Notre Dame and Michigan Football set to face off in 2018, 2019

The University of Notre Dame announced Thursday the long-awaited return of a match-up that will have many Fighting Irish and Wolverine fans excited.

Notre Dame Football will once again face off against their rivals to the north; the University of Michigan.

Last time, Notre Dame defeated Michigan 31-0.

Fans on both sides of the border are eager to face off yet again.

“I’m excited to see it. It’s been going on…it’s been a rivalry forever,” said Notre Dame fan Casey MacDonald.

The two universities have agreed to a two-year series with the first game taking place September 1, 2018 at Notre Dame Stadium and the second on October 26, 2019 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor.

According to a statement from Notre Dame vice president and James E. Rohr Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick, making these games happen was no easy task.

“Shortly after Warde Manuel was hired as Michigan’s athletic director, he and I began working to make this renewal of the series possible. That we could get games on the schedule as soon as ’18 and ’19 required a lot of work by our staffs and some great cooperation by the Big Ten, ACC and other schools that were on our future schedules," said Swarbrick.

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly also showed excitement to see the rivalry returning to the gridiron. 

"I’m excited to see Notre Dame and Michigan, two brand-name programs, get back together on the football field,” said Kelly. “Both programs have a long and storied history of success. We’re talking about the two winningest programs in all of college football. We’ve wanted to make this happen for quite some time. We wouldn’t be able to make today’s announcement without the work from Jack (Swarbrick) and other members of our administration. This is a win for everyone involved, not just those at either institution, but both fan bases and fans across the entire college football landscape.”

Even with the passion they have for their home teams, many fans agree with Kelly.

“You’ve got two schools with very familiar fan bases, very similar academics, and with that connection, that regional rivalry, it’s so important for college football today,” said Notre Dame fan, James O’Leary.

“I like the rivalry between the two teams. It’s just a lot of fun to watch,” said University of Michigan fan Dave Skalski.

Whether you’re rooting for the Irish or the Wolverines, there seems to be a general consensus about the matchup.

“It’s just straight fire between the two teams when they play each other,” said O’Leary.

Michigan leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1887, 24-17-1. The series is, however, tied 15-15-1 over the last 31 meetings since 1978.

The two teams will play at Notre Dame on September 1, 2018. Michigan will host on October 26, 2019.