Washington is filling out its future schedule with another major name, adding Notre Dame to the slate for a home-and-away series in 2031 and 2034.
The Huskies announced Tuesday that they will face the Fighting Irish on Sept. 27, 2031, at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind., before hosting the return game on Nov. 11, 2034, at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
The matchup matters because of the College Football Playoff’s newly expanded format. With the playoff now at 24 teams, Power Four schools are required to play 10 Power Four opponents each season. Washington is already locked into nine Big Ten games, so it needs one more Power Four opponent on the schedule.
That change is expected to force the Huskies to adjust their nonconference plans in 2027 and 2028. But Washington already has its extra Power Four game lined up for 2029 and 2030, when it will play Tennessee on Sept. 1, 2029, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., and again on Sept. 7, 2030, at Husky Stadium.
The Notre Dame series is the latest long-range addition for Washington and sits near the top of the program’s future schedule. The only nonconference game currently set farther out is a Sept. 17, 2033 meeting with San Jose State at Husky Stadium.
Notre Dame is an independent football program, but it is specifically included in CFP and conference guidelines as a Power Four opponent, which makes it a fit for Washington’s scheduling requirements.
The Huskies and Irish have met eight times overall, with the first game coming on Nov. 27, 1948, and the most recent on Oct. 3, 2009.
Here’s the full series history:
-- Nov. 27, 1948: Notre Dame def. Washington 47-0 (Notre Dame Stadium)
-- Oct. 1, 1949: Notre Dame def. Washington 27-7 (Husky Stadium)
-- Sept. 25, 2004: Notre Dame def. Washington 38-3 (Notre Dame Stadium)
-- Oct. 25, 2008: Notre Dame def. Washington 33-7 (Husky Stadium)
-- Oct. 3, 2009: Notre Dame def. Washington 36-30 (OT) (Husky Stadium)
The last time the teams met, Washington was in its first season under coach Steve Sarkisian. That roster included quarterback and future first-round pick Jake Locker, along with Jermaine Kearse, who later became a Super Bowl champion wide receiver with the Seattle Seahawks.
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