The1888 Notre Dame football team was anAmerican football team that represented theUniversity of Notre Dame in the1888 college football season. The team had no coach and played only one game during the fall of 1888, a 20–0 victory over Harvard Prep School (a preparatory school in Chicago, also known as Chicago Harvard School) atSouth Bend, Indiana, on December 6, 1888. The win over Harvard Prep was the first victory in the history of theNotre Dame Fighting Irish football program. It was also the programs first blowout win, first undefeated season, and most points scored against an opposing football team. The 20–0 win was twice the number of points scored during the entire 1887 season. Although they only played a single game, Harvard Prep had declared themselves champions of Illinois after going undefeated prior to the contest with Notre Dame, and when Notre Dame defeated them, theSouth Bend Tribune asserted that University was "Champions of the Northwest".
