Notre Dame Football Shocks Fans with Unexpected Move in Future Schedule Planning

So, Notre Dame just dropped a scheduling bombshell that’s got college football fans buzzing— a 12-year deal with Clemson to clash annually starting in 2027. Now, I can’t help but wonder: is this the closest thing to a “conference membership lite” for the Fighting Irish, who have famously danced around joining a full-on conference? It’s like inviting a rival over for Sunday dinner every week without actually moving in together. And with more frequent bouts against ACC foes like Florida State and Miami, Notre Dame’s schedule is shaping up like a thriller you just can’t pause. The Irish are walking a tightrope — balancing independence with increasingly cozy ties to the ACC — all while chasing another shot at glory after their near-miss in the 2024 College Football Playoff. Makes you ask, is this hybrid approach the blueprint for staying relevant without selling out? Let’s dig into how this deal rewrites the playbook for one of college football’s most storied programs. LEARN MORE.

Notre Dame’s football program has made a big decision on its future football schedules.

The Fighting Irish announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to a 12-year deal with a major college football rival. Notre Dame and Clemson have struck a 12-year annual college football scheduling deal. The two teams will be playing every year for the next decade-plus. 

Notre Dame is also expected to play schools like Florida State and Miami with more regularity.

Yahoo! Sports first reported the news:

The two schools struck a 12-year agreement to meet annually on the football field, a series that is set to begin in 2027. Notre Dame’s schedule — it plays five ACC games each season under an affiliation agreement — could get another boost. As Yahoo Sports reported earlier this spring, the Irish are expected to play Miami and Florida State more regularly as part of the ACC rotation.

The ND-Clemson series, while made independently between the two schools, will count toward Notre Dame’s five annual ACC games. However, it provides Clemson with a highly billed non-conference game that works independent of the ACC framework.

Clemson and Notre Dame were already scheduled to meet in 2027 (at Clemson), 2028 (at Notre Dame), 2031 (at Clemson), 2034 (at Notre Dame) and 2037 (at Clemson). The annual series will require a change to the ACC’s future rotational schedules involving the Irish.

It’s a big move for the Fighting Irish, who continue to stay away from joining a conference.

Still, while Notre Dame has not yet joined a conference, the Fighting Irish are developing strong ties to the ACC.

Notre Dame made the College Football Playoff as an independent in 2024, reaching the national title game. The Fighting Irish fell to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national title game. 

The Fighting Irish are hoping to contend once again in 2025.