The 1980-81 Notre Dame Fighting Irish went 23-6 under head coach Digger Phelps. The team peaked at #4 in the AP poll. Simple Rating System: 13.27.
| Date | Opponent | Result | Arena |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-11-29 | at UCLA Bruins | L 81–94 | Pauley Pavilion |
| 1980-12-02 | vs Montana State Bobcats | W 87–68 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1980-12-04 | vs TCU Horned Frogs | W 79–63 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1980-12-09 | vs Indiana Hoosiers | W 68–64 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1980-12-22 | vs Valparaiso Beacons | W 69–56 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1980-12-27 | neutral Kentucky Wildcats | W 67–61 | Freedom Hall |
| 1981-01-04 | at Davidson Wildcats | W 87–67 | Johnston Gym |
| 1981-01-06 | at Villanova Wildcats | W 96–65 | Villanova Field House |
| 1981-01-10 | at Marquette Golden Eagles | L 52–54 | MECCA Arena |
| 1981-01-13 | at San Francisco Dons | L 63–66 | War Memorial Gymnasium |
| 1981-01-17 | vs Hofstra Pride | W 65–55 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-01-19 | vs Fordham Rams | W 67–61 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-01-21 | vs San Francisco Dons | W 80–75 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-01-24 | at Maryland Terrapins | W 73–70 | Cole Fieldhouse |
| 1981-01-27 | vs Cornell Big Red | W 80–58 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-01-31 | vs South Carolina Gamecocks | W 94–84 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-02-02 | vs Saint Mary's Gaels | W 94–63 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-02-04 | vs La Salle Explorers | W 60–59 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-02-08 | vs UCLA Bruins | L 50–51 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-02-10 | vs Boston University Terriers | W 89–63 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-02-14 | at NC State Wolfpack | W 71–55 | Reynolds Coliseum |
| 1981-02-16 | vs Fairfield Stags | W 57–55 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-02-22 | vs Virginia Cavaliers | W 57–56 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-02-26 | vs Saint Francis Red Flash | W 87–71 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-02-28 | vs Dayton Flyers | W 70–57 | Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center |
| 1981-03-08 | at DePaul Blue Demons | L 64–74 | Rosemont Horizon |
| 1981-03-14 | neutral James Madison Dukes | W 54–45 | Providence Civic Center |
| 1981-03-19 | neutral BYU Cougars | L 50–51 | The Omni |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish program history · All Division I programs · Hoopsipedia home
| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|