Notre Dame vs Miami will be Biggest Game in South Bend Since...
Notre Dame Stadium has been around since 1930 and seen some massive football games in that time.
Arguably its most famous is one between Notre Dame and Miami back in 1988, when a t-shirt and stopped two-point conversion attempt propelled the Irish to its most recent national championship.
Why Notre Dame-Miami Has the Feel of a Historic South Bend Showdown
The Fighting Irish again host Miami this fall in what could be one of the biggest games the stadium has seen since that memorable October afternoon.
In the age of the expanded College Football Playoff, just how big could a regular season game get, though?
Here's a look at just a few of the things that could be on the line when Notre Dame welcomes Miami on November 7.
Notre Dame's Newly Found Recruiting Hotbed of Florida
It's not that Notre Dame hasn't recruited players from Florida historically, but it's not the norm to pull the caliber of player out of the Sunshine State that Marcus Freeman and his staff have been able to do lately.
One way to continue to grow that pipeline?
Beat the current best team from the state of Florida.
Streakbusters for Both Notre Dame and Miami
Notre Dame leads the all-time series with Miami, 18-9-1, but has dropped the last two contests (2017 and 2025).
Notre Dame will be looking to beat Miami for the first time since 2016 and to put together an unbeaten home season for the first time since 2020.
On the other hand, Miami has won just one of 10 all-time meetings in South Bend - all the way back in 1984.
Possible No. 1 vs. No. 2 Matchup
While the "Catholics vs. Convicts" game back in 1988 tops pretty much every chart for the best game ever played at Notre Dame Stadium, it wasn't a No. 1 vs. No. 2 meeting.
Notre Dame has played in four No. 1 vs. No. 2 regular season games all-time, with the only one being held at Notre Dame Stadium being a 31-24 victory over No. 1 Florida State.
Considering both of these teams will start the year safely in the top 10 and have favorable schedules leading up to the matchup, a "Game of the Century" is certainly a possibility.
Top Seed in the College Football Playoff
Notre Dame has taken a lot of greif about its schedule in 2026 and understandably so. However, has anyone taken a look at Miami's?
It makes Notre Dame's look like a gauntlet by comparison.
No disrespect to BYU or SMU, but Notre Dame should roll to an unbeaten season if it wins this game.
As for Miami - trips to Wake Forest and Clemson are on the schedule and regardless of what you're told, should be cakewalks for the 'Canes.
Put it all together and you're looking at a situation where the winner of this has the best chances of any Power Four program of going unbeaten and earning the top overall seed.
CJ Carr's Heisman Trophy Campaign
CJ Carr is expected to have a monster year quarterbacking Notre Dame and let's face it, the schedule he faces is part of the reason why.
Want to end Notre Dame's Heisman Trophy drought that dates all the way back to 1987?
Easy - go play your butt off in what will almost certainly be a top-five matchup and lead the Irish to a victory.
Few, if any, quarterbacks will have led their team to a better win all season, and we all know how much that matters when it comes to earning that award.
Related: What Dabo Swinney Recently Got Wrong About Notre Dame
Nick Shepkowski's Quick Thoughts
Some may say the showdown with No. 1 Clemson in 2020 was just as big or bigger, but if both are undefeated on November 7, this game will be bigger than that.
It might not be fair to the 2020 squad, but with no Trevor Lawrence and the fact the pandemic was going on, something just wasn't all there on what was still an extremely memorable night in South Bend.
To me, this has a chance to be the biggest game Notre Dame Stadium has played host to since Reggie Bush and USC came to South Bend in 2005.
Miami won't bring in a 27-game winning streak like USC did, but plenty will be on the line on November 7.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/notredame as Notre Dame vs Miami will be Biggest Game in South Bend Since....
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This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 1:23 AM.