Irish Back?

Rumor: Michigan and Notre Dame set to resume rivalry in 2018

It appears that the Irish are back on the schedule.

Source: #Michigan and #NotreDame to announce their football rivalry series will resume play in 2018. Announcement expected tomorrow.

— Jay Sarkar (@WLNSJaySarkar) July 7, 2016

At the current moment, neither Michigan nor Notre Dame have a corresponding open date in 2018.

Sept 1:
Michigan vs Arkansas
Notre Dame vs OPEN

Sept 8:
Michigan vs OPEN
Notre Dame vs Ball State

Sept 15:
Michigan vs SMU
Notre Dame vs OPEN

Right now, internet rumors suggest Michigan will be replacing Arkansas with Notre Dame. Odds are the only way Michigan would want to make this work would be to have Notre Dame be the only marquee non-conference game the years they are on the schedule, and keep the other 2 games against relative lesser teams.

Starting this season, Big Ten teams will be moving to a 9-game league schedule going forward, thus dropping 1 non-conference opponent from the schedule.

I, for one, am very happy about this news. There had been rumblings pretty much all offseason that a deal between the two winningest programs in college football was in the works, and now it appears to be done. For me, Michigan vs Notre Dame is a classic and frankly obvious matchup that just makes for a better September every year.

Well, for the winner, anyway.

More details are expected later today, so hold tight.