NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The University of Notre Dame and exclusive football broadcast partner NBC Sports have announced kickoff times for the 2021 Fighting Irish football season. The home slate, an unprecedented 31st consecutive season that the Irish will appear on NBC Sports, is highlighted by back-to-back prime time games against programs that finished the 2020 season ranked in the Top 25 – Southern Cal and North Carolina.
Notre Dame and Southern Cal will renew the “greatest intersectional rivalry” in college football as the Fighting Irish welcome the Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET in a battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh. Notre Dame has won the past three matchups against USC, including a 30-27 victory during the Trojans’ last trip to South Bend in 2019.
The following week, on Oct. 30, Notre Dame will take on North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. in Notre Dame Stadium. The Irish defeated the Tar Heels 31-17 in Chapel Hill in 2020.
The 31st edition of Notre Dame on NBC officially kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 11, when the Fighting Irish host Toledo, which will mark the first meeting between the schools.
On Sept. 18, Notre Dame will welcome Purdue at 2:30 p.m. ET and vie for the Shillelagh Trophy. It will mark the 87th meeting between the Irish and Boilermakers and the first for former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees in the NBC broadcast booth. Brees will be joined by NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and Kathryn Tappen (sideline) throughout the 2021 season.
Notre Dame’s Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Brian Kelly, who was the head coach at Cincinnati from 2007-09, will take on his former school when the Irish host the Bearcats in South Bend on Oct. 2 at 2:30 p.m. ET.
On Nov. 6, Notre Dame will host Navy in a rivalry that dates back to 1927. The Fighting Irish, who hold a 79-13-1 advantage in the all-time series, have faced Navy 93 times, more than any other matchup in school history. Notre Dame and Navy will kick at 3:30 p.m. ET at Notre Dame Stadium.
The Notre Dame on NBC season will conclude on Nov. 20 when the Fighting Irish host Georgia Tech at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Notre Dame is currently accepting deposits for new season ticket members. For more information on becoming a season ticket member, visit UND.com/FootballTickets.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL 2021 HOME SCHEDULE (all times ET)
| Sept. 11 | Toledo | 2:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Sept. 18 | Purdue | 2:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Oct. 2 | Cincinnati | 2:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Oct. 23 | Southern Cal | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Oct. 30 | North Carolina | 7:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Nov. 6 | Navy | 3:30 p.m. | NBC |
| Nov. 20 | Georgia Tech | 2:30 p.m. | NBC |