Clemson to face Notre Dame Eight Times by 2037

Clemson, S.C—The Atlantic Coast Conference announced 60 games involving league teams against Notre Dame between 2026-37 on Thursday.    Clemson will face the Fighting Irish five times during that period, three at Clemson and two at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame is under contract to play five ACC teams per year and that will be the case in each of the 12 seasons between 2026-37.

Combined with an earlier announcement of games between the Fighting Irish and ACC teams, Clemson will face Notre Dame five times in the decade of the 2020s, including three times between 2020 and 2023.   The two schools will play in consecutive years in 2022-23 and 2027-28.

Only one game has a specific date assigned so far.   Notre Dame will play at Clemson on Labor Day, September 1, 2031.

Clemson will travel to Notre Dame for consecutive games in the series in 2020 and 2022, then Notre Dame will come to Clemson for consecutive games in 2023 and 2027.   Three games are scheduled for the 2030s, including one at Clemson in 2037 that will be the 60-year anniversary of the first meeting.

Clemson holds a 2-1 advantage in the series, including victories in each of the last two meetings, a 16-10 victory in South Bend in 1979 and a 24-22 Clemson win at Clemson in 2015.

Notre Dame won the first meeting in 1977 at Clemson, 21-17 in a battle of top 15 teams. Notre Dame went on to win the National Championship that season. Clemson’s win in 2015 was a battle of Top 12 teams in a driving rain and it was gained the year before the Tigers won the 2016 National title.

Danny Ford, who enters the College Football Hall of Fame this year, coached Clemson to the 1979 victory. Just 31 years old at the time, Ford is still the second youngest coach to beat Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium (opened in 1930).

With a 2-1 record, Clemson is one of just five current FBS schools with a winning series record over Notre Dame given a minimum of three games.  The others to do it are Florida State, Michigan, Nebraska and Ohio State.   Notre Dame does not play Clemson and Florida State in the same regular season in any of the next 20 years.

Future Notre Dame vs. Clemson games

2020: Clemson at Notre Dame

2022:  Clemson at Notre Dame

2023: Notre Dame at Clemson

2027: Notre Dame at Clemson

2028: Clemson at Notre Dame

2031: Notre Dame at Clemson (September 1)

2034: Clemson at Notre Dame

2037: Notre Dame at Clemson