Notre Dame football may not have an official rivalry with Clemson, but it seems like it’s headed that way. And at least on paper, the rivalry is officially on thanks to a new agreement that will have the two teams playing each other every year over a 12-season period.
Thanks to its scheduling deal with the ACC, the Fighting Irish have started to see some very interesting battles develop. It’s a perfect pairing considering that the school is officially part of the conference in several sports, including baseball and basketball. While the football team will remain independent until it absolutely can’t, it’s also deepening ties with the best teams in the conference.
Notre Dame and Clemson rivalry goes full throttle starting in 2027
On Tuesday morning, Notre Dame football and Clemson announced a 12-year agreement that will have them playing every single season, alternating home and home games. This new codified rivalry will begin in 2027 and run through 2038.
Notre Dame & Clemson have struck a 12-year annual football scheduling deal, sources tell @YahooSports. The series works independently of the ACC structure but does count as one of ND’s five ACC games.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) May 6, 2025
Irish also expected to play FSU & Miami more regularly.
When the Irish play the Tigers in this new deal it will count as one of the five games that Notre Dame will play against teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference as part of their five-game affiliation with the league.
According to Ross Dellenger, who broke the news of the 12-season agreement, there is also talk in South Bend that ND also plans to schedule Miami and Florida State more often than they are now.
The matchup with Clemson has been a fiery one, even if they’ve only played a handful of times in the last decade. They recently traded punches in a home-and-home where Notre Dame won in South Bend and the Tigers won in South Carolina.
This year’s ACC schedule includes the season opener against the Miami Hurricanes, North Carolina State, Boston College, Pitt and Syracuse. They also play Stanford this fall, but that game doesn’t technically count against the five as it’s a natural, annual rivalry.
The agreement overlaps with a five-game agreement that was already in place including the already scheduled matchup with Notre Dame football traveling to Clemson in 2027.