Notre Dame Football Announces Future Matchups – Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Official Athletics Website
SOUTH BEND, IN – The University of Notre Dame has introduced three future matchups for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. Notre Dame and Stanford University have agreed to increase the Legends Trophy Rivalry for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The 2027 schedule additionally sees the Irish host a first-time opponent in Kent State, the alma mater of the late legendary Fighting Irish head coach Lou Holtz, who handed away in March.
Legends Trophy Rivalry Extended
In 2027, the custom of the Irish ending the season in California will resume as Notre Dame will play the Cardinal in Stanford Stadium on November 27, 2027. Stanford will go to Notre Dame Stadium on October 14, 2028.
These would be the forty first and forty second conferences between Notre Dame and Stanford.
Notre Dame leads the general collection 25-14-0. Excluding the 2020 COVID season, the Irish and Cardinal have met each season since 1998.
The first assembly happened in 1924 on the Rose Bowl as Notre Dame defeated Stanford 27-10. That matchup impressed The Legends Trophy, which was named in honor of the 2 coaches from that 1924 contest – Knute Rockne for the Irish and Pop Warner for the Cardinal.
The Irish have received the final three conferences in opposition to Stanford, together with a 42-20 triumph in 2025. That victory enabled Notre Dame to finish the 2025 season with a 10-game win streak.
Hosting the Golden Flashes
The sport in opposition to Kent State at Notre Dame Stadium on October 2, 2027 would be the ninetieth program of the present 138 FBS groups that the Irish have confronted of their historical past. This is the fourth most in College Football historical past behind solely Georgia (97), Ohio State (96) and Michigan (95). The matchup pins the Irish in opposition to the alma mater of late legendary Irish head coach Lou Holtz. Holtz performed linebacker for the Golden Flashes in 1957 and graduated in 1959 with a level in historical past from Kent State.
Kent State has just a few distinctive connections to Notre Dame Football. Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman was the linebackers coach at Kent State from 2011-2012. There have been three former Notre Dame soccer assistant coaches who served as head coaches for the Golden Flashes. Ed Chlebek, Notre Dame quarterbacks coach in 1975, led Kent State from 1981-82. Pete Cordelli, who served on the Irish teaching employees from 1986-90 was the top coach at Kent State from 1991-93. Finally, Dean Pees, the top coach at KSU from 1998-2003 was the Notre Dame defensive backs coach in 1994.
Notre Dame is 11-1 in opposition to present groups from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Irish’s final contest in opposition to a MAC opponent got here in opposition to Miami University on September 21, 2024, when Notre Dame defeated the Redhawks 28-3.
Including the upcoming sport in opposition to the Golden Flashes, the Irish could have performed 9 out of the present 12 MAC member establishments.
Tickets
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