Notre Dame picked up a couple of major games on Wednesday when the ACC announced its plan for the 2020 soccer season, which includes Fighting Irish joining as a member for the upcoming season only. The six ACC teams Notre Dame was originally scheduled to play remain on the team’s record, but the Fighting Irish have added four more, including two that will make extraordinary showdowns in college football.
Assuming the season goes as planned, Notre Dame will now play North Carolina, Florida State, Syracuse, and Boston College, in addition to previously scheduled games against Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Duke, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Louisville.
Now, questions linger around the opponent outside of the conference for Notre Dame, which is allowed for each team under the ACC scheduling plan. Before the COVID-19 pandemic ending the college football season, Notre Dame was slated to open the season in Ireland against its old opponent Navy on Saturday, September 5, while the following week on Saturday, September 12. The SEC’s Arkansas is currently slated to take a trip to South Bend to confront the Irish. Notre Dame also has an appointment with MAC’s West Michigan for Saturday, September 19.
According to ESPN. Notre Dame will clarify this situation in the “near future”. Under the new ACC plan, out-of-conference play for each team must be played in the conference member’s home state. That doesn’t affect Arkansas if he remains the opponent, but the Navy would have to travel to Indiana to keep the rivalry alive in 2020. The The SEC reportedly tends to a conference-only schedule by 2020, however, what would take Arkansas out of the race.
Below is a look at Notre Dame’s 2020 calendar as it currently stands. Previously scheduled off-conference games against Stanford, Wisconsin and USC have already been rejected due to Big Ten and Pac-12 decisions to move to exclusive conference boards in 2020.
Home: Clemson, Duke, State of Florida, Louisville, Syracuse
Far: Boston College, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Pitt, Wake Forest
