Notre Dame and Boston College last played each other on November 19, 2022. The Irish prevailed that day, in the snow, 44-0. (Photo: Chad Ryan)
Notre Dame and Boston College have met on the field 27 times, with the Irish leading the overall series 18–9. From 2002 to 2008, Boston College owned the Irish, winning six straight. Since then, Notre Dame has answered with seven consecutive victories of its own.
It’s an intriguing rivalry. Both schools are Catholic institutions — Notre Dame founded by the Holy Cross order, Boston College by the Jesuits. Both boast proud academic traditions and football histories that date nearly to the sport’s beginning. And the two have engaged in some memorable battles through the years. Two in particular stand out — though only one was fought on the field. The other played out in backrooms and across newspaper headlines.
And karma, it seems, eventually connected the two.
The game that stands out most for fans, on both sides, was in 1993. Late that season, Boston College came into South Bend and shocked the No. 1–ranked Irish 41–39, ending Notre Dame’s national championship dream. I remember that day well — I was there, and it was the last game my dad and I ever attended together. After the final whistle, I’ll never forget seeing grown men outside the stadium, sobbing. It was heartbreak, history, and a memory I’ll carry forever.
And maybe it was karma. Because way back in 1941, Notre Dame and Boston College waged another big battle — not over a game, but over a coach, Frank Leahy.
Before he became a legend at Notre Dame, Leahy had made his mark as one of college football’s brightest young coaches. A former tackle under Knute Rockne from 1928 to 1930, Leahy had learned the game from the master himself. After his playing days, he began a promising coaching career, most notably as the offensive line coach at Fordham, where he built the famed “Seven Blocks of Granite” — a unit that included a gritty young guard named Vince Lombardi.
In 1939, Leahy took his first head coaching job at Boston College. The results were immediate: a 9–2 record in his debut season, followed by an undefeated 11–0 campaign in 1940. The Eagles were thrilled with their young coach and rewarded him with a generous five-year contract, believing they had found their man for the long haul.
Or so they thought — because destiny, and South Bend, had other plans.
On February 4, 1941, Notre Dame head coach Elmer Layden — one of the legendary Four Horsemen — resigned to become commissioner of the fledgling National Football League. Layden had a solid seven-year record of 47–13–3 at Notre Dame, but could never quite escape Rockne’s shadow.
The search for his successor began immediately, and soon all eyes turned toward Leahy.
Leahy desperately wanted the job. Returning to his alma mater — to the house Rockne built — was the opportunity of a lifetime. But Boston College refused to release him from his brand new contract. Undeterred, Leahy pleaded his case to the mayor of Boston, the governor of Massachusetts, and even his friends in the Boston press. He turned up the pressure publicly, forcing Boston College’s hand. A battle was fought behind closed doors and in newspaper columns, and while the University was reluctant, Leahy was relentless.
It took a few weeks, but eventually BC gave in — and Leahy got his release.
Boston College fans were furious. Many felt betrayed, and some say it set their program back for years. The coach who had just pledged his loyalty to the Eagles was gone almost overnight — off to South Bend to chase a dream.
Leahy, of course, went on to win four national championships at Notre Dame, retiring at just 45 years old. He finished his career second only to Rockne in winning percentage among all major college football coaches, with a record of 107-13-9.
It took more than 50 years after Leahy walked away from that contract, but the Eagles eventually got their revenge — on a cold November night in South Bend — when they stunned the top-ranked Irish.
Karma indeed.
This week, the rivalry is renewed. Notre Dame and Boston College meet once again, adding a new chapter to a story that stretches from Leahy to karma, from heartbreak to glory.