2025 Notre Dame Football Schedule: A Sneak Peek This Spring

It's early, but the season schedule is always important in a team's chances of big-time success

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates a touchdown scored during the first round of the College Football Playoff between Notre Dame and Indiana University at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame football gained more national respect in the month from December 20, 2024 to January 20, 2025 than it did in perhaps the previous 322 months combined. The Fighting Irish went toe-to-toe with a handful of the nation's best, beating top-10 teams Indiana, Georgia, and Penn State, before falling to Ohio State in the national championship game.

As memorable as the year was and as much as it did to change the national narrative around Notre Dame, the drought of a national championship continues. Not since 1988 has Notre Dame claimed a national championship and although it won't enter 2025 as the nation's favorite to win it all, nobody in that Notre Dame locker room is expecting anything less than another College Football Playoff run.

What are Notre Dame's chances of getting back to the College Football Playoff? Position battles are fully underway in spring ball and most of those won't soon go away. How does the schedule look in terms of helping Notre Dame this far out?

A quick game-by-game glance at Notre Dame's 2025 football schedule.

Aug. 31: Notre Dame at Miami

Nov 11, 2017; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Jonathan Garvin (97) recovers the fumble of Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Brandon Wimbush (7) during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: Notre Dame currently is what Miami wants to be: traditional power that has found itself on the national stage after time away. Can the Notre Dame quarterback, who will be making his first regular season start, do enough to survive a trip to Miami and former Georgia QB Carson Beck?

Sept.13: vs. Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs the ball for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: Going 2-0 in this start would put Notre Dame in prime position for a run at the No. 5 seed in the CFP. But what if the Irish go 0-2? Is the Playoff done?

Sept. 20: Notre Dame vs. Purdue

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: The good news for Purdue is that it can't be worse than last year. The bad news is that it can be a whole lot better and still only challenge 4-8.

Sept. 27: Notre Dame at Arkansas

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: Lowkey a very tough place to play. Last year Arkansas beat Tennessee, a CFP team, in Fayetteville. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some concern about this one despite Arkansas' recent records.

Oct. 4: Notre Dame vs. Boise State

Boise State Broncos head coach Spencer Danielson yells out to his team as they play the Penn State Nittany Lions during their Vrbo Fiesta Bowl matchup at State Farm Stadium on Dec. 31, 2024. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: This feels a lot like Cincinnati coming to South Bend in 2021 but the best part of this game for Notre Dame is that Ashton Jeanty will be doing his running for the Chicago Bears (hopefully) when it's played.

Oct. 11: Notre Dame vs. North Carolina State

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: NC State's schedule opens East Carolina, Virginia, at Wake Forest, at Duke, Virginia Tech and Campbell. A potential 6-0 Wolfpack squad coming to Notre Dame Stadium?

Oct. 18: Notre Dame vs. USC

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans center Justin Dedich (57) prepares to snap as Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Howard Cross III (56) defends in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: A couple. 1: Notre Dame's chance to quiet the mouth of former Fighting Irish general manager Chad Bowden as he returns to campus with the Trojans. 2: I'm more than slightly afraid Lincoln Riley and USC are going to bounce from this series and this will be the final time it's played in South Bend for the forseeable future.

Nov. 1: Notre Dame at Boston College

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: Others say it about the Navy game but I always tend to think it whenever Boston College appears on the schedule. They're a gnat that annoys you, buzzes your face for a while, but eventually (at least the last nine meetings) you connect and smash it against the wall.

Nov. 8: Notre Dame vs. Navy

Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylen Sneed (3) recovers a fumble by Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) in the end zone for a defensive touchdown during the second half at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: Navy turned things around in a big way last season but that didn't matter a whole lot once Notre Dame showed up on the schedule in late-October. How many Blake Horvath turnovers can the Irish force this time around?

Nov. 15 Notre Dame at Pittsburgh

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: What will Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi be fussing about this week?

Nov. 22: Notre Dame vs. Syracuse (Senior Day)

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: Notre Dame hasn't played a senior day game within 20 or fewer points since 2017 and I wouldn't bet against that changing this year.

Nov. 29: Notre Dame at Stanford

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thought: Before the Troy Taylor firing this seemed like at very best a six-win team. I really wish there was a way to make this trip to Stanford more interesting...

2025 Notre Dame Football Schedule - In Conclusion

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman greets his players during a Notre Dame football spring practice at Irish Athletic Center on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's a schedule that doesn't have a whole lot of gimmes. Yes, Purdue, Stanford, and Navy are there but none are necessarily a walk in the park like if Tennessee State or Bowling Green were coming to town. I'm very interested to see how this team starts. Win in Miami and there is a real shot at the magical No. 5 seed. Lose and does Notre Dame have to go 10-1 the rest of the way?