Rivalry leaderboard
Michigan State-Notre Dame Greatest Games
The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.
- Games
- 25
- Top score
- 84/100
- Overtime
- 1
Series context
- Completed meetings
- 73
- Series record
- Michigan State 28-44-1 Notre Dame
- Tracked years
- 1897-2017
- Trophy
- Megaphone Trophy
Series ranking
The rivalry's top 25 games
25 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.
- 1966Week 11
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 10, Notre Dame 10
Result: Tie
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Notre Dame · 0-point margin
Ranking 49/50 · Closeness 35/35 · Overtime 0/15
84
Game score
- 1965Week 11
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 12, Notre Dame 3
Winner: Michigan State
No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 6 Notre Dame · 9-point margin
Ranking 45/50 · Closeness 26/35 · Overtime 0/15
71
Game score
- 1961Week 6
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 7, Michigan State 17
Winner: Michigan State
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Michigan State · 10-point margin
Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 25/35 · Overtime 0/15
68
Game score
- 1990Week 5
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 20, Michigan State 19
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 22 Michigan State · 1-point margin
Ranking 29/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
63
Game score
- 1952Week 10
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 3, Michigan State 21
Winner: Michigan State
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Michigan State · 18-point margin
Ranking 44/50 · Closeness 17/35 · Overtime 0/15
61
Game score
- 1955Week 5
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 7, Michigan State 21
Winner: Michigan State
No. 4 Notre Dame vs. No. 13 Michigan State · 14-point margin
Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 21/35 · Overtime 0/15
56
Game score
- 1989Week 4
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 13, Notre Dame 21
Winner: Notre Dame
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 1 Notre Dame · 8-point margin
Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
- 1963Week 10
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 7, Michigan State 12
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Notre Dame vs. No. 4 Michigan State · 5-point margin
Ranking 22/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
- 1968Week 7
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 17, Michigan State 21
Winner: Michigan State
No. 5 Notre Dame vs. Unranked Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 21/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
- 1994Week 4
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 21, Michigan State 20
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 8 Notre Dame vs. Unranked Michigan State · 1-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
- 1954Week 5
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 19, Notre Dame 20
Winner: Notre Dame
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 8 Notre Dame · 1-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15
52
Game score
- 1948Week 5
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 7, Notre Dame 26
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 17 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Notre Dame · 19-point margin
Ranking 34/50 · Closeness 16/35 · Overtime 0/15
50
Game score
- 1980Week 6
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 26, Michigan State 21
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. Unranked Michigan State · 5-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
- 1974Week 5
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 19, Michigan State 14
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. Unranked Michigan State · 5-point margin
Ranking 19/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
49
Game score
- 1973Week 6
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 10, Notre Dame 14
Winner: Notre Dame
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 9 Notre Dame · 4-point margin
Ranking 17/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
48
Game score
- 1975Week 5
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 10, Notre Dame 3
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 8 Notre Dame · 7-point margin
Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 28/35 · Overtime 0/15
46
Game score
- 1950Week 7
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 36, Notre Dame 33
Winner: Michigan State
No. 12 Michigan State vs. Unranked Notre Dame · 3-point margin
Ranking 14/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15
46
Game score
- 1971Week 4
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 2, Notre Dame 14
Winner: Notre Dame
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 4 Notre Dame · 12-point margin
Ranking 22/50 · Closeness 23/35 · Overtime 0/15
45
Game score
- 2002Week 5
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 21, Michigan State 17
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 12 Notre Dame vs. Unranked Michigan State · 4-point margin
Ranking 14/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15
45
Game score
- 1983Week 4
Michigan State at Notre Dame
Michigan State 28, Notre Dame 23
Winner: Michigan State
Unranked Michigan State vs. No. 13 Notre Dame · 5-point margin
Ranking 13/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15
43
Game score
- 1982Week 5
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 11, Michigan State 3
Winner: Notre Dame
No. 11 Notre Dame vs. Unranked Michigan State · 8-point margin
Ranking 15/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15
42
Game score
- 2000Week 5
Notre Dame at Michigan State
Notre Dame 21, Michigan State 27
Winner: Michigan State
No. 16 Notre Dame vs. No. 23 Michigan State · 6-point margin
Ranking 13/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15
42
Game score
Methodology
How each game earns up to 100 points
AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.
Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.
Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.
Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.