Will a great Michigan football rivalry be revitalized sooner than later?

These two teams need to play much sooner than what's expected.

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One of college football's best rivalries hasn't been played since 2019. The last time the Michigan Wolverines squared off with Notre Dame was on Oct. 26, 2019, and the Wolverines prevailed in Ann Arbor, 45-14. The two schools aren't expected to play one another until 2033, but maybe there is some traction to play sooner.

In a recent segment with Bussin' With The Boys, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was asked about the rivalry, and he said it's something he would like to see resume sooner than later.

"I remember growing up watching Michigan play Notre Dame," Freeman said. "That is such a great rivalry. You talk about two iconic programs. I would love to see that happen in the future, and I don't know if there's discussions. I don't know if it's on our future schedule, but now that you say that Taylor (Lewan), I think it is on our schedule in like 2030 or something like that. ... We have to get that back going."

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Following Freeman's comments, Michigan's head coach Sherrone Moore was asked about the Wolverines playing the Irish again. Moore is also for the rivalry with Notre Dame to start back up -- with a potential of starting earlier than 2033.

"Yeah, absolutely. Pretty close with Marcus," Moore said. "But, yeah, that’d be great to see. You know, and I know we’re aligned to play. I think it’s not until, like, 20-what? 30? Yeah, 2032 or something. So maybe we can get that a little earlier. But we’ll see.

"We’re just really worried about the game we’re about to play. But, yeah, 100 percent, that’s a traditional rivalry that is a staple of college football, for sure."

History behind the rivalry

Michigan and Notre Dame first met in 1888, but the two programs didn't start playing on nearly a yearly basis until 1978. From 1978 - 2014, Michigan faced Notre Dame 31 times. The two teams have played twice since, with 2019 being the final time.

The Wolverines hold a 19-17-1 all-time record against the Irish and held a 6-4 lead in the last 10 matchups with Notre Dame. Typically, Michigan would face Notre Dame in the second or third week of the season, and there would always be big early implications on the line, and the smell of football was in the air.

With teams scheduling more difficult non-conference schedules with the expanded Playoff, it would only make sense to see these two historic programs face off once again -- much earlier than 2033.

Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Free Press via Imagn Content Services, LLC

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