The University of Notre Dame is ushering in a fresh era of branding for its storied athletic tradition.
Ahead of the 2025 football season, the school unveiled a new Leprechaun logo, which is part of a broader initiative to introduce sport-specific versions of the iconic mascot across all varsity programs. The updated design by Fighting Irish Media was created with direct input from athletes and staff throughout the department.
According to Notre Dame, the design team drew inspiration from archival photographs and the playing styles of both past and current student-athletes, aiming to reflect the winning culture of the program on the field.
Fighting Irish Football ☘️#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/NiDmBzSroX
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 21, 2025
The Leprechaun has long held a special place in Notre Dame’s identity. Its national debut came in 1964, when it appeared on the cover of Time magazine alongside first-year head coach Ara Parseghian.
That image evolved into a logo recognized worldwide as a symbol of the Fighting Irish’s tenacity and competitive spirit. Though the Leprechaun is classified as a secondary mark within the university’s athletics portfolio, its cultural resemblance extends far beyond campus.
This latest version marks the first in a series of sport-specific adaptations. The athletic department plans to roll out additional marks across the 2025–26 school year, each tailored to the unique identity of a given program. The goal is to maintain consistency in tradition while allowing teams to showcase individuality through their own interpretation of the mascot.
For football, fans won’t have to wait long to see the change in action. The new mark will appear prominently on sidelines this season, as well as on apparel in partnership with Under Armour.
For a program steeped in tradition, the decision kept Notre Dame’s balance between honoring its history and evolving with the modern era of college athletics branding.
MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS:
- New revenue streams in college football allow fans to pay for access
- ESPN analyst’s blue-chip son named No. 1 recruit In America
- 10 loudest college football stadiums ranked
- UCLA's DeShaun Foster gets testy with the media over new policy