The University of Notre Dame has revealed future football matchups for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
The announcement includes an extension of the Legends Trophy Rivalry with Stanford University. A first-time opponent, Kent State, will also feature on the 2027 schedule.
Legends Trophy Rivalry Extension
The tradition of the Irish ending the season in California will continue in 2027. Notre Dame will play the Cardinal in Stanford Stadium on November 27, 2027.
Stanford will then visit Notre Dame Stadium on October 14, 2028. These upcoming games will mark the 41st and 42nd meetings between Notre Dame and Stanford.
Notre Dame leads the overall series 25-14-0.
The Irish and Cardinal have met every season since 1998, excluding the 2020 COVID season.
The first meeting between the two occurred in 1924 at the Rose Bowl, with Notre Dame defeating Stanford 27-10. That matchup inspired The Legends Trophy, named in honour of the coaches from that 1924 contest – Knute Rockne for the Irish and Pop Warner for the Cardinal.
The Irish have won the last three meetings against Stanford, including a 42-20 triumph in 2025. That victory enabled Notre Dame to end the 2025 season with a 10-game win streak.
First Time Opponent: Kent State
The game against Kent State at Notre Dame Stadium on October 2, 2027, will be the 90th program of the current 138 FBS teams that the Irish have faced in their history. This is the fourth most in College Football history behind only Georgia (97), Ohio State (96) and Michigan (95).
The matchup pits the Irish against the alma mater of late legendary Irish head coach Lou Holtz, who passed away in March. Holtz played linebacker for the Golden Flashes in 1957 and graduated in 1959 with a degree in history from Kent State.
Kent State has connections to Notre Dame Football.
Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman was the linebackers coach at Kent State from 2011-2012.
There have been three former Notre Dame football assistant coaches who served as head coaches for the Golden Flashes.
- Ed Chlebek, Notre Dame quarterbacks coach in 1975, led Kent State from 1981-82.
- Pete Cordelli, who served on the Irish coaching staff from 1986-90 was the head coach at Kent State from 1991-93.
- Dean Pees, the head coach at KSU from 1998-2003 was the Notre Dame defensive backs coach in 1994.
Notre Dame is 11-1 against current teams from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Irish’s last contest against a MAC opponent came against Miami University on September 21, 2024, when Notre Dame defeated the Redhawks 28-3.
Including the upcoming game against the Golden Flashes, the Irish will have played nine out of the current 12 MAC member institutions.
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