Football: Utes at Notre Dame in 2010?
Judging from the e-mails I receive, I know Utah fans can't wait for their trip to Michigan for the 2008 football season opener.
Well, start saving your pennies for another great matchup. I've learned Utah is close to finalizing a deal to play at Notre Dame in 2010.
Yep, the Utes could be headed to the land of Knute Rockne, Touchdown Jesus and the Four Horsemen.
The contract isn't official so there is a chance the deal could fall through, but hopefully it can be finalized in the next couple days and maybe as soon as today.
Utah has an open date in 2010 because its series with Washington State was bumped to 2012 and 2013, which also made it possible for the Utes to play at Michigan this season.
Like the Michigan game, the contest at Notre Dame will be a one-time shot for the Utes with no immediate plans for a return trip or a visit to Rice-Eccles Stadium by the Irish so start making plans now if you want to see the teams play.
The luster of Notre Dame football isn't what it once was, particularly after the Irish went 3-9 in 2007, but it's still a great opportunity, don't you think?
Right now the Utes are also scheduled to play at Utah State and Iowa State in 2010, so ideally there will be a little more shuffling to give them two home and two away nonconference games. I don't know how interested the Utes would be in having just one home nonconference game. I'm trying to get ahold of coach Kyle Whittingham to find out more, so hopefully I'll have an update later.
Here are how the nonconference schedules have tentatively shaped up for the coming seasons:
2009
Sept. 5 Utah State
Sept. 12 at San Jose State
Sept. 19 at Oregon
Sept. 26 Louisville
2010
at Notre Dame, TBD
Sept. 11 at Utah State
Sept. 18 at Iowa State
Sept. 25 San Jose State
2011
Sept. 3 Iowa State
Sept. 10 Utah State
Sept. 17 Oregon
Sept. 24 at Boise State
2012
Aug. 30 Washington State
Sept. 8 at Utah State
Sept. 22 at Colorado
Sept. 29 Boise State
2013
Aug. 31 Utah State
Sept. 14 at Washington State
Sept. 21 Colorado
Sept. 28 at Boise State
Well, start saving your pennies for another great matchup. I've learned Utah is close to finalizing a deal to play at Notre Dame in 2010.
Yep, the Utes could be headed to the land of Knute Rockne, Touchdown Jesus and the Four Horsemen.
The contract isn't official so there is a chance the deal could fall through, but hopefully it can be finalized in the next couple days and maybe as soon as today.
Utah has an open date in 2010 because its series with Washington State was bumped to 2012 and 2013, which also made it possible for the Utes to play at Michigan this season.
Like the Michigan game, the contest at Notre Dame will be a one-time shot for the Utes with no immediate plans for a return trip or a visit to Rice-Eccles Stadium by the Irish so start making plans now if you want to see the teams play.
The luster of Notre Dame football isn't what it once was, particularly after the Irish went 3-9 in 2007, but it's still a great opportunity, don't you think?
Right now the Utes are also scheduled to play at Utah State and Iowa State in 2010, so ideally there will be a little more shuffling to give them two home and two away nonconference games. I don't know how interested the Utes would be in having just one home nonconference game. I'm trying to get ahold of coach Kyle Whittingham to find out more, so hopefully I'll have an update later.
Here are how the nonconference schedules have tentatively shaped up for the coming seasons:
2009
Sept. 5 Utah State
Sept. 12 at San Jose State
Sept. 19 at Oregon
Sept. 26 Louisville
2010
at Notre Dame, TBD
Sept. 11 at Utah State
Sept. 18 at Iowa State
Sept. 25 San Jose State
2011
Sept. 3 Iowa State
Sept. 10 Utah State
Sept. 17 Oregon
Sept. 24 at Boise State
2012
Aug. 30 Washington State
Sept. 8 at Utah State
Sept. 22 at Colorado
Sept. 29 Boise State
2013
Aug. 31 Utah State
Sept. 14 at Washington State
Sept. 21 Colorado
Sept. 28 at Boise State
10:40 AM
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4 Comments:
I think playing Notre Dame would give the Utes a lot of visibility, which is always good for a mid-major...the program would also get a pretty good payday, right? I'm all for it, I've always wanted to go to South Bend, and this would be the perfect opportunity...
This will be awesome if it does come to fruition, although I would really like to see Michigan and Notre Dame return the favor and come to SLC.
Having three road non-conference games in 2010 won't be a problem in my mind. At Utah State is basically an extended home game for the Utes due to proximity. Plus, in 2011 the Utes have three HOME non-conference games scheduled, so that would balance it out. If Dr. Hill and Coach Whittingham think it is a problem to have three away games, the easy solution would be to swap the Iowa State series so that they come here in 2010 and we go there in 2011.
Now that is some news worthy of print. Very exciting!!! Certainly better than stealing missionary recruits from such powerhouse football programs as Utah State and UNLV. Recruiting is getting desperate in Provo, I hope Southern Utah is on top of their players committments.
One game does not make a huge recruiting boost. If they could get a string of years together in which ND would come to SLC to play at least once, then we would have something. Having grown up around ND football for most of my life, I see this as the Irish trying to get a "weak" mid-major into town to pad their schedule. Hopefully, the Utes would make them regret that. And yes, the Utes would take home a good chunk of change for playing their, which is never bad.
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