Days before the college football season begins, the University of Notre Dame unveiled a new logo for its storied program Thursday — one that emphasizes football while downplaying the “fighting” in the school’s nickname and the imagery of its traditional logo.
Since its debut on the cover of Time magazine on Nov. 20, 1964, the “Fighting Irish” logo had become synonymous with Notre Dame football as the school built one of the most successful programs in the sport’s history. Featuring a hostile-looking leprechaun with both fists up, as if prepared to spar, the logo was associated with the South Bend, Indiana, school as Notre Dame claimed football national championships in 1966, 1973, 1977 and 1988 and played in national title games in 2012 and again last season.
“Its long-standing history represents the tenacious spirit of the Fighting Irish and their determination,” the school said in a news release.
That logo isn’t being replaced, a school spokeswoman said. Instead, the new logo is a secondary option the football program can use, part of a rollout in which other Notre Dame sports will debut their own sport-specific logos.
In the new logo, which the university said was designed in-house, the mascot’s grimacing expression is the same, but his fists are down. Now, they’re holding on to a football as he runs forward.
The spokeswoman said the process to create the new logo began in 2024. A Notre Dame news release said the new logo was “inspired by photo, fundamentals and running styles from former and current student-athletes.”
Notre Dame, which opens the season Aug. 31 against Miami, is ranked sixth in The Associated Press preseason poll of media.
