SEC’s 9-game schedule ‘solidifies’ Notre Dame’s independence, per report
By Luke Greco
Published:
According to ESPN’s Heather Dinich, officials at Notre Dame have indicated the SEC’s scheduling decision “further solidifies” the school’s status as a football independent.
“The SEC will still schedule nonconference games against the Irish, the university still has a committed TV partner, a home for its Olympic sports, and a path to the Playoff,” Dinich reported on Friday. “Those have always been the keys to independence for Notre Dame.”
Notre Dame will continue their scheduling agreement with the ACC to play a rotating selection of five conference opponents each season.
The SEC announced on Thursday that it will move from an 8-game conference slate to a 9-game one beginning with the 2026 season. Amidst that change, the SEC will continue to require its teams to face one additional “high-quality” opponent in the nonconference. Notre Dame counts toward that requirement.
During the upcoming season, Notre Dame will host Texas A&M and travel to Arkansas. The Irish have games against Texas and Arkansas on their 2028 schedule. They’re scheduled to play Alabama and Texas in 2029. And in 2031, Notre Dame is scheduled to begin a home-and-home series with Florida.
Some of those games might change following the SEC’s move. Alabama’s athletic director signaled on Thursday that the school’s future nonconference schedules would be re-evaluated.
The story of Notre Dame’s independence starts when the NCAA controlled television rights. Notre Dame and other groups formed the CFA to manage their own television deals. They then broke away from the CFA in February of 1990 and became a standalone entity. Notre Dame negotiated their own contract with NBC starting in 1991.
Notre Dame football has been independent of a conference for a long time now, and that doesn’t look like it will change anytime soon.
