1973 Sugar Bowl

1973 Sugar Bowl
40th edition
National Championship Game[1]
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Alabama Crimson Tide
(10–0) (11–0)
Independent SEC
24 23
Head coach: 
Ara Parseghian		 Head coach: 
Bear Bryant
APCoaches
34
APCoaches
11
1234 Total
Notre Dame 6873 24
Alabama 01076 23
DateDecember 31, 1973
Season1973
StadiumTulane Stadium
LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana
MVPTom Clements, Notre Dame QB
FavoriteAlabama by 6½ points [2]
RefereeGene Calhoun (Big Ten)
(split crew: Big Ten, SEC)
Attendance85,161
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
AnnouncersChris Schenkel, Bud Wilkinson, and Howard Cosell
Nielsen ratings25.3
Sugar Bowl
 < 1972 (Dec) 1974 > 
College Football Championship Game
 < 1973 (Jan) 1979 > 

The 1973 Sugar Bowl, part of the 1973 bowl game season, took place on December 31, 1973, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana. The top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) met the independent Notre Dame Fighting Irish; both teams were undefeated.[3][4][5]

Underdog Notre Dame won 24–23;[3][4][6] the game received a 25.3 Nielsen rating, making it one of the highest-rated college football games in history.[7]

  1. ^ Written at New York. "Title at Stake in Sugar Bowl". The Kansas City Times. Kansas City, Missouri. Associated Press. December 3, 1973. Retrieved March 8, 2023. "A championship can only truly be settled on the playing field." Richard Kazmaier, chairman of the awards committee, said in announcing that this year the committee would not vote for the MacArthur Bowl winner.
  2. ^ "Bama's air threat has Ara worried". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. December 31, 1973. p. 2, part 2.
  3. ^ a b "Irish tip 'Bama, they're No. 1". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. January 1, 1974. p. 1, part 2.
  4. ^ a b "Irish best in country?". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. January 1, 1974. p. 21.
  5. ^ Underwood, John (January 13, 1974). "With contempt for caution". Sports Illustrated. p. 70.
  6. ^ "Notre Dame broke up Alabama wishbone". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). January 2, 1974. p. 37.
  7. ^ Pennington, Bill (December 8, 2012). "Before Computer Rankings and the Superdome, There Was Notre Dame vs. Alabama in the 1973 Sugar Bowl". The New York Times.