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| 1986 SCHEDULEOverall 5-6Home 3-3Away 1-3Neutral 1-0 |
| Date | Opponent / Event | Location | Time / Result | Media | |
| Sat., Sep. 13 | vs. Michigan |
Notre Dame, Ind. | L, 24-23 | More | |
| Sat., Sep. 20 | at Michigan State |
East Lansing, Mich. | L, 20-15 | More | |
| Sat., Sep. 27 | vs. Purdue |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 41-9 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 4 | at Alabama |
Birmingham, Ala. | L, 28-10 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 11 | vs. Pittsburgh |
Notre Dame, Ind. | L, 10-9 | More | |
| Sat., Oct. 18 | vs. Air Force |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 31-3 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 1 | vs. Navy |
Baltimore, Md. | W, 33-14 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 8 | vs. SMU |
Notre Dame, Ind. | W, 61-29 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 15 | vs. Penn State |
Notre Dame, Ind. | L, 24-19 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 22 | at LSU |
Baton Rouge, La. | L, 21-19 | More | |
| Sat., Nov. 29 | at USC |
Los Angeles, Calif. | W, 38-37 | More | |
Schedule Key Home Event Away Event