What is the Shillelagh Trophy? What to know of Notre Dame

The Shillelagh Trophy Purdue and Notre Dame play for.

An in-state battle will take place in Indiana with Purdue and Notre Dame renewing their long rivalry — and playing for some hardware.

Separated by about 95 miles, the Fighting Irish and Boilermakers have been playing each other for nearly 130 years, first meeting on the gridiron in 1896. They played each other sporadically afterward, but met annually from 1946 to 2014. The series was halted for a few years, but the two sides resumed their rivalry in 2021 and are in the middle of a series of playing each year from 2024-28.

Given its status in college football, it's no surprise Notre Dame has dominated the rivalry, riding a nine-game win streak — with two victories vacated. Still, the game is important as it's not only a contest between in-state foes, but also a trophy game, with the winner taking home the Shillelagh Trophy.

No, it's not the Jeweled Shillelagh — that one is played by Notre Dame and Southern California. It's common to get it mixed up with Notre Dame's other rivalry, and even new Purdue coach Barry Odom had to get a lesson on the prize in the matchup.

"Played a long time, been a lot of great battles over the years between the two programs, and I’m honored to have a chance to represent Purdue in a trophy game," Odom said.

Here's what to know about the Shillelagh Trophy ahead of the 89th matchup between Notre Dame and Purdue:

What is the Shillelagh Trophy? Notre Dame-Purdue trophy, explained

The Shillelagh Trophy was introduced to the rivalry in 1957. According to Purdue, a merchant seaman and Notre Dame fan named Joe McLaughlin donated it after he brought the club from Ireland, and the teams have played for it since then.

The trophy features a Shillelagh and two punters on the side of it. The base of it has gold footballs, and each one represents the results of the game. For Notre Dame victories, the "ND" logo is on the ball while Purdue wins are signified with a "P." The score and year of the game is also on the football.

Notre Dame-Purdue series record

The Fighting Irish have dominated the rivalry with a 58-26-2 series advantage. Since the trophy was introduced, Notre Dame still has the edge with a 39–19 record (not counting the vacated wins in 2012 and 2013).

Not including those contests, Notre Dame has won nine straight games in the series, with Purdue's last victory coming in 2007. The 2025 edition will be played at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, which has been unfriendly to the Boilermakers; they haven't won there since 2004, and are 2-20 in the stadium since 1970.

Notre Dame won the most recent meeting in 2024 at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. The Fighting Irish won 66-7, handing Purdue its worst loss in program history.

Future Notre Dame-Purdue games

The series is set to continue through the 2028 season: