The Tale of the Tape
Teams: Notre Dame vs. Stanford
Total Meetings: 40
First Meeting: January 1, 1925 (Rose Bowl)
All-Time Series: Notre Dame leads 25-14
The Tale of the Trophy
Notre Dame and Stanford have not faced each other nearly as much over the years as most other rivals, and they didn’t even begin playing annually until 1988. In 1989, both schools decided that a piece of hardware should be created to bestow upon the winner of the new yearly matchup. The Legends Trophy was commissioned by the Notre Dame alumni clubs of Northern California. It features a Dublin-Irish crystal bowl that is set on top of a California Redwood Base. Thus, it’s constructed out of iconic symbols of both universities. On opposite sides of the bowl are blocks with “ND” and “S” and the redwood base displays the scores of each game played between the two rivals.
It is named for the many “legends” that graced the field during their very first matchup in the 1925 Rose Bowl. These icons include coaches Knute Rockne and “Pop” Warner, Ernie Nevers, and Notre Dame’s famed “Four Horsemen” backfield. Upon receiving the first Legends Trophy after Notre Dame’s 1989 win, head coach Lou Holtz exclaimed “Great game men. And this beautiful trophy is a perfect reminder of your success.” RIP coach Holtz.
