The Optimal Notre Dame Scheduling Model

[KPENN]

UCLA please

Would rather play them at the Rose Bowl

 

[calvegas04]

Would rather play them at the Rose Bowl

Would still be a neutral site, UCLA is dumping the rose bowl

 

[KPENN]

Would still be a neutral site, UCLA is dumping the rose bowl

Ah shit, I forgot about that.

 

[bpob55]

SIAP Sampson indicated on recap pod that a SoFi game is likely the next NFL stadium on the list

but didn’t specifically mention USC

USC is likely playing their 2028 season at SoFi because the Coliseum will be under construction to remove the track from the Olympics.

 

[calvegas04]

USC is likely playing their 2028 season at SoFi because the Coliseum will be under construction to remove the track from the Olympics.

They will be adding a track and taking out a bunch of seats for the Olympics

 

[bpob55]

Feeling a lot better about this H&H being played today than when I woke up yesterday.

 

[notredomer23]

Feeling a lot better about this H&H being played today than when I woke up yesterday.

Will remember this when they cancel the ND series in the next month or two

 

[FWIrish4]

Will remember this when they cancel the ND series in the next month or two

Isn’t there a pretty big buyout $ amount now since a key date has passed (thinking it was the start of the 2026 season)? I thought I remembered the II podcast discussing that as a factor when Sark was complaining at SEC media days.

 

[OrlaNDomer]

ND could very easily end up playing 3 top 10 matchups in what has been trashed as a terrible schedule.
Would require the following:

- BYU to win out (@Colorado St, @TCU, Iowa State) and they will almost be guaranteed to be a top 10 team when we play them
- Miami to win out (@Wake Forest, Central Michigan, @Clemson, FSU, Pitt, @North Carolina) <-- truly easiest schedule of all time and should be a lock to be a top 5 matchup
- SMU to win out (@ #23 Louisville, Missouri State, Boston College, #25 Virginia, Cal, @Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest) and the SEC schools to beat each other up and there's a decent shot they could be #10 by the time we play them.

BYU is currently #11 and only needs to move up 1 spot in 4 weeks
Miami is #5 and just needs to not drop
SMU is #16 and needs to move up 6 spots in 9 weeks

The #7/8/9/10 SEC cluster is going to beat each other up I would assume creating opportunities for BYU and SMU to move up:

#7 LSU plays #8 Ole Miss and #9 Texas A&M back to back 9/19 & 9/26. They also have a stretch of #10 Bama, #1 Texas, and #15 Tennessee at the end of the year.

#8 Ole Miss has #7 LSU this week, #1 Texas 10/24 and #2 Georgia on 11/7

#9 A&M has #7 LSU next week, #10 Bama on 10/24, and closes the year with #15 Tennessee, #24 Oklahoma, and #1 Texas

#10 Bama has #2 Georgia 10/10, #15 Tennessee 10/17, #9 Texas A&M 10/24, #7 LSU 11/7

 

[Irish#1]

ND could very easily end up playing 3 top 10 matchups in what has been trashed as a terrible schedule.
Would require the following:

- BYU to win out (@Colorado St, @TCU, Iowa State) and they will almost be guaranteed to be a top 10 team when we play them
- Miami to win out (@Wake Forest, Central Michigan, @Clemson, FSU, Pitt, @North Carolina) <-- truly easiest schedule of all time and should be a lock to be a top 5 matchup
- SMU to win out (@ #23 Louisville, Missouri State, Boston College, #25 Virginia, Cal, @Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest) and the SEC schools to beat each other up and there's a decent shot they could be #10 by the time we play them.

BYU is currently #11 and only needs to move up 1 spot in 4 weeks
Miami is #5 and just needs to not drop
SMU is #16 and needs to move up 6 spots in 9 weeks

The #7/8/9/10 SEC cluster is going to beat each other up I would assume creating opportunities for BYU and SMU to move up:

#7 LSU plays #8 Ole Miss and #9 Texas A&M back to back 9/19 & 9/26. They also have a stretch of #10 Bama, #1 Texas, and #15 Tennessee at the end of the year.

