Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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12 SEPT. 26, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Notre Dame Announces Home-And-Home Series With Nebraska In seven years, the Notre Dame football program will have a guaranteed opportunity to establish a winning record against one of college football's historic blue bloods. On Sept. 16, the Irish announced a home-and-home series with Nebraska in 2032 and 2033. First, Notre Dame will travel to Lincoln, Neb., on Oct. 30, 2032. Then, the Irish will host the Cornhuskers on Oct. 29, 2033. Notre Dame's all-time record against Nebraska is 7-8-1. The Cornhuskers pulled ahead in the win column the last time the two teams met in Nebraska in the second game of a 2000-01 home-and-home series. The Huskers won both top-25 matchups, 27-24 in overtime at South Bend and 27-10 in Lincoln. Nebraska was the No. 1 team in the country in 2000 and No. 5 in 2001. The Irish were No. 23 both times. Nebraska currently owns a three-game winning streak vs. Notre Dame, dating to when the two teams met in the Orange Bowl at the end of the 1972 season. Before that, the Irish beat the Cornhuskers both times during their home-and-home in 1947 and 1948. The first time the two teams met was in 1915. Including the 2026 season, Notre Dame has 20 games planned with Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 opponents over the next seven years. In an era where premier college football programs are usually looking to play the easi- est opponents possible to guarantee a win, Notre Dame has done the opposite. Over the next seven years, the Irish will face 11 Power Four programs outside of their annual slate of five regular-season games with ACC teams. Notre Dame also has a 12-game series with Clemson that begins in 2027. During the Marcus Freeman era, Notre Dame owns a 12-5 record against Big Ten, SEC and Big 12 programs when you include Southern Cal, which played in the Pac-12 in 2022 and 2023 before moving to the Big Ten, and BYU, which was an independent in 2022 before joining the Big 12. Three of those losses have been to Ohio State, including the national championship game for the 2024 season. In addition to those schools, the Irish will also face ACC foes Miami in 2028, 2031 and 2032, and Florida State in 2029, 2030 and 2032. — Kyle Kelly NOTRE DAME'S FUTURE GAMES AGAINST BIG TEN, SEC AND BIG 12 TEAMS Year Opponent Date 2027 Purdue Sept. 4 2027 at Michigan State Sept. 18 2027 BYU TBD 2027 Auburn Sept. 25 2028 Texas Sept. 9 2028 Arkansas Sept. 16 2028 at Purdue Sept. 23 2028 at Auburn Oct. 28 2029 Alabama Sept. 1 2029 at Texas Sept. 22 2030 at Southern Cal Aug. 31 2030 at Alabama Sept. 14 2031 Southern Cal Aug. 30 2031 Florida Nov. 15 2032 at Florida Sept. 11 2032 at Southern Cal TBD 2032 at Nebraska Oct. 30 2033 at Michigan Sept. 3 2033 Nebraska Oct. 29 2033 Southern Cal TBD LEONARD MOORE HONORED FOR HIS OFF-THE-FIELD WORK Junior cornerback Leonard Moore earned two major community service honors, the Irish announced Sept. 15. Moore was named to the AFCA Good Works Team, which honors 22 players and one head coach for their "extraordi- nary commitment to community service." He was also named a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, which is presented annually to the FBS player who "best combines exem- plary community service with lead- ership and perfor- mance on and off the field." The Irish have produced a Wuerffel Tro- phy semifinalist in each of the past four seasons. The other three are linebacker JD Bertrand (2023), linebacker Jack Kiser (2024) and offensive tackle Aamil Wagner (2025). Bertrand and Kiser advanced to finalist status, while Wagner was a semi- finalist. Moore's primary community service ini- tiative is called "Tackle Attendance South Bend," which he founded in September 2025 to "combat chronic absenteeism and inspire student success through mentor- ship and accountability," according to Notre Dame's news release. — Jack Soble MOORE Notre Dame and Nebraska last met in 2001, when the Cornhuskers defeated the Irish 27-10 in Lincoln, Neb., to take an 8-7-1 series lead. PHOTO COURTESY NEBRASKA