Historic College Football Powerhouse Lands Near Top of Most Hated Teams List

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman during the Blue-Gold spring game. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have long been one of the most hated teams in the sport. The thing is, they wouldn't have it any other way.

The Fighting Irish come across as thinking they are better than you. That irks people the wrong way. Their school is better than yours, their traditions are better than yours, their stadium is better than yours, and their football team is better than yours. That's how they come across.

Notre Dame Embraces the Hate

On top of all that, they don't have to confine themselves to other programs' rules. They don't have to join a conference or get punished. They have their own media rights agreement, which gives them a ton of money that they don't have to share. Because of all of that, they have a certain level of arrogance.

It doesn't matter the fan base. It doesn't have to be a hated rival like the USC Trojans. It could be a team like the Oklahoma Sooners, which has only played Notre Dame 10 times. Just about every team does not like Notre Dame and loves nothing more than to see them come up short year after year.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback CJ Carr (13) scrambles with the ball. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Because of that attitude, Brooks Austin of "The Film Guy Network" believes the Fighting Irish are the second most hated team in college football for 2026.

"Notre Dame is hated because historically they are great, but they have this holier-than-thou supremacy thought process to themselves, "Austin said. "I think they should almost go No. 1 because of all the fan bases we are about to talk about, they want to be No. 1 on this list. They want to know that everybody hates them."

The Irish Have Earned their Reputation

Notre Dame also has the history to back up the hate. They are one of the winningest programs in the history of the sport. They've won 13 national championships and have had seven Heisman Trophy winners. However, they've been on a drought that other fan bases have loved to see.

Notre Dame's last national championship was in the 1988 season. That was nearly four decades ago. They have played for two national championships since 2010, but in both, they weren't very competitive.

Respect and Resentment Go Hand in Hand

Notre Dame is one of the programs fans love to root against. But they don't hit that level of animosity without being successful. So, despite the hatred from other fan bases, the respect level is there. Fans respect what Notre Dame has done.

A good portion would trade their team's success for Notre Dame's success. Overall, the Fighting Irish have done a lot of good for the sport, making it relevant in its early days.

That still doesn't make them liked.