Factual error: Rudy's high school, Joliet Catholic, was all male when Rudy attended. In the movie, however, there are girls in his class. (00:09:10)
Factual error: The Big Game in Rudy takes place in 1975, which means Rudy started at Holy Cross in 1972. To get to Holy Cross, he takes a bus there. In that touching goodbye scene with his father at the bus station, look at the mural in the back ground. It is a depiction of the New York skyline with the Twin Towers, which were not completed until 1973, after that scene should have taken place. (00:21:20)
Factual error: In at least two scenes, cars from the 1990's can be seen, despite the fact that the film took place two decades earlier. (00:50:00)
Factual error: The film takes place in the mid-70's, yet in some practice sequences (the most glaring being a QB taking a snap face-on), the facemasks used are modern, multi-bar cage-type, and some of the players have Air helmets, not invented yet. (01:26:40)
Factual error: In the scene where Rudy is in the stands watching a game, the scoreboard shows the opponent as Penn State University. Penn State did not play a game in Notre Dame Stadium until 1982. (01:27:35)
Factual error: When Rudy is reading his acceptance letter from Notre Dame, he quotes that he was accepted as a freshman. Earlier in the film, he said to Father Cavanaugh that this was his last chance, because Notre Dame doesn't accept senior transfers. The acceptance letter should have listed him as a junior transfer student.
Factual error: When Rudy uses the public phone in the hallway, it is a touch tone, not a dial. Touch tone phones weren't in use at that place and time.
Suggested correction: Touch-tone phones were introduced in 1963, a decade before the movie is set. Also, the time stamp is wrong. It shows four hours. The movie is less than two hours long.
Factual error: When the players make the turn to go out on the field they slap the "Play like a Champion Today" sign, which wasn't installed until Lou Holtz got there in 1986.
