Two storied college football programs are headed to Miami with a spot in the national championship game on the line.
No. 6 Penn State and No. 7 Notre Dame are set to renew their rivalry for the first time in nearly 20 years when they face off in the Orange Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 9. The game is a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup, and the winner will await the winner of the Cotton Bowl between No. 8 Ohio State and No. 5 Texas in the CFP National Championship Game in Atlanta on Monday, Jan. 20.
James Franklin's Nittany Lions earned their Orange Bowl berth by rolling past No. 11 SMU in the opening round of the College Football Playoff and taking care of business against No. 3 Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. On the other side, Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish defeated No. 10 Indiana in the first round before knocking out No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
Let's look back at the Penn State-Notre Dame football rivalry ahead of the 2025 Orange Bowl:
How many times have Penn State and Notre Dame played each other?
Penn State and Notre Dame have played one another 19 times.
Penn State vs. Notre Dame record
Penn State and Notre Dame have been dead even, with each side holding a 9-9-1 record in head-to-head matchups.
When was the first Penn State vs. Notre Dame football game?
Their first matchup was played on Nov. 7, 1913, with the Fighting Irish winning 14-7 in State College, Pennsylvania.
When was the most recent Penn State vs. Notre Dame football game?
The two sides last met early in the 2007 season in the tail end of a home-and-home.
Penn State avenged a 2006 defeat in South Bend, Indiana, by winning 31-10 at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 8, 2007.
Did Penn State and Notre Dame play each other every season?
The two programs played one another each season from 1981 to 1992. They have only met two times (2006 and 2007) since they ended their annual matchup.
Have Penn State and Notre Dame ever played each other in a bowl game?
Penn State and Notre Dame have met in one bowl game in their history, with Notre Dame winning the 1976 Gator Bowl by a score of 20-9.
