For the first time in over 40 years, Pat Fitzgerald and the Northwestern Wildcats will welcome the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to Evanston next fall, the team announced on Wednesday.
The two teams will battle at Ryan Field on Nov. 3, 2018, their first meeting in Evanston since the 1976 season. The game is one of seven home contests that the Wildcats announced, and their home schedule for the 2018 season is loaded with strong opponents.
The Wildcats will open their home slate against the Duke Blue Devils on Sept. 8 next season, and they’ll also play Akron and the University of Michigan to complete a three-game homestand.
Home games against Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Illinois wrap up the Wildcats’ home schedule for the 2018 campaign.
Here is their full 2018 schedule (home games in bold):
Sept. 1 at Purdue
Sept. 8 vs. Duke
Local
Sept. 15 vs. Akron
Sept. 29 vs. Michigan
Oct. 6 at Michigan State
Oct. 13 vs. Nebraska
Oct. 20 at Rutgers
Oct. 27 vs. Wisconsin
Nov. 3 vs. Notre Dame
Nov. 10 at Iowa
Nov. 17 at Minnesota
Nov. 24 vs. Illinois
For the 2017 season, the Wildcats will have five Big Ten home games for the first time in school history, including battles against Penn State, Iowa, and Michigan State in Evanston.
