Notre Dame Home and Home Series Wishlist

Notre Dame has grown accustomed to playing in some of the most interesting and challenging home-and-home series games in the country. Whether it be Ohio State over the past couple of seasons or Texas A&M heading to South Bend this upcoming season, there's no denying that the Irish aren't afraid to add some titans to beef up their schedule. Who else would make for a good series against Notre Dame?

Notre Dame already has some fascinating home-and-home games planned in the upcoming years. In 2028, they will kick off their series against Texas in South Bend, and will then travel to Austin, TX, in 2029. 2029 will also mark the beginning of a series with Alabama that will conclude the following year in Bryant-Denny Stadium. These are not only unconventional games, but they are also extremely challenging, as both teams are premier SEC programs. This also happens in the midst of Notre Dame's new annual series with Clemson, starting in 2027. If Notre Dame does end up losing their rivalry with USC, it will be important for the Irish to bolster their schedule with more intriguing and challenging games, so who might that be?

LSU Tigers

It goes without saying that this would be an electrifying game for Notre Dame. The Irish faithful would probably be the most excited for this game, as it would be a chance for Notre Dame to exact revenge on Brian Kelly and his somewhat messy departure from the program. This series would have more than enough storylines, whether that is Brian Kelly's first game against Notre Dame, the programs' history against each other, and the Notre Dame vs the SEC narrative that always seems to get both sides animated. One of the coolest parts of this matchup would be the venues involved. Death Valley, in Baton Rouge, LA, is considered to be one of the most hostile places to play in the country, all due to its rowdy fans. That is contrasted with the historic backdrop that is Notre Dame and its football stadium. This game would also give Marcus Freeman and his staff another opportunity to travel south and show recruits in the area the Notre Dame brand. The South is an area Freeman has recruited well, but he would surely love one more chance to win over recruits from the Louisiana area.

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The two teams have played 12 times already in the past. The first meeting came in 1970, during Ara Parseghian's time as head coach. The game lacked any sort of scoring, with Notre Dame winning by a whopping score of 3-0. The Fighting Irish and Tigers would then periodically continue to play throughout the 80s to 2018, their last matchup against each other. The last two times these teams have faced off were in bowl games. The first took place at the Music City Bowl, where Notre Dame got the better of LSU with a game-winning field goal. Four years later, Notre Dame would win again in the Citrus Bowl, thanks to the late-game heroics of Miles Boykin. Overall, Notre Dame leads in this matchup, 7-5. As two of the most prestigious programs in the sport, Notre Dame vs LSU would make for a marquee matchup under the bright lights.

Penn State Nittany Lions

After the thrilling Orange Bowl in the semifinals of the CFP, fans of either school would most likely agree that these teams need to meet more often. This game makes sense for many reasons. Before Penn State joined the Big Ten, Notre Dame and Penn State would meet and produce some awesome moments. Last year proved that these historic programs are still very capable of creating those moments today, so why not feature a matchup at each other's home stadiums? That is another reason why this matchup would make for a great series. Notre Dame Stadium and Beaver Stadium are two of the most iconic venues in college football. A whiteout game at Beaver Stadium against Notre Dame would be a ratings monster and create the perfect environment for a classic. Geographically, this game makes plenty of sense, too. With conference realignment, teams aren't as willing to make long trips to play out-of-conference teams, especially in the Big Ten with West Coast teams. Neither Notre Dame nor Penn State would have to worry about long travel, as they are just a short plane ride away. Lastly, these two teams are very similar in a way. Both are programs with a rich history of winning, but have developed a reputation for not being able to compete with football's best. Both are trying to rid themselves of that reputation and seem to be on their way to doing so.

The overall series between these two schools is extremely close, with Notre Dame leading 10-9 with one tie. Throughout the 80s and early 90s, Notre Dame and Penn State faced off 12 times. In that span of games, Penn State dominated the Irish, winning eight of them. During this time, Notre Dame was transitioning from Gerry Faust to Lou Holtz, but even then, Penn State was still able to beat out Holtz, going 4-3 against him. They have played three times since then, two of them occurring in 2006-2007, where they exchanged blowouts. Of course, the last time they played was last season in the Orange Bowl. Notre Dame outlasted Penn State in a thriller, ending the game with a Mitch Jeter field goal. That Orange Bowl should be the catalyst for a new home-and-home installment in a matchup between two of college football's most revered programs.

Oregon Ducks

Marcus Freeman and Dan Lanning are two of the best young coaches in the sport right now. In a way, they signify the new line of great coaches to come to the sport and have elevated their programs to the top of college football. A series between these two coaches and programs can affirm that narrative, while also providing each fan base with a great matchup. Oregon symbolizes the new age of college football. They have a talented young coach, flashy uniforms, and a ton of NIL money to spend. Because of all of this, they have quickly climbed the ranks of college football, even winning the Big Ten in their first year in the conference. Notre Dame, on the other hand, still symbolizes a lot of what makes the older generations of college football so great for the sport. It is the pageantry, tradition, and the feel the campus gives fans that make college sports what it is. Notre Dame, with the help of Freeman, has modernized in a lot of ways, but Notre Dame will always be that sense of tradition. This clash of identities is what would make a series like this so interesting. If Notre Dame loses the USC game, this series could also give Notre Dame another reason to head out West, which is important for their recruiting and Notre Dame fans on the West Coast. Oregon is also one of the best teams in the country, and one Notre Dame never plays. A chance to see the two play would be unique not only for each team's fans but for the entire country as a whole.

Notre Dame and Oregon have only played once in their history. In 1976, Oregon traveled to South Bend and suffered a brutal loss, 41-0. A new series between these two programs would be exactly what college football is all about and is what the sport needs more of.

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