It started with a simple idea: pick a game, pile into a car, and make the trip to South Bend. No big plan, no blueprint. Just friends chasing the chance to see Notre Dame football in person. What began in 2010 as a one-off road trip has turned into an annual tradition. Every fall, we circle a date, load up, and head north.
Over the years, our #NDTrips have taken us to thrillers, blowouts, historic wins, and painful losses. This weekend, here’s hoping we improve to 11-4 on #NDTrip2025 vs Boise State.
Here’s our journey, game by game.
2010 – Notre Dame 28, Utah 3
The trip that started it all. Utah came in ranked No. 15, but Notre Dame dominated from the opening kick. Freshman quarterback Tommy Rees threw three touchdowns in his first start, and Robert Blanton’s blocked punt return set off a celebration. Students stormed the field as the Irish snapped their drought against ranked opponents.
NFL Talent: Michael Floyd, Robert Blanton, Zack Martin, Ronnie Stanley
2011 – Notre Dame 56, Navy 14
An offensive showcase. The Irish scored 35 points in the second quarter alone. Jonas Gray ran for three touchdowns, Cierre Wood added two more, and Michael Floyd caught a deep strike from Rees. Navy never recovered.
NFL Talent: Michael Floyd, Jonas Gray, Zack Martin, Tyler Eifert
2012 – Notre Dame 38, Wake Forest 0
On the road to the BCS National Championship, Notre Dame (ranked No. 3 at the time) smothered Wake Forest. The NCAA later vacated the wins, but that day in South Bend was pure domination.
NFL Talent: Manti Te’o, Tyler Eifert, Zack Martin, Stephon Tuitt
2013 – Notre Dame 23, BYU 13
Senior Day. Two early touchdowns gave the Irish control, and the defense carried it from there. Kyle Brindza’s 51-yard field goal sealed the win, making that class the first in program history to win four straight Senior Days.
NFL Talent: Davaris Daniels, Tarean Folston, Tommy Rees
2014 – Louisville 31, Notre Dame 28
The first loss of our trips. Freshman quarterback Reggie Bonnafon led Louisville past Notre Dame with three touchdowns. A game we will not forget, but for the wrong reasons.
NFL Talent: Ronnie Stanley, Will Fuller
2015 – Notre Dame 28, Wake Forest 7
Notre Dame came in ranked No. 6 and controlled the game with ease. What stood out most was not the score but the depth of future NFL players on the roster.
NFL Talent: Quenton Nelson, Mike McGlinchey, Jaylon Smith, DeShone Kizer
2016 – Notre Dame 39, Nevada 10
A comfortable win in what turned out to be a disastrous 4–8 season, the worst since 2007. In hindsight, this became one of the defining “what went wrong?” years of the Brian Kelly era.
NFL Talent: DeShone Kizer, Dexter Williams, Jerry Tillery, Julian Love
2017 – Notre Dame 33, North Carolina 10
With Brandon Wimbush sidelined, Ian Book started at quarterback. The Irish leaned on the run game, piling up 341 rushing yards. Josh Adams broke free for a 73-yard touchdown.
NFL Talent: Josh Adams, Mike McGlinchey, Quenton Nelson
2018 – Notre Dame 38, Stanford 17
A top-10 primetime matchup and one of the best atmospheres we have experienced. The Irish racked up 550 yards of offense and rolled through Stanford on their way to an undefeated regular season.
NFL Talent: Jerry Tillery, Julian Love, Miles Boykin
2019 – Notre Dame 30, USC 27
Notre Dame jumped out to a 17–3 halftime lead, but USC fought back late. The Irish sealed it with an onside kick recovery in the final minute. A rivalry game with just enough drama to keep everyone nervous.
NFL Talent: Chase Claypool, Cole Kmet, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
2020 – COVID Cancellations
The trip that never happened. COVID wiped Wake Forest off the schedule and canceled the Dublin game against Navy. The streak of annual #NDTrips was broken, but not the tradition.
2021 – Cincinnati 24, Notre Dame 13
Notre Dame’s 26-game home win streak ended here. Desmond Ridder and No. 7 Cincinnati grabbed a program-defining win. Three first-half turnovers doomed the Irish. A tough one to see in person.
NFL Talent: Michael Mayer, Kyren Williams, Desmond Ridder
2022 – Notre Dame 24, Cal 17
Marcus Freeman’s first win as head coach. It was not pretty, but it mattered. It marked the beginning of a new era.
NFL Talent: Michael Mayer, Audric Estime, JD Bertrand, Marist Liufau, Cam Hart
2023 – Notre Dame 56, Tennessee Tech 3
A blowout from start to finish. The Irish emptied the bench, and the game became more about tradition than competition.
NFL Talent: Audric Estime, JD Bertrand, Marist Liufau, Cam Hart
2024 – Northern Illinois 16, Notre Dame 14
The shocker. An 83-yard touchdown silenced the stadium early, and Northern Illinois sealed it with a field goal in the final minute. Riley Leonard and Jeremiyah Love scored, but it was not enough. This one stung.
NFL Talent: Audric Estime, JD Bertrand, Marist Liufau, Cam Hart
Fourteen years, countless miles, plenty of wins, and a few gut punches. The results on the field change every season, but the trip is always the same: friends, football, and South Bend.s. The results on the field change every season, but the trip is always the same: friends, football, and South Bend.
GORESPORTS.net 
Leave a comment