Notre Dame and Miami rivalry branding is due for a reset, with fans and coaches moving past “Catholics vs. Convicts”

The Notre Dame-Miami rivalry has always carried more than just play on the field, and over the decades it has attracted identity-based branding as much as it has invited analysis. A new wave of opinion argues it is time for Notre Dame fans to retire the “Catholics vs. Convicts” shirt, calling the phrase an aging hook that has outlived its usefulness and distracts from bigger priorities for the program.

The argument is rooted in timeline and repetition. The rivalry’s most famous early flashpoints include the 1988 Notre Dame win over Miami, often cited as a defining moment in the history of the series. But the latest commentary emphasizes that more than 35 years have passed, and that continuing to rely on the same graphic slogan risks turning a specific chapter of college football history into an overused punchline.

Recent head-to-head context is also part of the debate. One piece of commentary notes that after Notre Dame’s 1990 win, the schools took a long break that was expected to last longer, before the series resumed later through a postseason path. Since 2010, it describes five meetings with Notre Dame holding a 3-2 edge over Miami at that point in time, while also pointing out Miami won the most recent two matchups and that those finishes have left some Notre Dame supporters feeling the sting of that specific era.

Beyond fanwear, the discussion extends to what Notre Dame leadership is indicating about program culture. The shift is framed through Marcus Freeman’s first season decisions, specifically a moment during his early tenure when, as reported by The New York Times via its Athletic outlet, Freeman wore a white T-shirt reading “WOPU vs. Everybody” to practice. In that account, WOPU refers to Notre Dame’s walk-on players group, described as a point of pride within the program, which the story says was reflected in the apparel selection.

That detail matters because it presents a counterexample to the reliance on old rivalry slogans. Instead of pointing outward to a decades-old character clash, Freeman’s choice highlights an internal identity tied to walk-on culture and team-building, reinforcing the idea that Notre Dame’s messaging can evolve without abandoning the intensity that makes the rivalry notable in the first place.

For Notre Dame and Miami, the next steps will be less about what fans chant and more about how each team performs when attention is brightest. The slogan debate will likely remain part of the backdrop, but the durable measure will be whether the Irish can translate their current priorities into the kind of national-level results that make rivalry week feel newly meaningful rather than merely familiar.

What to watch next is whether Notre Dame supporters and staff continue to lean into newer themes when the Canes and Irish share the same field, and whether Miami responds by doubling down on its own established identity or, instead, also tones down the rhetoric. In a season shaped by exposure and recruiting, how programs present themselves week to week can matter even when the scoreboard is the only thing that truly settles the argument.