Notre Dame’s Front-Loaded 2025 Schedule: Big Opportunity & Risk

Notre Dame’s 2025 schedule starts with major challenges, offering both a chance to make a statement and the risk of early setbacks.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) throws the ball against Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end JT Tuimoloau (44) and Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Eddrick Houston (96) in the fourth quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Big games" all occur on front half of schedule

Notre Dame's 2025 schedule is set up very interestingly. Unless there are some surprises with the teams scheduled for later in the season, the schedule appears to be very front-loaded and Notre Dame will need to play great football early to set the season up for success.

Before October ends, the Irish will have faced Miami, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Boise State and USC. Should Notre Dame be able to manage this stretch with one or no losses leading into their second off-week after facing USC, the Irish would be set up to make another playoff run in hopes of landing another first-round home game.

The front-loaded nature of this schedule allows for the Irish to get a hot start should they play solid football. But if Notre Dame struggles early in the year due to personnel changes and a new QB and drops a couple of games, the back half of the schedule will make it much harder to climb back into playoff position.

Notre Dame’s 2025 schedule:

Aug. 31: at Miami
Sept. 13: Texas A&M
Sept. 20: Purdue
Sept. 27: at Arkansas
Oct. 4: Boise State
Oct. 11: NC State
Oct. 18: USC
Nov. 1: at Boston College
Nov. 8: Navy
Nov. 15: at Pitt
Nov. 22: Syracuse
Nov. 29: at Stanford pic.twitter.com/uJckMiXusj

— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) January 28, 2025

Back end of schedule does not "move the needle"

The back half of Notre Dame's schedule is not exciting. With BC, Navy, Pitt, Syracuse, and Stanford on the slate to run out the year, there aren't many, if any opportunities to collect a win that changes the perception of the Irish. This is good and bad.

If Notre Dame is in playoff position entering this stretch, it will be favored to win every one of these games and may be able to cruise to the playoff finish line.

That's a great thing. But should the Irish drop a couple of games on the front half of the schedule, beating the teams on the back end that lack cache, could make it hard for Notre Dame to impress the CFP committee enough to make a late rise in the rankings.

In 2024, Notre Dame's playoff life was on the line after a brutal week two loss, the Irish must do all they can to avoid a repeat of that situation in 2025, but it won't be easy and the Irish must be ready to play winning football from the moment the ball gets kicked off in Miami.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

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