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Notre Dame and Clemson are taking their rivalry to the next level with a newly agreed 12-year series running from 2027-38. The Tigers will become one of the five ACC schools that Notre Dame faces regularly, with the Fighting Irish also planning to schedule Florida State and Miami more frequently.
This long-term commitment means Clemson will face 10 Power Four opponents annually throughout the series. That’s a significant scheduling challenge considering their yearly rivalry game with South Carolina is already locked in. For Notre Dame, it’s a strategic move to strengthen their independent schedule with a consistent College Football Playoff contender.
“We strive to consistently create a football schedule that positions us for success in the College Football Playoff, and that goal requires us to form historic partnerships like this one with Clemson,” said Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua in a statement. “This rivalry has already produced some of the most memorable moments in recent college football history, and our fans deserve these matchups to continue to make those indelible memories.”
The timing isn’t coincidental. The ACC’s revamped revenue-sharing model played a key role in making this deal happen. Following a settlement between the ACC, Clemson, and Florida State, the conference will now distribute 60% of its ESPN media revenue based on viewership figures over a five-year rolling period.
What does this mean? Schools that draw bigger TV audiences get a bigger slice of the pie.
Notre Dame consistently pulls in massive viewership numbers week after week, making them an attractive opponent for any ACC program looking to boost their media value. It’s a win-win scenario that benefits both programs financially while giving fans the matchups they crave.
Clemson AD Graham Neff expressed his enthusiasm: “Even in just the last decade, matchups between Clemson and Notre Dame have produced incredibly memorable moments and games. We have immense excitement for the creation of this 12-year series between these two premier programs, as we know these will be must-see matchups for fans at Memorial Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium as well as television audiences nationwide.”
The schools aren’t strangers to high-stakes showdowns. Their most recent meeting came last November when Clemson edged Notre Dame 31-23 in a top-20 battle. The programs also faced off twice during the COVID-shortened 2020 season — including in the ACC Championship Game when Notre Dame temporarily joined the conference — and met in a College Football Playoff semifinal back in 2018.
With the expanded 12-team playoff format on the horizon, this series could regularly feature postseason implications for both programs as they look to cement their places among college football’s elite for years to come.
