The 1953 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team was an American football team that represented the University of Notre Dame as an independent during the 1953 college football season. In their 11th and final season under head coach Frank Leahy, the Irish compiled a 9–0–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 317 to 139. They won their first seven games, including victories over No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 4 Georgia Tech, and were ranked No. 1 in the AP poll through that time. After a tie with No. 20 Iowa on November 21, they dropped to No. 2 and remained in that spot in the final AP and UPI coaches polls. Twelve other selectors declared Notre Dame as the 1953 national champion.