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| 1961 SCHEDULEOverall 5-5Home 3-2Away 2-3 |
| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time / Result | Media | |
| Sat., Sep. 30 | vs. Oklahoma |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 19-6 | TV: ABC | More |
| Sat., Oct. 7 | at Purdue |
West Lafayette, Ind. | W, 22-20 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 14 | vs. USC |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 30-0 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 21 | at Michigan State |
East Lansing, Mich. | L, 17-7 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 28 | vs. Northwestern |
Notre Dame, Ind. | L, 12-10 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 4 | vs. Navy |
Notre Dame, Ind. | L, 13-10 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 11 | at Pittsburgh |
Pittsburgh, Pa. | W, 26-20 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 18 | vs. Syracuse |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 17-15 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 25 | at Iowa |
Iowa City, Iowa | L, 42-21 | More | |
| Sat., Dec. 2 | at Duke |
Durham, N.C. | L, 37-13 | More | |
Schedule Key Home Event Away Event