Travis Bell/SIDELINE /CAROLINA
Clemson and Notre Dame are finalizing a 12-year scheduling deal that will guarantee an annual football matchup between the two powerhouse programs from 2027 through 2038.
The deal continues a recent run of high-stakes clashes between the Tigers and Irish, including their most recent meeting in 2023, when Clemson won 31–23. While they’ve only played eight times, several of those matchups have been major moments in college football, and both schools believe this new deal could elevate the series into a top-tier rivalry.
“It’s been such a great rivalry and we want to see it happen every year,” said Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua. “It’s historically been a great back-and-forth. I think it could continue to develop into one of the great rivalries in college football.”
The rivalry already includes several memorable games. Dabo Swinney famously called Clemson’s 24–22 win over the Irish in 2015 a “bring your own guts game” during a heavy rainstorm, which helped spark the Tigers’ first College Football Playoff run. Three years later, Clemson blew out Notre Dame 30–3 in the Cotton Bowl and went on to win the national championship. Then in 2020, the two teams split two matchups during Notre Dame’s temporary ACC membership, with both squads making the playoff.
Why This Deal Matters
This long-term agreement serves both football and business goals. For Notre Dame, it locks in a marquee game each season—an important factor for the Irish as an independent program trying to build a playoff resume. For Clemson, the annual clash provides a valuable boost in television ratings, which are now part of the ACC’s revenue-sharing formula.
Clemson athletics director Graham Neff said, “This locks in a huge rivalry for us with a non conference opponent that’s going to be strong year in and year out. The association of national brands like Clemson and Notre Dame create a great fan experience, strong viewership and value on that is obviously a fundamental component.”
The ACC confirmed that the annual game will count toward Notre Dame’s requirement to play five ACC teams per season, and it will remain on the schedule regardless of whether Clemson changes conferences in the future.
Clemson and Notre Dame already have games scheduled for 2027, 2028, 2031, 2034, and 2037. This new agreement will ensure that those games—and new ones in the years in between—go forward as planned.
Impact on the Bigger Picture
This agreement also provides some scheduling flexibility amid the SEC’s ongoing debate about expanding to a nine-game conference schedule. Clemson already plays South Carolina annually and has future home-and-home series with LSU (2025–26), Georgia (2029–30, 2032–33), and Oklahoma (2035–36). A tougher SEC schedule could force changes to those matchups, but the Clemson–Notre Dame series helps keep a major non-conference game locked in.
Meanwhile, other ACC schools hope to benefit from Notre Dame’s scheduling partnerships too. Florida State athletic director Michael Alford said he’d be open to playing Notre Dame more often. FSU will have played the Irish 10 times since the ACC’s deal with Notre Dame began in 2014—more than any other school except Pittsburgh.
“Today in college football, more than ever, it’s important for strong brands to play strong brands,” Alford said. “That helps our brand, as well as all of us within the conference. We’ve been consistent in that belief for a while now as you can see in our non conference scheduling philosophy. It’s important for our conference and our media partners.”
Miami’s Stake in the Spotlight
Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich echoed that view. The Hurricanes and Irish share a storied rivalry dating back to the 1980s, and they’ll face off again this season on August 31 in their first meeting since 2017. The two teams have seven future games scheduled.
“The brands need to play each other more,” Radakovich said. “That’s what has to happen. Do we divide into two divisions? Who gets to play Notre Dame? How are we doing those kinds of things? And if the SEC goes to nine (conference games) we might have to go to nine as well with a bifurcated brands and non-brands [divide].”
He added that the ACC should consider new scheduling models to help ensure its top teams play each other and maximize TV exposure—especially as the playoff expands and other conferences, like the SEC and Big Ten, dominate top broadcast windows.
The Clemson–Notre Dame deal is one example of how schools are adapting to stay competitive—and relevant—as the sport continues to shift.
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This report used information from ESPN.
