Nick Shepkowski
May 29, 2024 7:05 pm ET
Notre Dame and NBC announced Wednesday what time each of the Fighting Irish’s seven ‘home’ games will kick off this fall.
Home is used liberally as Notre Dame’s annual neutral site game known as the Shamrock Series counts as a home game as this years will take place against Army at Yankee Stadium to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Four Horesmen.
The 2024 Notre Dame on NBC schedule has DROPPED! 🔥 #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/hQNvOTYMTQ
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) May 29, 2024
What sticks out from the home schedule and game times this year?
Here are five quick thoughts.
5
Standard Afternoon Start Times
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Each day game at Notre Dame Stadium this year will start at 3:30 p.m. ET which is slightly different than in years past. As the temperatures drop the later into fall we get, traditionally the Irish will have a home game or two start an hour earlier.
Virginia is the only team that makes the trek to Notre Dame Stadium for an afternoon game this November but instead of having the 2:30 p.m. ET kickoff we’ve commonly seen for such games, it stays with the 3:30 p.m. ET start. If you’re freezing in the bleachers watching this one, wishing you had an hour more of sunlight, you’ll be able to thank NBC’s expanded college football coverage for the change.
4
Peaco*ck For Bigger Game
Listen, regardless of how badly Louisville punished Notre Dame in prime time last year, nobody is going to see this as a huge game by any measure nationally. However, its significantly more compelling of a matchup than we’ve traditionally seen Notre Dame play for its annual game that is only shown on the Peaco*ck streaming app.
Last year the Peaco*ck game was against Central Michigan while in 2022 it was when the Irish hosted UNLV. Louisville has a great chance to be ranked when it makes the trip to South Bend on September 28, which means a great chance to sell more Peaco*ck subscriptions – if even for only for just a month!
3
Friendly Home Start
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Notre Dame hasn’t always performed to their best levels but in recent years has seen their early season home games feature less than compelling opponents.
Tennessee State and Central Michigan last year. Marshall (yes, I remember what happened – still not a compelling opponent ahead of time) and California in 2022 and Toledo and Purdue in 2021.
That trend continues this year for Notre Dame as the first two home opponents for the Irish are a couple of MAC schools in Northern Illinois and Miami (Ohio).
2
One True Home Night Game
USA TODAY SPORTS
Notre Dame will be on NBC twice during primetime this fall but only one of those games will be played at Notre Dame Stadium. Florida State is a no-brainer as its easily the biggest home game of the year and will almost certainly have College Football Playoff implications.
In the last decade Stanford has been a shoe-in to be a night game at Notre Dame Stadium but their 9-27 record over the last three seasons takes away much appeal. Instead, the Shamrock Series game at Yankee Stadium gets the primetime nod.
1
Hate the Army Start Time
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
I can’t put into words how much I hate the start time for the Army game at Yankee Stadium.
Sure, it’s the 100th anniversary of the Four Horsem*n and Grantland Rice helping build Notre Dame to a national audience but this game does absolutely no favors for Notre Dame with the timing being the biggest issue.
We can almost all agree that Notre Dame should be in position to not just make the College Football Playoff but be playing to host a first round game when late November comes around. This game gets to be played in New York in primetime, against an Army team that traditionally physically punishes opponents even if they don’t often beat big-time programs anymore.
Waiting the next week for Notre Dame is a trip to Los Angeles where USC will still have plenty of talent and a full year of working out their kinks to try and ruin Notre Dame’s season. When you’re Notre Dame you get used to playing in prime time in the biggest of locations, but this game all-around doesn’t do the Irish any favors in getting ready for their regular season finale -which should have huge playoff implications.
