Notre Dame football releases full 2023 schedule
The first chapter in Marcus Freeman’s head coaching career, a 9-4 campaign with a victory over South Carolina in the Gator Bowl, is finished. It’s time to look ahead to the second. Wednesday morning provided an opportunity to do so. Notre Dame released its full 2023 schedule.
Freeman and the Fighting Irish already knew who and when they would play eight of their 2023 opponents. The university made the other four designations official Wednesday. Here’s a look at Notre Dame’s entire 2023 schedule, from the season opener vs. Navy in Ireland to the season finale vs. rival Stanford in California. Home games in South Bend are in bold.
2023 Notre Dame football schedule
Aug. 26: vs. Navy (Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland)
Sept. 2: vs. Tennessee State
Sept. 9: at NC State
Sept. 16: vs. Central Michigan
Sept. 23: vs. Ohio State
Sept. 30: at Duke
Oct. 7: at Louisville
Oct. 14: vs. USC
BYE
Oct. 28: vs. Pitt
Nov. 4: at Clemson
BYE
Nov. 18: vs. Wake Forest
Nov. 25: at Stanford
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The Irish are playing in Ireland for the first time since 2012 when they went 12-0 and reached the national championship game. Notre Dame beat Navy 50-10 overseas that year. This year’s game in Ireland is technically a home game for Notre Dame.
The following week’s matchup vs. Tennessee State will mark the first time Notre Dame has ever faced an FCS opponent. Going into the 2022 season, the only three FBS programs to have never squared off vs. an FCS foe were Notre Dame, UCLA and USC. The Bruins played Alabama State last fall, so the Trojans will be the only ones left in that category.
Freeman said scheduling the game is about more than sacrificing a longstanding streak.
“I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, where we had Central State University, which is an HBCU that was really successful when I was growing up as a kid,” Freeman said last April. “That’s something I’ve known about for a long time. It’s all about the opportunity for us as the University of Notre Dame to get this chance to play an HBCU and that’s extremely, extremely exciting.”
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Despite roughly three hours and less than 200 miles separating the two campuses, Notre Dame has never played Central Michigan. The Chippewas went 4-8 in head coach Jim McElwain’s fourth season on the job. He has a 24-21 record in Mount Pleasant.
Freeman looks to avenge last year’s 21-10 loss to his alma mater, Ohio State, in what will surely be another highly-anticipated matchup between two of the blue bloods of college football. The Irish are also out to get back to winning ways vs. USC in what will likely be Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams’ last year as the Trojans’ quarterback.
The Wake Forest game is an opportunity for quarterback Sam Hartman to play against the program he spent five seasons with. Hartman transferred to Notre Dame earlier this month after becoming the ACC’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns. He threw 110 of them in a Demon Deacons uniform.
Notre Dame’s two bye weeks are a byproduct of playing a Week 0 game. Those two open dates, though, both come in the second half of the season; one after taking on the Trojans and the other after attempting to go back-to-back vs. Clemson, this time in Death Valley.
