Michigan and Notre Dame haven’t played since 2019. Should the Wolverines and the Fighting Irish play again before 2033? Vote in this edition
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The Michigan Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are rivals, albeit ones that play sporadically. Michigan and Notre Dame have squared off 44 times, with the first meeting being in 1887. The last time the two programs faced one another was in 2019, a 45-14 Michigan victory at Michigan Stadium. For those wanting to see the Wolverines vs the Irish again, well, you’ll have to wait a while longer — they’re set to face off again in 2033 at Michigan Stadium and in 2024 at Notre Dame Stadium.
Should Michigan and Notre Dame play again before 2033? Vote below.
While 14 years between matchups is a long time, the rivalry has featured even longer gaps in the past. Michigan and Notre Dame didn’t play from 1909 all the way until 1942, and then from 1943 until 1978. Michigan leads the series 25-17-1 and while the rivalry isn’t on the same level as Ohio State or in-state rival Michigan State, Michigan vs Notre Dame is a rivalry that many college football fans thoroughly enjoy watching, with the 2019 matchup drawing 6.75 million viewers, the second-highest total of Michigan’s season with the Ohio State tilt netting 12.42 million viewers.
Notre Dame recently announced a 12-game home-and-home series with Clemson starting in 2027 and ending in 2038. It doesn’t seem like Michigan vs Notre Dame is a priority for either school, and it hasn’t been a priority in quite some time. The only reason Michigan and Notre Dame played in 2018 and 2019 is because Jim Harbaugh called then ND head coach Brian Kelly.
“First of all, Jim reached out to me, and we were both of the same opinion that we wanted to try to get this game back, if we could,” Kelly said in 2018.
Will the two programs try to get this game back before 2033? They could if they wanted to. Michigan has its non-conference opponents lined up through 2027, but has room to add opponents starting in 2028. Michigan vs ND is a television ratings juggernaut, and a loss to a non-conference foe is no longer fatal with the College Football Playoff expanded to eight teams and likely to 12 or 16 teams in the next couple of years. Why not play sooner than 2033? If not, at least we’ll have something to look forward to in the next decade.
How did you vote this week? Let us know in the comments and come back later in the week when we reveal the results.