The documentary is the 87th in ESPN's 30 for 30 series and aired on ESPN following the December 10, 2016 Heisman Award. It premiered to over two million viewers, making it the highest rated 30 for 30 film since 2015.[1]
The rivalry culminated in a showdown three years later, which was dubbed "Catholics vs. Convicts." The name originated from a t-shirt slogan created by Notre Dame students Joe Frederick and Michael Caponigro.[4] The slogan played on Notre Dame's Catholic background and the public perception of Miami's players as college football's "bad boys," a reputation that was reinforced by the arrests of a number of Miami players. Both the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Miami Hurricanes came into the game undefeated.[3]Cleveland Gary's controversial "phantom fumble" is examined closely in the film. While studying the game the filmmakers re-examined a second close call by the referees which had gone largely unnoticed at the time. Both coaches and several players from the game had never seen the replay, leading many of the subjects to reconsider the outcome of the game. Many sportswriters consider it one of the greatest college football games of all time.[5][6][7][8]
The documentary is partially based on director Patrick Creadon's experience as a Notre Dame undergraduate at the time.[9] Creadon was a senior at Notre Dame in 1988 and knew the students behind the "Catholics vs. Convicts" slogan.[9]
