Irish fans woke up on July 29 with four questions about Notre Dame’s 2020 soccer schedule:
WHO? Where? When? what if?
Twenty-four hours later, two of those questions have been answered.
Partially, at least.
Notre Dame’s new one-season association with the Athletic Coast Conference in football provides the top prize coveted by the Irish fan base – that is, a possible appearance at the ACC Championship and therefore a greater chance for a Playoff spot or an Orange Bowl date at End of Season.
A 10-game, 13-week, two-goodbye season is available, with a non-conference hater and the remaining question mark for each of the 15 ACC schools, including Notre Dame.
For the Irish, that enemy cannot be the Navy in Annapolis as planned, but it can be the Navy in the state of Indiana in accordance with the ACC-established world non-conference plan for Covid-19 which is 2020 .
Or another program, but it will be played in Indiana.
(If you’re scoring at home, the annual rivalries outside of the ACC conference are in-state clashes: Georgia Tech vs. SEC’s Georgia; Florida State vs. SEC’s Florida; Clemson vs. SEC’s South Carolina.)
Notre Dame’s home and away season (dates still to be determined) are as follows:
Start (* two additions with a third slope)
- Clemson, Duke, * Florida State, Louisville, * Syracuse … with an additional non-conference team to be added.
Highway (* two additions)
- * Boston College, Georgia Tech, * North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest
When will each take place? Unclear, including previously scheduled games against Clemson, Duke, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, and Wake Forest. Each could remain intact or be reworked, but Notre Dame’s initial assignment against those schools is unlikely to remain relevant given that the conference slate will have to be modified in some way.
Where? It is also uncertain, as road games for Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech and Wake Forest would be played in the NFL stadiums, and it seems unlikely that capacity is limited. (Pittsburgh’s NFL stadium, Heinz Field, is their home field.)
Logically, the newly organized games at Boston College and North Carolina will be played at the opponent’s regular stadiums, Alumni and Kenan Memorial, respectively.
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY
The 11th edition of Brian Kelly, Irish, lost Wisconsin (neutral-ish), Stanford, Arkansas and Western Michigan (home) and USC (highway). Florida State (H), Syracuse (H), North Carolina (R) and Boston College (R) won plus an opponent to be named later (strong inclination towards the Navy).
Without dividing the hairs, a logical classification of those nine opponents for the 2020 campaign is:
Wisconsin or USC or North Carolina, followed by Stanford or Florida State, with Boston College thereafter. Syracuse and Arkansas followed by Western Michigan.
Probable enemy The Navy falls somewhere around the Boston College range: Midshipmen get the upper hand due to the irritating nature of the preparation.
In other words, three of the top five enemies for Notre Dame 2020 are no longer on the record.
However…
Clemson’s riddle
It’s time for you, the Irish fanatic, to consider two possibilities (if not probabilities) for the 2020 postseason:
1.) Notre Dame, undefeated otherwise, their only loss to No. 1 ranked, undefeated Clemson … gets a rematch in the ACC Championship game to be played on December 12 or December 19 (depending on the launch of ACC).
Attractive, isn’t it?
2.) You are also undefeated, high-ranking Notre Dame, fresh out of a then-No upset. 1 Clemson … with a return date against Clemson in that ACC Championship game.
You sign up for that, too, but it’s certainly a harder pill to swallow, similar to a rematch against the State of Florida in 1993 or Miami in 1988 that no one wanted since it was already established on the field of play.
The new road warriors?
Before a conference championship game, before a possible playoff spot, and before the non-Notre Dame world loses its collective mind to the notion that the Irish win the ACC Championship, they will never return, Notre Dame has to prove that he can get to Clemson’s level first.
Namely: beating the Tigers, but also navigating five Power 5 road games as part of their ACC Championship hunt.
Notre Dame’s efforts over the past three seasons on the road are in stark contrast to Brian Kelly’s previous seven at the helm.
- Road 5 Power 2010-2015 Games: 12-11 (includes 4-0 in 2012)
- Games Power 5 Road 2016: 0-3
- True Road Games 2017-2019: 10-4
Also at stake in the rarity that is 2020: What is a road game? Do 20,000 scattered fans make a difference? And unless Notre Dame plays Clemson in bad weather in South Bend, will Notre Dame fans, perhaps students and teachers with a handful of donors within their friendly confines, have any influence on the battle-proven Tigers?
If a scream dies in the breeze, can Trevor Lawrence hear it?
NO MIAMI
Is the best potential enemy not yet on the Notre Dame agenda? Phil Steele’s 12 Miami hurricanes.
(Steele ranks Clemson (2), ND (9), UNC (14), Pitt (35), FSU (47), Louisville (48), and Navy (57) among their own Top 60.)
Hurricanes face Clemson and Louisville en route with the state of Florida, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh arriving at Miami Gardens.
Considering that the hurricane rivalry plus one would be A.) State of Florida, B.) Notre Dame and C.) Florida, which will theoretically commit to the State of Florida, it seems that the ‘canes could search for low fruit when program your eleventh enemy.
The fly in the ointment
North Carolina does not play Clemson. Or Louisville. Or Pittsburgh.
Hello open road.
The best bets to saddle Mack Brown’s crew with one or two losses are Miami, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Florida State, plus rival North Carolina State, because the Tar Heels, apparently ready to get up, took a break. on this year’s 2020 list. .
Phil Steele is ranked 14th in North Carolina, while respected annual preseason awards Lindy and Athlon rank in Tar Heels 18th and 20th, respectively.
As for recently rugged Pittsburgh? Clemson, Louisville, Notre Dame and Miami await you.
(Clemson and Louisville are not scheduled to meet, nor, as noted above, did they draw North Carolina.)
Welcome to the action of the Conference of the Athletic Coast, Irish fans … overcome the alternative.
Individuals
According to the official launch of the Conference of the Athletic Coast:
- The first games of the season will take place the week of September 7-12.
- The 2020 programming model includes 11 games (10 plus one: 10 conferences and one non-conference)
- All non-conference opponents, selected by the respective school, must be played in the ACC institution’s home state, and all non-conference opponents must meet the medical protocol requirements as agreed by the ACC
- All 11 games will be played for at least 13 weeks and each team will have two open dates
- There will be a division
- Notre Dame will also play a 10-game conference schedule and be eligible to compete in the 2020 ACC Football Championship Game.
- All television revenue for the 2020 season, including NBC-broadcast Notre Dame home games, will be shared equally by all 15 institutions.
- The ACC Football Championship Game will be played on December 12 or 19 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will feature the top two teams by highest winning percentage in the conference game.
- The 15 teams will continue to be part of the ACC bowl selection process; If Notre Dame were to win the ACC Football Championship Game, they would be eligible for the Orange Bowl, if they were not selected as a College Football Playoff semifinal team
- ACC Football 2020 Weekly Schedule and TV Picks to Launch in Future
