From 1971 to 1984, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Miami Hurricanes met every year, with the Irish winning the first 10 matchups. That dominance ended in the 1980s, with the matchup reaching nasty proportions in 1985 when Miami was accused of running up the score in a 58-7 rout. Two years later, the Hurricanes shut out Notre Dame, 24-0, with Miami taunting soon-to-be Heisman winner Tim Brown during the clash.
That set the stage for the October 15, 1988 classic that became known as the Catholics vs. Convicts game. The Irish’s status as a Catholic school and the arrests of multiple Hurricane players in recent years served as the basis for the phrase.