Notre Dame will begin the 2027 season at home, and that alone makes the date stand out. The Fighting Irish are set to face Kent State inside Notre Dame Stadium in Week 0 on Aug. 28, according to a contract amendment obtained by FBSchedules.com.
That means the Irish will open a season in the House that Knute Rockne Built for the first time since the 2020 COVID-19 season. Since then, their first games have come on the road or away from South Bend, with the recent run including Sept. 5, 2021 at FSU, Sept. 3, 2022 at Ohio State, Aug. 26, 2023 versus Navy in Dublin, Ireland, Aug. 31, 2024 at Texas A&M and Aug. 31, 2025 at Miami. The schedule also includes Wisconsin in Lambeau Field.
The Kent State matchup had already been on the books for Oct. 2 before the change. Notre Dame added the Golden Flashes in May as a first-time opponent, and the school connection is notable: Kent State is the alma mater of the late legendary Fighting Irish coach Lou Holtz, who died in March.
There is another layer to the matchup as well. Marcus Freeman coached at Kent State from 2011-12, serving as the Golden Flashes’ linebackers coach. Freeman came to Notre Dame the next season as the program’s defensive coordinator, then took over as head coach for the bowl game after Brian Kelly left for LSU.
By lining up Kent State in 2027, Notre Dame will have played its 90th program among the current 138 FBS teams. That ranks fourth all-time in college football, behind only Georgia with 97, Ohio State with 96 and Michigan with 95.
FBSchedules.com also reported that the original contract called for Notre Dame to pay Kent State a $1.3 million guarantee for the game.
The Irish’s 2027 schedule, as listed, also includes Sept. 4 vs. Purdue, Sept. 18 at Michigan State, Sept. 25 vs.
Auburn, Oct. 9 vs. Wake Forest*, Oct. 30 at Clemson, Nov. 6 vs.
Virginia Tech, Nov. 20 vs. Navy, Nov. 27 at Stanford, TBA at Virginia, TBA vs.
BYU and TBA at Duke.
*Denotes a neutral site matchup in Charlotte for the Duke's Mayo Classic.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Fans Have A New Reason To Watch BYU This Week
No. 2 BYUs trip to UCF gives Notre Dame fans a fresh scouting opportunity, and it comes with a little extra intrigue for the Irish after the Cougars handled then-No. 2 Notre Dame earlier this season. UCF is getting ready to host a top-five team for the first time, so the Knights are treating the matchup as a measuring stick, with Scott Frost and several players talking about the lift that comes from playing at home and the challenge of going after an undefeated opponent.
For Notre Dame, the bigger draw is simple: another look at the team that already showed it can beat elite competition, this time in a different setting and against a defense trying to find ways to slow quarterback Bear Bachmeier. UCF is still looking for its first win against a top-five opponent, which only adds to the stakes, but from an Irish perspective the game is a chance to watch how BYU handles pressure on the road and whether the Cougars can keep rolling after their win in South Bend. [Read more 🡒]
CJ Carr Is Giving Notre Dame Fans A New NFL Dream
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Carrs showing against BYU offered another reminder of why his stock keeps climbing. He looked composed under pressure and comfortable working through the details that separate a college producer from a pro prospect, which is why some see a passer in the mold of Matt Ryan or Drew Brees. For Notre Dame fans, it is a familiar and oddly exciting place to be again, watching a quarterback develop into a national name while the bigger question is not whether he belongs in the conversation, but how high that conversation will eventually go. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Finally Got The Greathouse Breakout Fans Needed
Jaden Greathouse gave Notre Dame exactly the kind of performance the offense has been waiting for, finishing with a career-high eight catches for 125 yards against BYU and earning Comeback Player of the Week honors. Even in a loss, the outing stood out as a sign that the receivers role can keep growing, and it offered Irish fans a clearer glimpse of what the passing game can look like when he is involved early and often.
The disappointment was still hard to shake, though, because Notre Dame left the field with the result overshadowed by controversy over the final play and the officiating around it. Greathouses breakout was a bright spot the Irish can build on, but the bigger frustration is that his best day yet came in a game that ended with more debate than closure. [Read more 🡒]