The University of Notre Dame and Clemson University have finalized a long‑term non‑conference football agreement that will pit the two programs against each other 12 times between 2027 and 2038, according to a copy of the contract obtained by FBSchedules.com.
The deal, executed in mid‑December 2025 by Clemson Vice President and Director of Athletics Graham Neff and Notre Dame Vice President and Director of Athletics Peter P. Bevacqua, establishes a true home‑and‑home rotation: six games at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C., and six at Notre Dame Stadium in Notre Dame, Ind.
The series begins with Clemson hosting in 2027 and alternates thereafter, with each school hosting six times. The final game is scheduled for mid-October 2038 at Notre Dame Stadium.
Clemson-Notre Dame Future Matchups
• Oct. 30, 2027 – Notre Dame at Clemson
• Oct. 7, 2028 – Clemson at Notre Dame
• Nov. 3, 2029 – Notre Dame at Clemson
• Oct. 19, 2030 – Clemson at Notre Dame
• Oct. 11, 2031 – Notre Dame at Clemson
• Oct. 16, 2032 – Clemson at Notre Dame
• Oct. 15, 2033 – Notre Dame at Clemson
• Oct. 14, 2034 – Clemson at Notre Dame
• Oct. 27, 2035 – Notre Dame at Clemson
• Oct. 18, 2036 – Clemson at Notre Dame
• Oct. 31, 2037 – Notre Dame at Clemson
• Oct. 16, 2038 – Clemson at Notre Dame
Key Contract Terms
• No financial guarantees: Neither school will owe the other a payout for any game. The host institution keeps all ticket, concessions, and related revenue.
• Television rights: The host school controls all broadcast, streaming, and distribution rights for its home games. A separate crossover agreement, if any, would take precedence in case of conflict.
• Radio and production: Each school can broadcast on its own network and student station with no revenue sharing. Visiting teams may produce limited highlight and coaching film footage.
• Ticketing: The visiting team receives 300 complimentary tickets and may purchase up to 4,700 additional tickets, with strict return windows in the final months before each game.
• Officials: Clemson’s conference (currently the ACC) will assign officials for games at Notre Dame; Notre Dame will designate a conference for games at Clemson. Instant-replay crews are provided by the visiting institution.
• Cancellation penalties: Liquidated damages apply only for non-force-majeure cancellations: $0 with four or more years’ notice, $1 million with more than two but less than four years’ notice, and $3 million with two years or less notice. A single-game cancellation does not void the rest of the series.
The contract also includes language that if either party’s relationship with the ACC terminates prior to the 2038 game, the agreement will survive such termination. Additionally, both sides agreed to discuss potential additional games beyond 2038 following the 2032 contest and prior to the game in 2033.
FOOTBALL SCHEDULES
View Comments (34)
Do you think this is a long term replacement for the ND-USC series? How does this affect Notre Dame's ACC scheduling agreement? And does this shut the door for BYU in scheduling a longer term agreement in place of USC?
Clemson might be a replacement for the ND-Stanford series, which has no currently scheduled games after 2026.
Looking at future schedules, it would seem that any future ND-USC games will be played in August or September, and occasionally rather than every year. So, like ND games against other Big Ten teams.
M: Clemson really is a replacement for USC. They're on a similar level.
Stanford is not.
Also, looking at ND's (and BYU's) schedules, if ND wants to keep visiting CA once every year (which is a key reason they have their annual series with Stanford), it makes a lot of sense for the Domers to extend their series with Stanford (where they play the Cardinal at home on even years and visit the Bay Area on odd years) and schedule to play BYU neutral site in SoCal on even years.
I bet BYU would sign up for that as there are a bunch of Mormons on the WC.
Heck, ND might even be able to convince Stanford to play some neutral site games in CA. Or include Cal in the mix instead of playing Stanford every year.
As to your second question:
The Notre Dame-Clemson games do count toward ND's five annual ACC games during years in which those games are already in the league’s scheduling rotation (likely 2027, 2028, 2031, 2034, and 2037). The other games reportedly do not count.
No thanks to the neutral site idea.
BYUfan: I know you hate neutral site games, but if the alternative is no more games vs the Domers after 2027, would you prefer that?
It's also ironic that you are so vociferously against neutral site games, considering that your team has one of the most national fan bases in CFB.
I don't want to play any team that would think they're too good to come to Provo and wants to play a neutral site game instead and why would our national fanbase need neutral site games when we can just take over other teams stadiums at away games lol.
BYUfan: Tell me again: How many times in CA (where BYU has a lot of fans) will the Cougars play in the future?
Not very many and that's very unfortunate for them, especially for basketball fans as we're not longer in the WCC, but you have to cater to the majority and taking away a home game for a neutral site game just isn't good at all for the school or the majority of fans.
That's a lot of games.
Clemson was stupid to sign this deal. Look what happened. ND with no USC game, settles for BYU. USC makes trips to midwest in Big 10 season so need for ND. Strangle ND's schedule so they end up playing MAC teams, ACC teams and Navy, then they will have to join a conference. It makes no sense for conference teams to schedule ND in October and November when they are in the middle of their conference season! ND has Weakest FBS schedule this season
Ehh, except why exactly would Clemson care about ND joining a conference? If the Domers do join a conference, it will be one of the P2 and not the ACC, so what does Clemson gain from not scheduling ND?
