The Notre Dame athletic director, Pete Bevacqua, made headlines after a press conference prior to the national championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Atlanta.
While the presser mainly focused on Notre Dame and the upcoming game, Clemson was brought up during questions, leading to Bevacqua expressing his openness about the idea of beginning an annual rivalry between the two schools.
“When we play a team like Clemson, I think that has become such a great rivalry in such a short amount of time,” he said. “I would tell you that’s the type of game I’d love to play every year.”
The Tigers and Fighting Irish have met five times in the past seven seasons and six times since 2015. The two most notable meetings were the 2020 ACC Championship game, when Notre Dame made its conference debut, and in a 2018 College Football Playoff semifinal.
Most recently, Notre Dame returned to Death Valley in 2023 for the first time since 2015. The No. 15 Fighting Irish were upset by the unranked Tigers, 31-23. The game started hot for the men in orange, but the score slowly drew closer as the game grew later. While the passing game was stagnant throughout the contest, the defense, along with 186 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns from Phil Mafah, helped lead the Tigers to success.
Conversely, the matchup in the 2022 season saw No. 4 Clemson get upset by an unranked Notre Dame team in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defensive back Benjamin Morrison had an impressive showing, recording two interceptions and taking one back for a touchdown. The run game for the Irish was also a substantial factor in the outcome, as the team rushed for 263 yards and two touchdowns. The Tigers trailed the entire game and ended up losing 35-14.
The No. 3 Tigers saw the No. 2 Fighting Irish for a second time in the 2020 season, but this time, it was the conference championship, and Clemson had its starting signal caller, Trevor Lawrence, back.
The contest was a domination from start to finish on Clemson’s end, with the Tigers winning 34-10. Lawrence accounted for over 400 offensive yards and three touchdowns, while Travis Etienne Jr. carried the ball 10 times for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Looking into the future, what is the current state of both teams heading into 2025?
The Fighting Irish are coming off a 14-2 season and a national championship appearance. Meanwhile, the Tigers are looking to be in contention for a national championship in the 2025-26 season after a 10-4 season capped off with an ACC Championship and a playoff appearance for the first time since 2021.
The two schools have games scheduled for the 2027, 2028, 2031, 2034 and 2037 seasons.
