Notre Dame officially announced its 2017, 2018 and 2019 football schedules Thursday afternoon, releasing a slate of 36 games that will see the Irish travel to nine different states for 15 road games.
The Irish will open the 2017 campaign with a third game in five seasons against Temple, when the Owls come to Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 2 for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. Notre Dame will be on campus again the next weekend Sept. 9, when Georgia visits for a marquee matchup at 7:30 p.m. for the second of seven home games next season.
Other 3:30 p.m. kickoffs are North Carolina State on Oct. 28, Wake Forest on Nov. 4 and Navy on Nov. 18 for Senior Day. USC will visit Oct. 21 for another under-the-lights, 7:30 p.m. kickoff, while Miami (Ohio) comes to South Bend for a 5 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 30 on NBCSN. The new time slot allows the Irish game to be televised between NASCAR and Presidents Cup action. The other six home games will be on NBC, as always.
Notre Dame will make its first road trip of the season Sept. 16 when it visits Boston College, before making the short trek to Michigan State on Sept. 23. The Irish will return to the road for North Carolina on Oct. 7, then will take a week off for the bye. Two final road contests will appear in the season’s final month — a trip to Miami (Fla.) is on the schedule for Nov. 11, while the season will end in California, as is tradition, at Stanford on Nov 25. Game times are not yet determined for road contests.
Of the 36 games officially announced Thursday, 2018’s season opener might be the most anticipated, when Notre Dame and Michigan rekindle their rivalry at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 1. A contest with Vanderbilt at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 15 was announced Thursday, while other home foes for the 2018 season include Ball State, Stanford, Pittsburgh, Florida State and Syracuse. One of those games may be moved off campus, as part of the Shamrock Series initiative.
Notre Dame won’t play a road game until the fourth week of its 2018 season, when it visits Wake Forest, before making trips to Virginia Tech, Northwestern and USC the rest of the season. The traditional game with Navy will take place in San Diego that year.
The 2019 season will feature a new look for Irish fans: Notre Dame will open the season on Labor Day, visiting Louisville on Sept. 2. The Irish will immediately jump to one of two bye weeks the next weekend, before opening the home slate with New Mexico, currently coached by former Irish head coach Bob Davie. Virginia, Bowling Green, USC, Virginia Tech, Navy and Boston College are the other home games for 2019, while Notre Dame will also make trips to Georgia, Michigan, Duke and Stanford. Again, like in 2018, one of the home games may be moved to be a Shamrock Series contest.