#8 Ole Miss has #7 LSU this week, #1 Texas 10/24 and #2 Georgia on 11/7

#9 A&M has #7 LSU next week, #10 Bama on 10/24, and closes the year with #15 Tennessee, #24 Oklahoma, and #1 Texas

#10 Bama has #2 Georgia 10/10, #15 Tennessee 10/17, #9 Texas A&M 10/24, #7 LSU 11/7

Even if all three are in the top 10 when we play and beat them, it won't change the narrative. The excuses will be, "Come on they may be top 10, but it's BYU/SMU, not your traditional top 10. You beat Miami, but it was at home and in November." Or any of the other excuses they will come up with.

 

[Steds83]

This is awesome

 

[JD Irish]

This is awesome.

Yes, that is awesome. Hope I can go to at least one of those games.

We have now future series scheduled with Auburn, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, in addition to Clemson annually and USC returning for at least four years in 2030. The ACC lineups also look better in a lot of years with Miami, Florida State, Pitt, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Georgia Tech being better distributed. I love this. Our regular season schedules are all great from 2028-2034 as long as the games aren't canceled.

 

[sfk324]

This is awesome

Can't wait for all the "sea of red" articles.

 

[NDWarrior]

 

[zelezo vlk]

Doesn't that open up a slot on the schedule next year? Get ready for Army in Yankee Stadium again

 

[NDPhilly]

Any talking heads mention the plan to address this current atrocity of a 2027 schedule? One open spot to fill with (hopefully) a ranked team.

 

[Huntr]

The ACC just completely sucks ass

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

Any talking heads mention the plan to address this current atrocity of a 2027 schedule? One open spot to fill with (hopefully) a ranked team.


View attachment 3064780

That is the worst schedule possible

 

[greyhammer90]

Any talking heads mention the plan to address this current atrocity of a 2027 schedule? One open spot to fill with (hopefully) a ranked team.


View attachment 3064780

ACamp jerking off furiously to this

 

[NDPhilly]

Look 2027 is likely to be a “rebuilding” year I would think (but should still expect a top 10 team), but we really are getting boned by MSU / Auburn / Clemson / VT / Stanford all being varying levels of down.

USC would have been a top ~15 team, maybe BYU can fill that gap, but it’s certainly not the
same. If we play 3 ranked teams we’d be lucky at this point.

They need to hunt for a big neutral site game at this point, but availabiities are certainly limited 12 months out.

 

[phillyirish]

Most teams already have 12 slotted for next year, even more so the 2nd week of September where we appear to have an opening.

One team to look out for that is at 11 and free that weekend who shouldn’t be hesitant about a big matchup: Texas Tech.

 

[stlnd01]

JFC. Our current second string would be favored in every one of those games. Maybe even odds with BYU.

 

[calvegas04]

Home and home with UNLV please

 

[NDPhilly]

alright I’ve found one other Non Texas Tech option for 9/11/2027…Ole Miss

They have 2 easy games scheduled already, Charlotte and Oregon State, so have opening for big Non Con game.

Issue is (as with most SEC teams) they play Bama, OU, LSU, Tennessee, and A&M in conference play. Would be dumb / unneeded for them to schedule us.

2027 Ole Miss Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com

View the 2027 Ole Miss Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Rebels football schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.

fbschedules.com

 

[stlnd01]

alright I’ve found one other Non Texas Tech option for 9/11/2027…Ole Miss

They have 2 easy games scheduled already, Charlotte and Oregon State, so have opening for big Non Con game.

Issue is (as with most SEC teams) they play Bama, OU, LSU, Tennessee, and A&M in conference play. Would be dumb / unneeded for them to schedule us.

2027 Ole Miss Football Schedule | FBSchedules.com

View the 2027 Ole Miss Football Schedule at FBSchedules.com. The Rebels football schedule includes opponents, date, time, and TV.

fbschedules.com

Unless they figure they are likely to lose two or three of those and want a win strong enough to keep them in the mix.
Sometimes a team needs to bet on itself. Even if we hope they lose.