Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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(No. 2 at 892) and men's basketball wins (No. 8 at 1,819, one behind UCLA). To have both excel promi‑ nently in the same academic year, though, has seldom been seen the past 35 years. For example, last year Notre Dame men's basketball finished No. 5 in the final coaches poll — but the football team was unranked following an 8‑5 ledger. During the 2012‑13 school year, the football team advanced to the BCS National Championship Game and finished No. 4 in the Associated Press poll — but basketball fell to No. 40 in the final coaches poll after a blowout loss to Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Having both place in the final top 25, never mind the top 10, is rare. Since the 1981‑82 academic calendar, the only time Notre Dame finished in the top 20 in both sports was in 2002‑03. Under first‑year football coach Tyrone Willingham, the 10‑3 Fight‑ ing Irish came in at No. 17 in the AP poll, but that was after losing hand‑ ily in their last two outings against USC (44‑13) and North Carolina State (28‑6) in the Gator Bowl to leave an immensely sour taste about the "re‑ turn to glory" theme. Meanwhile, under third‑year bas‑ ketball coach Mike Brey, Notre Dame (24‑10) finished No. 15 in the coaches poll after advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years before falling to No. 5 Arizona. The 2015‑16 school year was the best combination at Notre Dame in the two marquee sports since 1980‑81. This year 's football team earned a New Year's Six invitation to the Fiesta Bowl and finished 10‑3 after losing its final two games. The AP placed it No. 11 in the final rank‑ ings, while the coaches poll had the Irish at No. 12. Then in the final rankings of the men's basketball coaches poll, Notre Dame finished No. 17. It seemed a run to the Elite Eight for the second straight year should have placed the Irish higher, but the 24‑12 final re‑ cord, plus not defeating any higher seeds in the tourney, kept them out of the top 10. Since the advent of the AP basket‑ ball poll during the 1948‑49 season, Notre Dame finished in the top 10 in both football and men's basketball eight times: 1. 1952‑53: THE FIRST TIME The football team defeated confer‑ ence champions in the Big Ten (co‑ champ Purdue), Big 8 (Oklahoma), Southwest (Texas) and Pac‑8 (USC) to finish No. 3, while the basketball team concluded the regular season No. 10 — and then reached the Elite Eight, the first time it ever accepted an invitation to play in postseason action. 2. 1953‑54: SO CLOSE IN BOTH Heisman Trophy winner John Lattner led the Fighting Irish to a 9‑0‑1 ledger and No. 2 placement. Maryland was awarded the national title despite losing in the Orange Bowl to Oklahoma (which the Irish defeated), because back then national titles were voted on at the end of the