On the cusp of playing for a national championship, it appears Notre Dame is more than happy to remain an independent in football and not join a conference goin

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish almost never were - with a much more boring nickname being given to the famous football team at first.

Notre Dame's unsung heroes – from Angeli to Jeter – lifted the Irish out of a 10-0 rut and delivered them within a game of college football immortality.

O n Thursday, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish play the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl, which doubles as one of the college football playoff semifinals. The game marks the latest of Notre Dame’s many successes on the gridiron.

A preseason benching didn't stop Coogan — who's back starting at center — from becoming the emotional leader of Notre Dame.

While the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are celebrating their Orange Bowl victory this week, the rest of the college football world is debating if they should be in a conference. Before the Orange Bowl even kicked off on Thursday night,

Notre Dame's independent status has long been a unique feature of college football, but its latest $20 million reward for making the College Football Playoff (CFP) national championship has reignited debates over whether the Fighting Irish should be forced to join a conference.