Preparation for the demise of the current iteration of the ACC.
Only if you think Clemson will not get to join the SEC or Big Ten.
Because if Clemson is in the SEC or Big Ten, it would make absolutely no sense to lock themselves into several years of a more difficult nonconference game than any of their conference mates have to play.
Maybe playing Notre Dame every year forever makes sense if Clemson becomes an independent team. But not if they are playing a Big Ten or SEC conference schedule.
This means that even if Clemson cancels their series with UGa and OU (I have to think that's likely), Clemson will play one OOC away game every season. With 9 ACC games most seasons, that would mean Clemson would have only 6 home games almost half the time. Not sure how happy Clemson is about that when Iowa is adamant that they need 7 home games a year to make their finances work.
Georgia-Clemson rivalry will come to a complete end.
Not a chance Georgia and Clemson never play again.
Only an idiot would think that.
SEC! SEC! SEC! THAT SIT I am going to buy souvenirs From Clemson, Michigan & Oklahoma State & zero SEC souvenirs because you are no true SEC fan.
A True SEC fan would enjoy games like Georgia-Florida, Tennessee-Alabama & Missouri-Arkansas.
Georgia-Clemson FORGET IT!!!
Interesting that Pitt and BC had to sacrifice annual matchups with ND for the good of the ACC, but Clemson, who had very little history with ND prior to the ACC alliance, is able to get the Domers on the schedule long term.
I am not sure I get this agreement. While I appreciate a series between two competitive teams, that's all it is. There is not history between these two teams. They've only played 8 times in history, with 6 of those games in the last 11 years, the other 2 in the 70s. Of the 6 recent ones, one was a bowl game and another was in the ACC Championship game in the Covid year.
If they wanted to go with a competitive annual series with an ACC member, it should've been Miami. There is a history there, it allows that to play every other year in a state that is a recruiting hotbed for college football. Even Georgia Tech, SMU, Stanford, and Pitt would have been better choices, as Texas, Georgia, and California are also recruiting hotbeds, and there is a long history with Pitt.
Gerry: judging by how ND schedules, it seems extremely obvious to me (as a neutral) that ND cares very little about maintaining annual series with traditional rivals (other than Navy) despite whatever the Domers may say. I judge people and institutions by their actions, not their words.
As for why Clemson and not Miami: the Domers may prefer Clemson's (almost) non-existent transfer strategy vs Miami's (aggressive big-spending) one, making Clemson games easier wins even if they have the same prestige as the Canes. Again, look at actions, not words.
If you think back to the 1980s when Notre Dame and Miami played a 10 game series, I don't think they had much history at that time. But it turned into an instant classic series and now anytime ND and Miami play people point back to the 1980s as context for the current game. I could see the same thing happening with Notre Dame and Clemson down the road.
Its rare to see schools sign anything beyond a home-and-home. But if you're trying to build a long term relationship, you have to schedule a long term series.
A rivalry has to start somewhere.
I am not sure why Notre Dame obligated themselves to schedule a 12 game series with Clemson? Do you really think Dabo Sweeney will be at Clemson till 2038? There is no guarantee that Clemson is going to be a Top 10 team, even this year? What makes anybody think they will have that success over that period of time? This is just a bad mistake on their part!
Dabo won't be at Clemson even two years from now. You are correct that there's no guarantee of success for Clemson in that time but neither is there for Notre Dame or any program in college football. Clemson is also a huge brand and a top ten job in the sport and with the right coach can be at the highest level as we saw with Dabo in the 2010's.
Because, with all 4 P4 conferences having 9 conference games now, it's harder and harder for the Domers to schedule (much less lock in) prestigious opponents.
Richard I fully agree with you.
Notre Dame-Clemson makes a fantastic void to fill Notre Dame-USC.
But they are not in September when you said non conference game are to be played. I mean you told that to everyone here September is excellent for non conference games.
Illininoles97 I can live without Notre Dame-USC & I am excellent with uncertainty of it.
No real college football fan should be good with the loss of ND - USC.
But then again, we've debated whether you are a real college football fan for a while, so it makes sense you wouldn't care to lose it.
Forget about Notre Dame-USC
Forget about Oklahoma State-Oklahoma
Forget about Missouri-Kansas
Forget about Georgia-Clemson
I WANT TO WATCH COLLEGE FOOTBALL NO MATTTER WHO PLAYS!!!!!
A prediction and an observation.
Prediction: to the comment about why Clemson should have scheduled someone other than Notre Dame. Whether you want to admit it or not, the ticket price and TV market share will be much higher for the Clemson- ND game than for any Clemson v Georgia or Clemson v OU games.
Observation. To the comment about why ND scheduled Clemson and not Miami. Who said Miami is not the next to lock in such a schedule? Do you not recognize that ND has committed to increased scheduling with Miami and Fla St as well as Clemson? Clemson was simply first to pull the trigger ... smart move for increasing its exposure. And after ND routes Miami on Nov 7th, the move will look even smarter.
LOL, no, ND doesn't outdraw OU and especially doesn't outdraw UGa. It's more that those series likely will be cancelled with SEC schools switching to 9 conference games.
You seem like another delulu Domer.