More than 70 years before the rivalry became known as “Catholics vs. Convicts,” the Miami Hurricanes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish met for the first time at Burdine Stadium, the former home of Miami football.
In the game on Oct. 7, 1955, No. 15 ranked Miami lost to unranked Notre Dame 14-0. However, the atmosphere was much different than what a game between the two rivals is like now.
What began as another college football matchup would eventually become one of the sport’s most heated rivalries, fueled by national championships, clashing identities and a controversial slogan that has survived for nearly four decades.
The teams went on to play each other 18 more times before the famous matchup on Oct. 15, 1988 when the phrase “Catholics vs. Convicts” was coined.
During this period, Notre Dame had largely dominated the series between the two teams.
That was until the matchup in 1983, which would eventually help set up the stage for the first ever Miami Hurricane National Championship. At the time, Notre Dame was the golden child of college football with eight national titles and sat at No. 13.
Miami started to see momentum under head coach Howard Schnellenberger and was beginning to establish itself as a national powerhouse.
The team shut out the Irish 20-0, defeating them for just the third time in program history.
Later that season, No. 5 Miami beat No. 1 Nebraska 31-30 in the Orange Bowl, securing the program’s first ever national championship.
This victory marked a turning point for Miami football as legitimate contenders on the national stage.
More fuel was added to the fire in 1987, when both teams had been on a spree of success.
With Jimmy Johnson and Lou Holtz coming up on their fourth and second seasons as head coaches, respectively, both teams gained attention when they faced off on Nov. 28 at the Miami Orange Bowl.
The Hurricanes embarrassed the Irish with a 24-0 shutout.
In the following year, in 1988, the rematch was shaping up to be more than another football game.
With tensions high from the 1987 loss, students on Notre Dame’s campus began selling unauthorized T-shirts with slogans like “Even God Hates Miami,” “Canes Blow” and “Catholics vs. Convicts.”
The latter stuck.
“Catholics vs. Convicts” was a stereotype of the perceived identities of the two teams, and an alleged reference to two Miami players who were arrested and subsequently dismissed from the team that year.
The “Catholics” vs. Convicts” T-shirts were created by Notre Dame undergraduate students Joe Frederick, Michael Caponigro and Pat Walsh.
The slogan painted Notre Dame as the disciplined, religious institution and Miami as its rebellious counterpart. But for Hurricanes players and supporters, the label carried a much more personal meaning, reinforcing negative stereotypes about a team whose roster included many Black athletes.
Controversy extended beyond the football field, turning the matchup into a clash of reputations as much as a battle between two undefeated teams.
The game itself started off with a fight in the tunnel between the two teams even before the first snap, setting the tone for four intense quarters.
On Oct. 15, 1988, No. 1 Miami arrived in South Bend riding a 36-game regular-season winning streak. No. 4 Notre Dame, meanwhile, was determined to defend its home field and reclaim its place at the top of college football. Both teams had a perfect season up until this point.
With less than a minute left in the game, Miami scored a touchdown, bringing the score to 31-30. Instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game, head coach Jimmy Johnson decided to go for a two-point conversion to win.
College football did not introduce overtime until 1996, and Johnson seemingly would rather end in a win than a tie.
The gamble did not pay off.
Notre Dame’s defense broke up quarterback Steve Walsh’s pass in the end zone, preserving a 31-30 victory and handing Miami its first regular-season loss since 1985.
Notre Dame went on to finish the season undefeated and win the National Championship.
The teams went on to play each other again in 89’ and 90’, which was the last time they would meet in a regular season game for two decades.
Although the teams have met less frequently since then, the history surrounding the rivalry has never completely faded.
In 2016, ESPN aired a 30 for 30 documentary called Catholics vs. Convicts, directed by Notre Dame alumnus Patrick Creadon, that explores the 1988 game and its cultural impact.
The faceoff in 88’ will forever be known as the spark that ignited the flame.
Just last season, No. 10 Miami hosted No. 6 Notre Dame in the season opener at Hard Rock stadium. In front of over 65,000 fans, the Hurricanes defeated the Irish 27-24, holding off a fourth-quarter comeback.
Miami entered the fourth quarter with a 21-7 lead, but Notre Dame rallied to tie the game at 24. The Hurricanes responded with a late field goal to secure the victory, giving Miami another chapter in the rivalry’s history.
For a new generation of Hurricanes fans, the game was an opportunity to experience a rivalry that many had previously known only through stories.
This weekend, more than 70 years after their first meeting, the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish are preparing to face off once again.
Miami will travel to South Bend on Saturday for the first time since 2016.
The Irish may have an advantage with an all-time series record of 18-9-1, but the Hurricanes have the chance to build on last season’s victory.
The players, coaches and stadiums may have changed, but the legacy of the two programs remains the same.
For the Notre Dame perspective, head over to The Observer, the Fighting Irish’s student-ran newspaper.