Notre Dame football tickets are a treasure, as millions of fans around the world sit on the edge of their seats every time the Fighting Irish play a game. The Irish can boast of a long and incredibly successful football history, and the academic reputation of the school is commensurate with the team's on-field success. The best way to look at the history of this storied program is to break it down into periods of coaching, as the team has been competing at a high level for over 100 years. Early Years The Irish endured humble beginnings, and were beaten regularly by what would become their arch-rival, the University of Michigan. However, the team finally broke through against the Wolverines in 1909, and Michigan refused to play Notre Dame again for 33 years. Their 11-3 win represented their biggest triumph since the program began in 1887, and set the stage for the arrival of their first coaching legend. The Rockne Era Kenneth Knute" Rockne arrived on campus in 1918, and immediately took the program to new heights. Rockne posted a record of 105 wins and 12 losses with 5 ties in his 13 seasons as coach, and the Irish won six national championships and enjoyed five undefeated seasons. Rockne also coached several playing legends, including George The Gipper" Gipp and the Four Horsemen. Thanks to Rockne, the Irish had become the premier college football program in the United States. However, Rockne tragically died in a plane crash in 1931, and the program suffered for a time because of this unexpected loss. The Leahy Era Frank Leahy arrived in South Bend in 1941, and he coached Notre Dame until 1953. However, Leahy did leave the program in 1944 and 1945 to fight in World War II. Leahy posted a record nearly equal to Rockne's, and he posted six undefeated seasons. Leahy also guided the team to 39 games without a loss, and oversaw one of the greatest eras in the history of Notre Dame football. Much like after Rockne left, Notre Dame football struggled for ten years until another legendary coach arrived. The Parseghian Era Ara Parseghian arrived in 1964, and he, like Leahy, immediately restored Notre Dame to its customary place at the top of the college football world. Parseghian won nearly 100 games in only nine seasons, and he ushered in a new phenomenon in Notre Dame football tickets by helping to end the policy of not playing in bowl games in 1969. Under Parseghian, the team won two more national championships and its first bowl games. Modern Era Several other coaches have followed these legends with varying degrees of success. Dan Devine continued the success with another national championship, but his successor, Gerry Faust, never enjoyed more than seven wins during the regular season. Lou Holtz followed Faust, and he led the Irish to their most recent national championship to date in 1988. Following Holtz, the Irish struggled with the likes of Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham, but their current coach, Charlie Weis, has shown great promise during his short time in South Bend. Notre Dame football has also allowed fans to see a plethora of great players, but their program was put together by a string of Hall of Fame coaches. These transcendent leaders are the main reason that Notre Dame football tickets are so special, and why Notre Dame is still seen as the premier college football program in the country.
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