Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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UNDER THE DOME For the first time since 1996, the Notre Dame football team won't open its season on a Saturday. Notre Dame and Texas have agreed to reschedule their Saturday, Sept. 3 contest to Sunday, Sept. 4 so it can be an exclusive Sunday highlight of Labor Day weekend. The NFL won't open its season until the following week. The game will be played at night to gain a larger audience, with the prime- time kickoff and television details still to be determined. "A game of the magnitude of Notre Dame-Texas, played on the opening weekend of the college football season, deserves a special place on the Labor Day sports calendar," Notre Dame vice president and director of athletics Jack Swarbrick said in a released statement. "With this move we have secured that place and by doing so are provid- ing a greater opportunity for fans of college football to enjoy what is sure to be another great game in a classic rivalry that dates back to 1913." Texas men's athletics director Mike Perrin echoed those thoughts: "When you hear Texas Longhorns and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, it grabs every- one's attention. That's a historic sport- ing event that fans worldwide want to see. "This schedule provides a wonder- ful opportunity to play the game in an exclusive window so everyone can see it. We discussed it quite a bit and took into account all of the factors in mak- ing the decision." The last time Notre Dame opened the season other than on a Saturday was in Lou Holtz's final year as the Fighting Irish head coach, when it The Irish opened the 2015 season with a 38‑3 trouncing of the Longhorns and hold a 9‑2 advantage in the all‑time series between the two tradition‑rich programs. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA NOTRE DAME‑TEXAS OPENER MOVED TO SUNDAY