nine of which are current ACC rivals and one (South Carolina) who was an ACC foe for a couple decades.
Now the “rivalry” hasn’t been overly competitive with Notre Dame taking 20 of the 22 all-time meetings but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some memorable moments over the years (more detail on that here).
Since you’re here, why not enjoy a handful of photos of Notre Dame and North Carolina on the football field over the past couple of decades.