1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game

Notre Dame vs. Michigan State, 1966
The "Game of the Century"
(1966 version)
National Championship Game
1234 Total
Notre Dame 0703 10
Michigan State 01000 10
DateNovember 19, 1966
Season1966
StadiumSpartan Stadium
LocationEast Lansing, Michigan
RefereeHoward Wirtz
United States TV coverage
NetworkABC
AnnouncersChris Schenkel and Bud Wilkinson
College Football Championship Game
 < 1966 (Jan) 1967 (Nov)

The 1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game is considered one of the greatest and most controversial games in college football history played between Michigan State and Notre Dame.[1] The game was played in Michigan State's Spartan Stadium on November 19, 1966. Notre Dame was coached by Ara Parseghian and Michigan State was coached by Duffy Daugherty, both school legends. Michigan State entered the contest 9–0 and ranked No. 2, while Notre Dame entered 8–0 and ranked No. 1. The game ended in a 10–10 tie.

The late-season clash between the top-ranked teams was billed as the year's national championship game.[2] After the tie, and following their final game vs. USC, Notre Dame was selected as national champions by the AP Poll and UPI Coaches Poll and was awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy by the Football Writers Association of America. The National Football Foundation split their national championship, awarding the MacArthur Bowl jointly to Michigan State and Notre Dame.

  1. ^ Mike Celzic (1992). The Biggest Game of Them All: Notre Dame, Michigan State and the Fall of 1966. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-75817-9.
  2. ^ "Upside-Down Game: 1996 Notre Dame-Michigan State".