Dates Released for Notre Dame-Miami Series

The Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday that Notre Dame and Miami will officially renew one of the 1980’s best intersectional rivalries with a three games series taking place in 2012, 2016, and 2017.  This series has been a long time in the making and should excite two fan bases waiting for their teams to return to better times.

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Notre Dame and Miami will play three games over the next eight years starting with a game in Solider Field on October 6, 2012

According to the Tribune, the first match-up between the one time rivals will come October 6, 2012 in Chicago at Solider Field filling the “neutral site” game for the ’12 for Notre Dame.  Miami would be the fourth opponent for the Irish in one of the neutral site games and would be, by far, the most high profile opponent after Notre Dame played Washington State in the Alamodome in 2009 with Army in Yankee Stadium this season and Maryland at FedEx Field in 2011.

After the game in Solider Field, the two schools will have a home and home with Miami visiting Notre Dame Stadium on October 8, 2016 and Notre Dame traveling to South Beach for a Thanksgiving weekend showdown on November 25, 2017.

The Thanksgiving weekend date for the trip to Miami is particularly interesting since Notre Dame traditionally ends the season in either Los Angeles against USC in even numbered years and in Palo Alto against Stanford in odd number years.  Could this mean a change in the series with Stanford is on the horizon?  The Stanford series is only signed through 2011 and last fall the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the series was in danger of being suspended for a while.

More importantly though, it’s great to see Miami officially back on the Notre Dame schedule.  For any Notre Dame fan who grew up in the 80’s the Miami series at the end of the decade was the high mark of Notre Dame football.  Since then Notre Dame has only seriously flirted with a national championship one time (1993).  Despite Miami knocking Notre Dame around in the early part of the decade, the 1988 and 1989 showdowns were two of the biggest regular season matchups of the decade.

This series has been in the works for a while.  In July of 2008, reports surfaced that Miami was interested in booking a game with Notre Dame for one of the neutral site games instituted by Kevin White.  Nine months later another report came out from the Miami Herald that the two schools were in talks about a potential home and home series with a third neutral site game included as well.   John Heisler was quick to temper excitement over the report a few days later, but Jack Swarbrick kept hope alive for the series by saying they were looking into the idea but no dates were discussed.

Finally, the Chicago Tribune reported in May that the two schools had agreed to play each other, but that they hadn’t worked out the dates yet.  And that brings us to today’s news.

For those that give Swarbrick and the Athletic Department grief over the schedule, the history behind making this series a reality should give a clear picture of how difficult it is to work out games with marquee programs and how long it takes to make them work.   Maybe now some will give Swarbrick a pass for the 2010 schedule since he inherited a schedule with holes in it that needed to be plugged in a short time.  That’s how you end up with Western Michigan and Tulsa in 2010 and Miami and potentially Oklahoma in 2012.

Swarbrick deserves a lot of credit for working this out and adding not only an old rival back to the schedule, but giving Notre Dame a marquee game in Soldier Field.   Notre Dame fans who travel to the Windy City for the 2012 game will be in for a treat with a great city to visit and a marquee game that will attract plenty of attention from around the college football world.

The 2012 schedule looks more like what most Notre Dame fans want.  The Irish will play USC, Michigan, Miami and potentially Oklahoma.  Reports have linked Notre Dame and Oklahoma to a 2012/13 home and home series, but nothing official has been released.   Should the Oklahoma home and home come to fruition, that 2012 schedule would give Notre Dame fans games with four of the nation’s elite programs.

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16 Comments

  1. So Jimmy signs as the 48th pick and Golden Tate signs as the 60th pick.
    I doubt that either of them would have given up their senior seasons if they new how far they we going to fall.
    That get’s one to thinking about a team coached by Brian Kelly, with a offense that would have featured four, preseason All American’s in, Clausen, Tate, Floyd, and Rudolph. WOW!
    Talk about The Four Horsemen ride agian!

    1. It would have been something special that’s for sure. Let’s not forget our back field too.

      Then again, I’m sure they’re enjoying their pay checks now that they are pros.

  2. Things have a way of working out. Jimmy Clausen, a projected top 10 draft pick, slipped all the way to 48 before being selected by the Carolina Panthers. Today he was signed to a four year, 2.85mil contract, that has incentives that could carry him to over 6 mil.
    He will benefit from a solid coaching staff, good offensive, line, an outstanding running game, and a premire receiver in Steve Smith.
    Congradulations Jimmy, and good luck!

  3. Looking for something fresh to read?
    Check out the story about Micheal Floyd, by Tim O’Mally over at Scout.com / irisheyes, who is on pace to set all kinds of recieving records this season at ND.
    Going over his numbers from last year, one soon remembers some of the monster games he had last year.
    Can’t wait to see him in Kelly’s offence where he will be moved around to maximize his skills.

  4. I came accross a picture of Kyle Rudolph the other day. I think it was from the spring game. He looks even bigger than last year. It looks like the new conditioning program is paying off. This kid is huge! We all know that he catches the football like a wide receiver, and runs like a deer.
    But now with the added size, he is a beast! He is head and shoulders above the rest of the team. I’m looking forward to seeing him play in Kelly’s offense.
    This offense is going to score. If we can come up with a decent defense watch out! This team could be something special.

    1. Shazamrock,

      Good obeservation. I think this is the most talented team that has been at ND since Holtz was here. I think we have the right coach and if the defense can step up it will be a special year.

      1. Jack- That’s a big “IF”…I sincerely hope you’re right but I’m in total agreement with St. Thomas at this point….I’ll believe when I see it. Been down this road way too many times since ’88.

      2. I understand your feelings on the season. I look at the recruiting levels of these players. We have four and five star recruits on each side of the ball. If BK could take a Cincy team with less talent and a worse defense and win 12 games I believe he can do it with this group. I understand that the hipe on previous teams have given us a false hope, like a Cubs fan, but this is ND and I have faith that this year will be a special one. BK is focused and knows how to manage a team. I am not saying people who are not as optomistic as I am are not fans, I understand your feelings and I could be wrong.

  5. football season is almost here. i cant wait for the irish to hit people in the mouth, and now miami in a couple years. it is really hard to temper expectations with a new coach and a boat load of talent, GO IRISH!!

  6. catholics vs. convicts. Its about time they got this in the works I just hope it has the same meaning that it did in the 80’s

  7. USC, Michigan, Miami and Oklahoma would make for a great season but there are some interesting predicaments each of those teams may be working with.

    USC will be recovering from the two year bowl ban that will probably have hurt their motivation, lowered their winning percentages, and (along with lost scholarships) lessened their ability to recruit top athletes.

    Michigan will likely do just well enough in 2010 to keep Rodriguez on ‘probation’ so to speak but a disappointing 2011 will have him contributing to the national unemployment rate. In that case (or even in the case of him being escorted out at the end of 2010) the 2012 season would likely be a rebuilding period.

    Oklahoma is a durable football powerhouse but the Big 12 is better referred to as the Big Question Mark after the conference realignment hysteria. If they decide to leave at the end of 2010, the 2011 season would presumably be their last season there (unless all hell breaks loose, which it may) and 2012 would be a period of adjusting to a new conference. How much that would affect them (and if it will occur at all) is up for debate.

    Miami did pretty well in 2009 and it makes sense to expect them to hit 2010 harder. Unless we see a coaching change or sanctions of some sort, I foresee them being a hard-as-nails contender.

  8. Wow. I hope I can go to the 2012 game. This is great news for ND. After 2017, they should extend it for another 10 years.

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