Notre Dame and Navy have a long-standing, culturally significant football tradition that explains why Notre Dame continues to schedule and play Navy despite other scheduling pressures. What drives the tradition

• Historical cooperation during World War II: The Naval Academy and Notre Dame collaborated closely during the war era. The Navy used Notre Dame facilities to train V-12 candidates, and Notre Dame benefited financially and operationally, helping the university survive financially during tough times. This history fostered a lasting goodwill and a sense of mutual obligation that endured after the war. [source-based context drawn from historical overviews and contemporaneous reporting]

• Longest uninterrupted intersectional rivalry: Since 1927, Notre Dame and Navy have played annually, making it one of the most enduring cross-conference rivalries in college football. The game’s near-century run emphasizes tradition and continuity, reinforcing a sense of identity around the matchup for both programs and their fans. The interruption during the COVID-19 pandemic is noted, but the series is widely described as the longest uninterrupted cross-section of college football history when ongoing play is considered.

• Mutual benefits beyond the game: Beyond the on-field competition, the Notre Dame–Navy series is framed as a wholesome, patriotic, and respectful rivalry. Post-game ceremonies, shared alma maters, and a spirit of sportsmanship highlight the relationship, with both programs often emphasizing goodwill and mutual respect in their public narratives. The post-game alma mater ceremonies, in particular, became a highlighted tradition starting in the mid-2000s, reinforcing the sense of camaraderie.

Key traditions and moments you’ll notice

• Alma mater ceremonies: After games, both teams have engaged in joint performances of each side’s alma mater, symbolizing unity and respect irrespective of the game’s outcome. This has become a defining, widely celebrated aspect of the rivalry.

• On-field traditions and pageantry: The game features familiar college football pageantry, including Navy and Notre Dame bands, and traditional signals and mascots, with the rivalry’s ceremonial elements often highlighted by media and team histories.

• Historical values and military connection: Notre Dame’s ties to military training and its reverence for the armed forces are frequently cited in discussions of the rivalry, underscoring a broader respect for service and discipline that informs fan and institutional perspectives.

Bottom line

• Notre Dame continues to play Navy because of a deeply rooted historical relationship, financial and institutional cooperation during World War II, and a tradition-rich, highly publicized ongoing rivalry that remains a point of pride for both programs and their supporters. This is reinforced by its status as one of the longest-running inter-section rivalries and by recurring post-game ceremonies that emphasize mutual respect.