Joel Klatt Applauds Clemson-Notre Dame Schedule Agreement and Champions the Return of College Football’s Lost Traditional Rivalries

Joel Klatt, one of the most respected voices in college football analysis, recently weighed in on the scheduling agreement between Clemson and Notre Dame during an episode of The Joel Klatt Show. The FOX Sports analyst not only praised the continuation of this budding rivalry, but also used it as a launchpad to advocate for the return of some of the sport’s most cherished and historic rivalries. As college football continues to reshape itself with realignment, NIL impacts, and transfer portal chaos, Klatt’s sentiment offered a nostalgic yet strategic perspective rooted in what makes the sport special—its traditions and its regional rivalries.

Clemson and Notre Dame announced a home-and-home series that extends their competitive relationship into the future. While not formal conference rivals, the Tigers and the Irish have clashed multiple times over the last decade, including during Notre Dame’s partial ACC membership in the pandemic-altered 2020 season. That matchup, which saw Notre Dame defeat Clemson in South Bend in double overtime in front of a limited but raucous crowd, was one of the most memorable regular season games of the decade. The rematch in the ACC Championship game later that year, which Clemson won, added even more intrigue to the series.

Klatt lauded the continuation of the series not only because of its competitive balance and national implications but because of what it represents—schools with rich football traditions taking the initiative to schedule meaningful games that resonate with fans. He emphasized that matchups like Clemson vs. Notre Dame should be the norm rather than the exception in the evolving college football landscape.

“Games like Clemson and Notre Dame are what this sport needs more of,” Klatt said. “Two proud programs, iconic brands, great venues, passionate fanbases—these are the types of games that should headline every season.”

Klatt’s appreciation for the Clemson-Notre Dame scheduling news also reflects his broader view on the importance of maintaining regional rivalries and annual showdowns that provide college football with its unique flavor. While television contracts, conference expansion, and playoff ambitions have driven schools to prioritize national brands and scheduling flexibility, they’ve also unintentionally caused the disappearance of some of the game’s most treasured rivalries.

As he transitioned from praising the Tigers and Irish, Klatt took the opportunity to list several rivalries that he believes need to be brought back, either annually or on a consistent basis. Chief among those was the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry, which has been on hiatus since Texas left the Big 12 for the SEC. Though the two programs are set to renew hostilities with Texas now officially part of the SEC, Klatt emphasized how damaging the hiatus had been to the sport.

“College football allowed the loss of Texas-Texas A&M for over a decade. That was a crime,” Klatt said. “That game was the heartbeat of Thanksgiving weekend for so many. We need it back permanently, and thankfully, we’re going to get it.”

Another rivalry Klatt highlighted was Oklahoma vs. Nebraska, a game that once decided national championships and defined entire decades of college football. After the formation of the Big 12 and Nebraska’s eventual departure for the Big Ten, the rivalry disappeared from annual schedules. Despite a brief renewal in 2021 and 2022, the series lacks permanence. Klatt urged both schools to work out a long-term agreement, suggesting a rotating series or neutral-site game if annual scheduling becomes logistically difficult.

“There’s a void in college football that only Oklahoma-Nebraska can fill. That rivalry was everything in the ’70s and ’80s. The modern fan deserves to feel that magic again.”

Klatt also mentioned rivalries like Florida-Miami, Pitt-West Virginia (the Backyard Brawl), and even non-traditional but emerging rivalries like Oregon vs. Boise State or Michigan vs. Notre Dame. His argument was not just based on nostalgia, but on the branding and economic value these games bring, along with the emotional investment they demand from players and fans.

“It’s not about looking backward,” Klatt explained. “It’s about recognizing the power of these games to elevate the sport. Rivalries create culture, identity, and stakes. They make average seasons memorable and great seasons legendary.”

Klatt’s comments come at a time when college football is grappling with identity. With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams, many fear that the regular season will lose some of its luster. Traditional rivalries, especially those not protected by conference schedules, may become casualties in the push for playoff positioning and national exposure. But Klatt argued the opposite—that more meaningful rivalry games could actually enrich the regular season.

“People worry that a 12-team playoff makes regular season games meaningless. But if you schedule with purpose—rivalries, tough road games, historical matchups—you enhance your résumé and your product.”

Klatt also called on conference commissioners and university athletic directors to take a long-term view of scheduling. He criticized decisions made purely from a revenue standpoint that ignored fan engagement or cultural significance. He believes that college football’s strength lies in its emotional ties, something that can’t be manufactured with generic matchups between distant programs that share little history.

The analyst pointed to the SEC’s decision to preserve rivalry games like Alabama-Tennessee and Georgia-Florida even amid realignment as a step in the right direction. But he also warned against complacency, particularly as schools chase dollars from major television networks and streaming giants.

“There’s a responsibility here,” Klatt said. “You can make money and do what’s right for the game. In fact, I’d argue you make more money long-term by doing what’s right for the game.”

Clemson and Notre Dame, by scheduling each other proactively, represent schools that understand that balance. Both institutions have made national playoff appearances in recent years, yet neither is afraid to schedule a game that could jeopardize an unbeaten season. That competitive courage is something Klatt sees as essential for preserving what makes college football special.

He also sees potential in other cross-conference matchups becoming regular events. USC vs. Alabama, Penn State vs. Texas, and Michigan vs. Georgia were hypothetical games Klatt floated as examples of the types of battles fans crave and the sport needs. But he reiterated that those games must be accompanied by the revival of traditional, emotional rivalries to truly complete the picture.

“In a world where everything is becoming more corporate and sanitized, rivalries keep us rooted. They remind us why we fell in love with college football in the first place.”

Klatt’s remarks reflect a growing sentiment among fans and former players alike. With conference realignment at an all-time high—Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten, and speculation about future dominoes—it’s easy to see how traditions could be lost in the shuffle. Klatt isn’t against change; in fact, he often supports modernization efforts, but only when they complement rather than replace the emotional core of the sport.

He also took a moment to appreciate the fans, crediting them as the driving force behind the preservation of some rivalries and the eventual return of others. He believes that when fans speak loudly enough—on social media, through ticket sales, and via support for games that mean something—university and network executives are forced to listen.

“Don’t underestimate your power as fans,” Klatt said. “When you show up, when you care, when you make your voice heard, you shape the future of this game.”

The scheduling agreement between Clemson and Notre Dame may not have made national headlines like a playoff expansion vote or a conference merger, but to Joel Klatt, it signals something deeper. It’s a blueprint. A small but powerful reminder that even in a changing world, there’s room for tradition, for intentional scheduling, and for honoring what built the foundation of college football.

In an era defined by transformation, Klatt’s call to restore old rivalries isn’t just about honoring the past—it’s about securing the future of a sport that is best when it remembers where it came from.