Notre Dame Stadium Set to Kick Off Expanded College Football Playoff Era

No. 7 Notre Dame will play host to No. 10 Indiana to open the College Football Playoff slate

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman runs out with his team before a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The following press release is courtesy of the University of Notre Dame:

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The University of Notre Dame football team (11-1) has earned the No. 7 seed in the 2024 College Football Playoff and will host No. 10 Indiana (11-1) in the first-ever playoff game at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, December 20 at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN/ABC. 

The game will be the first-ever College Football Playoff game to take place on an institution’s home campus. 

Notre Dame and Indiana are meeting for the 30th time, with Notre Dame owning a 23-5-1 record overall: 13-1-1 at home, 6-3 away and 4-1 at neutral sites. The Irish have not met Indiana in the postseason. 

The last meeting between the two teams came on Sept. 7, 1991, a 49-27 Irish win at Notre Dame Stadium. 

2024-25 College Football Playoff Field

No. 🔟 Seed: Indiana // @IndianaFootball // #NeverDaunted#CFBPlayoff🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/Hmptcfieu0

— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) December 8, 2024

The Irish finished the season ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press and No. 3 in the Coaches Poll. Indiana finished the season ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll.

2024 marks the third time Notre Dame has earned a spot in the College Football Playoff (2018, 2020). With the introduction of the 12-team College Football Playoff, Notre Dame is one of four programs to host the first-ever College Football Playoff games at home. 

The winner of the matchup will move on to the Allstate Sugar Bowl and take on No. 2 Georgia on Jan. 1, 2025, in New Orleans, La.

Playoff football in South Bend ☘️

🆚 🔟 Indiana
📍South Bend, Indiana
📅 Friday, Dec. 20
🕖 8:00PM ET
📺 ESPN | ABC#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/1g6MX7l3oR

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 8, 2024

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Why Notre Dame Deserves the 5 Seed in College Football Playoff

A Look at Notre Dame Football's Worst Case Scenario for Conference Championship Games

Notre Dame First Round Opponent? How Alabama Problem Was Bound to Happen for CFP