The last time Nebraska faced Notre Dame, Eric Crouch was the quarterback, leading the Huskers to a 27-10 victory over the Fighting Irish. Nearly three decades later, NU will try to keep its three-game win streak in the series going.
On Wednesday morning, the two programs announced they were renewing their rivalry with a home-and-home series starting in 2032. In the first game of the two-game series, the Irish will play in Lincoln on October 30, 2032. The return trip will see Notre Dame host Nebraska on October 29, 2033.
In making the announcement, Nebraska finally unveiled one mystery future Power 4 opponent that athletic director Troy Dannen hinted at late last month. During an appearance on the Husker Radio Network, Dannen said he was working on scheduling a couple of P4 series and that one opponent would be "regional."
While some analysts believed Dannen might have teased that the Huskers were working on a home-and-home against a former Big 12 or Big 8 rival, Notre Dame's home state of Indiana certainly checks the "regional rival" box, even if the rivalry has spread 16 matchups over 100 years.
Nebraska football carries three-game winning streak into renewed Notre Dame series
Nebraska leads the all-time series with a record of 8-7-1 and has won the last three games. Before the final faceoff for more than 30 years, NU won a closer showdown in South Bend, 27-24. In the 1972 Orange Bowl, the Cornhuskers blew out the Irish 40-6.
Interestingly enough, there was a time when the two schools were real rivals. Notre Dame and Nebraska played each other 11 consecutive seasons from 1915 to 1925, splitting the series 5-5-1. Since that 11-game run, the two programs have scheduled each other only five times.
The date of these two games is one of the most interesting tidbits in this revived rivalry. October 29 and 30 are deep in the Big Ten calendar. Firstly, the Huskers are seemingly thumbing their noses at USC, who ended their rivalry series with Notre Dame largely because the Irish wanted to play later in the season than during the usual non-conference window.
This series also hints that Nebraska got special dispensation from the Big Ten to get the conference to allow a non-con game in the middle of the season. With the ever-changing face of the college football world, this aspect could be something to watch to see if it's ahead of a big potential change in the landscape.
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