Notre Dame Will Remain Independent, But Won't Need Annual ...

Skip to main contentSB NationSB Nation logoA Notre Dame Fighting Irish CommunityOne Foot DownMarch 11, 2026One Foot DownNotificationsNotifications

• The Feed
• Betting
  • FanDuel College Football Odds
  • FanDuel College Basketball Odds
  • Notre Dame Football Odds
  • Notre Dame Basketball Odds
  • College Football Picks and Predictions
  • College Basketball Picks and Predictions
• Library
  • The OFD Film Room
  • Game Day Guide
  • YouTube: Every ND Football Game
  • 2021 Notre Dame Roster, Schedule, Stats
• Community Guidelines
• About

Navigation Drawer

• Login / Sign Up

closeCloseSearch

• The Feed
• BettingExpand
  • FanDuel College Football Odds
  • FanDuel College Basketball Odds
  • Notre Dame Football Odds
  • Notre Dame Basketball Odds
  • College Football Picks and Predictions
  • College Basketball Picks and Predictions
• LibraryExpand
  • The OFD Film Room
  • Game Day Guide
  • YouTube: Every ND Football Game
  • 2021 Notre Dame Roster, Schedule, Stats
• Community Guidelines
• About
• Newsletters
• All communities

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Youtube
• RSS

One Foot DownNotre Dame Football: Irish are going to stay independent, but that doesn’t mean Michigan is back on the annual scheduleNotificationsNotifications

• Football

Notre Dame Football: Irish are going to stay independent, but that doesn’t mean Michigan is back on the annual schedule

Think again

by Joshua VowlesAug 16, 2022, 8:49 PM UTC

• Facebook
• Link

With news that new media rights deals for conferences and networks are starting to fall into place, we now have a general idea of what to expect with Notre Dame’s new deal with NBC. It was reported a while back that the Irish could be seeking $75 million a year, and that kind of money would help keep the Irish football team out of a conference and free as a bird.

We are inching closer to something a little more finalized.

Sources say the school should expect around $60 million per year from a new contract — though it’s hard to predict how the media business will look three years from now.

Obviously, Notre Dame would remain independent if it agrees to a new rights deal. But its association with NBC — and NBC’s new association with the Big Ten — make it likely that the Fighting Irish would add more Big Ten games to its schedule.

In other words, expect a return of Notre Dame’s rivalry with Michigan before 2033, which is when they are next scheduled to meet.

But does it? Does a new deal with NBC and the Big 10 deal with NBC really mean Notre Dame and Michigan will return to playing annually?

Not really.

Notre Dame’s home schedule hasn’t been all that great during the ACC era. It’s the ACC deal that guided Notre Dame’s hand to not play the Purdue Boilermakers, Michigan State Spartans, and Michigan Wolverines every season. Notre Dame’s misguided attempt at a wookie life debt with the Navy Midshipmen, and the desire to keep the USC Trojans and Stanford Cardinal (California schools) meant that some tweaks to the schedule we became used to over the 25 years prior were needed.

Things are definitely changing now, however, so what kind of changes should we expect?

It really depends on the NBC contract. Perhaps there’s a stick and carrot situation here with NBC willing to give the Irish more money in exchange for more games against Big 10 opponents. That certainly seems logical, as Notre Dame has schedules to fill out in the future, and already has a fair share of Big 10 games on the docket.

So yeah... I do expect Notre Dame to basically be 1⁄2 in the ACC and unofficially 1⁄2 in the Big 10 in the future, but that doesn’t mean it will be Michigan every year. There are quite a few Big 10 teams that can (and will) show up on Notre Dame’s football schedule — not just the skunkbears. Maybe that’s something you want as a fan — and maybe it’s not — but it doesn’t matter. John Ourand saying the game is likely to come back as an annual matchup is just speculation and wishful thinking from someone outside of the bubbles of both Notre Dame and Michigan.

What’s important right now, is that Notre Dame is determined to stay independent in football, and won’t have to change that line of thinking unless a path to the playoff becomes impossible.

See More:

• Football

Most Popular

1. The Lou Holtz the World Didn’t Always See
2. Marcus Freeman made it known which Notre Dame rivalry is more important
3. Boston College 77, Notre Dame 69: Not with a bang, but with a whimper
4. Notre Dame Football fans are optimistic Marcus Freeman stays past 2030
5. Should Notre Dame give the basketball program the same type of “all-in” funding as the football program?

Advertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

More in Football

Mar 6Notre Dame Football fans are optimistic Marcus Freeman stays past 2030Mar 6Marcus Freeman made it known which Notre Dame rivalry is more importantMar 4Remembering the life and legacy of Lou HoltzMar 4Legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz has passed awayMar 4How long will Marcus Freeman coach the Irish?Feb 24Are the Texas Longhorns afraid to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish?FootballMar 6FootballMar 6Notre Dame Football fans are optimistic Marcus Freeman stays past 2030

A good number of Notre Dame fans are hopeful about the future of Marcus Freeman in South Bend.

By Joshua VowlesFootballMar 6FootballMar 6Marcus Freeman made it known which Notre Dame rivalry is more important

Manti Te’o asked the question, and he liked what Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman had to say.

By Joshua VowlesFootballMar 4FootballMar 4Remembering the life and legacy of Lou Holtz

Lou Holtz leaves behind an incredible football legacy at Notre Dame

By Joshua VowlesFootballMar 4FootballMar 4Legendary Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz has passed away

Lou Holtz, one of the greatest Notre Dame football coaches of all-time, passes away at age 89

By Joshua VowlesFootballMar 4FootballMar 4How long will Marcus Freeman coach the Irish?

Marcus Freeman is coaching Notre Dame Football in 2026, but what about a few years from now?

By Joshua VowlesNotre Dame DiscussionFeb 24Notre Dame DiscussionFeb 24Are the Texas Longhorns afraid to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish?

The short answer is “of course” and the long answer is also “of course Texas is afraid of Notre Dame”

By Joshua VowlesAdvertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

The Latest

18 minutes agoNotre Dame Baseball beats Queens in a midweek road gameTwo hours agoShould Notre Dame give the basketball program the same type of “all-in” funding as the football program?Mar 10Mar 10Notre Dame Hockey Team showed fight in the second half of scheduleMar 10The Lou Holtz the World Didn’t Always SeeMar 7ACC Tournament: Notre Dame can’t get it done against Duke in the semifinalsMar 7Boston College 77, Notre Dame 69: Not with a bang, but with a whimperCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...