The state of Indiana will take center stage this weekend as Notre Dame and Purdue resume one of the Midwest’s longest-running rivalries, with the Shillelagh Trophy on the line.
Only 95 miles separate the two campuses, and the schools first met in 1896. The matchup was played off and on for decades before becoming an annual tradition from 1946 through 2014.
After a pause, the series was renewed in 2021, and the current agreement keeps the two sides on the field every season from 2024 through 2028.
Notre Dame has been the dominant force in this series, holding a 58-26-2 overall record. Since the Shillelagh Trophy was introduced in 1957, the Irish have a 39-19 edge, not counting the two vacated victories from 2012 and 2013.
The current streak sits at nine straight wins for Notre Dame, with Purdue’s last triumph dating back to 2007.
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The Shillelagh Trophy itself carries unique history. It was first presented to the schools by Joe McLaughlin, a merchant seaman and Notre Dame supporter who brought the club back from Ireland.
The trophy, featuring a Shillelagh and two punters carved on its side, rests on a base decorated with gold footballs. Each ball marks the year, score, and winner, with an “ND” for Irish victories and a “P” for Boilermaker wins.
For clarity, this is not the Jeweled Shillelagh awarded in the Notre Dame-Southern California rivalry. Even Purdue’s new head coach, Barry Odom, admitted he needed a quick history lesson on the correct hardware.
“Played a long time, been a lot of great battles over the years between the two programs, and I’m honored to have a chance to represent Purdue in a trophy game,” Odom said.
The recent history has been particularly unforgiving for Purdue. Notre Dame has not lost in South Bend to the Boilermakers since 2004, going 2-20 there since 1970.
Last season’s game at Ross-Ade Stadium underscored the gap, as the Irish rolled to a 66-7 victory, the most lopsided loss in Purdue’s history.
The 2025 edition, the 89th overall meeting, returns to Notre Dame Stadium, where the Fighting Irish will look to extend their dominance while the Boilermakers aim to rewrite a rivalry narrative that has tilted heavily against them.