Michigan-Notre Dame to resume in 2018!

Submitted by LS And Play on

This is excellent news in my opinion. And so soon! As noted below, this will require a schedule adjustment for Michigan -- seemingly Arkansas will be cut -- in 2018. The tweet: 

Source: #Michigan and #NotreDame to announce their football rivalry series will resume play in 2018. Announcement expected tomorrow.

— Jay Sarkar (@WLNSJaySarkar) July 7, 2016

Oscar

July 7th, 2016 at 1:28 AM ^

ND is traditionally a top tier team (depending on how many tiers there are). If you can't be excited about ruining their season, then Coach Harbaugh would be very disappointed in you. I'm not sure if I would have made it through the Rich Rod years without this game.

Goggles Paisano

July 7th, 2016 at 6:02 AM ^

I'm with WD on this one.  I would rather see them play Arkansas and some other big programs in the future instead of ND every year.  The hiatus could have been much longer imo.

The whoopin they gave us in the last game is an era I have let go and moved on from.  The RR/Hoke/Brandon (typing that makes me sick) era is a thing of the past that I choose not to revisit or get sad about. This includes the last ND game.  

ijohnb

July 7th, 2016 at 9:01 AM ^

was ready for it to go but I miss it already.  That being said, I really hope the announcement is that Michigan and Notre Dame will play a home and home in 2018-19 and will see what happens after that.  News that they have signed a 20 year agreement to play every year would not be welcome news IMO.

In reply to by ijohnb

wayneandgarth

July 7th, 2016 at 9:36 AM ^

Whatever agreement there is, read the fine print on outs.  When does the slip of paper need to be handed over to the clueless AD?  At least Warde is going to go into this with his eyes wide open.

TrueBlue2003

July 7th, 2016 at 5:56 PM ^

don't really count because both team had bad coaches and were generally horrible teams (counting Kelly's first transition year as a Wies season still).  Kelly has ND towards the top of the cfball again and...Harbaugh.  This is a classic rivalry with two excellent fiery coaches.  Should be very fun.

umfanchris

July 7th, 2016 at 10:15 AM ^

I don't think this should be an every year game. I would love if they played ND 2 or 4 years in a row (both getting equal home games) and 2 years off. Having ND on the schedule every year means that there are only 2 additional non conference games. Most years those are going to be filled with non power 5 teams or weak power 5 teams since we already have a good team on our non confrence schedule.  

Optimism Attache

July 7th, 2016 at 6:34 AM ^

Just pretend it's a conference game, but with a higher level of competition than your typical B1G team.

I get the excitement of playing new, good non-conference teams each year, but if ND is replacing a game like SMU, Hawaii, or Cincinatti I am all for it!

Wolfman

July 7th, 2016 at 7:07 AM ^

Until the Davie years, that game was normally a hard-fought, exciting contest. I'm just glad our bump wasn't as severe as theirs, but now with Kelly and Harbaugh getting us turned around, I think it would be a hell of a series. 

If you recall anything about those games in the past, the loser didn't normally get hurt too badly in the polls. Both teams were recognized as being among the best in the nation and, as you say, ticket holders are getting ripped off big time, especially if the home and home scheduling determines the better teams aren't coming to AA in a given year. 

As fun as the experience was, things changed greatly for me with the addition of the franchise fee. When two tickets in Sec 2 went up to 1300 a year, I suddenly found myself counting my money a little more carefully, hell a lot more carefully. Just happened to coincide with a not so good financial year for me.

I just like the possibilities of Kelly vs. Harbaugh. He has them back on track and is pulling in some damn fine players. And we all know Michigan is only going to keep improving. 

I would think one blowout a year is all any good team needs, and I still haven't figured out what that weekend in November is all about in the SEC unless its purpose is to allow all the teams to heal prior to the final two weekends. 

Kevin13

July 7th, 2016 at 9:38 AM ^

that playing them actually gets boring for me also. Would rather play an SEC, ACC or Pac-12 team then another midwest team from Indiana. Give me the national exposure and spread the UM brand to other parts of the countries.

I hope if we do a home and home with them that we take a break then and get back to playing teams outside the region.

drzoidburg

July 7th, 2016 at 2:53 AM ^

omg don't you get it? Harbaugh trying to relive his glory years, well, anyone under 30 is not gonna remember the last time this was a premiere matchup. We had a 12 year stretch of mediocrity by one or both teams, basically like playing illinois. It doesn't get the younger crowd excited. Even historically, there has been perhaps 10-15 solid matchups, less than wisconsin who we could somehow stomach 7(?) years off

oriental andrew

July 7th, 2016 at 10:27 AM ^

9/7/2019 is open for both teams

2018 will require moving some things around, as our open dates don't currently align. 

I'd be a proponent of a 2 years on, 2 years off pattern with ND. Don't need them every year for the foreseeable future, but nice to have a regular cadence including breaks during which we can schedule some other intersectional Power 5 matchups.

StateStreetApostle

July 7th, 2016 at 7:55 AM ^

"I wish Bo had never said "to hell with Notre Dame." It is the crying Jordan of things Bo said. 

I downvote all of you metaphorically. Michigan and Notre Dame should play. In hockey, in football, in whatever."

 

--Brian Cook, 3/23/16

translator82

July 6th, 2016 at 11:44 PM ^

SI's Ryan Krasnoo (a Michigan alum, according to his Twitter page) also citing sources that the rivalry is back on. Krasnoo adds that the Arkansas game will get cut and the athletic department will take a $2 million loss.

 

Wolverine Devotee

July 6th, 2016 at 11:46 PM ^

$2M?!?

That's unnecessary. This could've waited if it was gonna cost that much.

I honestly enjoyed the break from playing them this past year. And this is coming from someone who never experienced the brief hiatus that took place in the 90s here and there.




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