Ad Disclosure
Mark Richt doesn’t have to fake his excitement for the 2025 season opener between old rivals Miami and Notre Dame at Hard Rock Stadium.
And that’s because the current ACC Network analyst has been a part of the rivalry. The former longtime Georgia head coach was the head coach at Miami from 2016-18, and in 2017 the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish hooked up in Miami for a primetime, top-10 showdown in the middle of November.
Notre Dame was No. 3 in the country and Miami was No. 7, so it really meant something beyond just the 2 longtime rivals playing each other. Richt also remembers the result well, since his Hurricanes stomped all over the Fighting Irish that night in a 41-8 beatdown. Now, 8 years later the programs who created an iconic rivalry in the 1980s that went away for a long while after the 1990 meeting will face off again to kick off their 2025 seasons in another primetime showdown on Aug. 31.
And Richt already can’t wait.
“Playing Notre Dame again, baby. Last time we played them, 2017, they were top 5 in the country, we beat them bad,” recalled Richt. “Even though it was years ago, I’m sure (Notre Dame) will be loaded for bear in that game. (The Miami fans) are not going to show up unless there’s a show. When Notre Dame shows up, that will be a hard sellout. It’s going to be packed.”
Notre Dame will be trying to start the new season with a bang after a memorable run to the College Football Playoff national title game in 2024. Meanwhile, Miami will be trying to get the momentum back that carried it throughout most of last season before the Hurricanes faded late.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
