Notre Dame Football’s Future Series with In-State Rival in Jeopardy Amid Scheduling Tensions and Conference Realignment Pressures
The landscape of college football is evolving rapidly, and as it does, even some of the sport’s most cherished traditions and regional rivalries are being called into question. Notre Dame football, long known for its fierce independence and unique scheduling model, may soon be faced with the cancellation of a future series with one of its in-state foes. While no official announcement has been made, growing whispers around South Bend and across the state of Indiana suggest that a potential clash with an in-state rival — likely Purdue or Indiana — could be on the chopping block.
At the heart of this uncertainty lies a complex web of factors: conference realignment, expanded playoff scheduling, new television contracts, and the increasingly tight window for out-of-conference games in a crowded college football calendar. For a program like Notre Dame, which operates independently and carefully curates its schedule to ensure national reach and playoff viability, every game must serve a strategic purpose. And in this new era of the sport, even long-standing regional rivalries are being weighed against the harsh realities of modern scheduling demands.
Reports have surfaced indicating that future matchups between Notre Dame and Purdue — a rivalry that dates back over a century — are now being reconsidered. While the two programs have a rich shared history and geographic proximity that has helped fuel the rivalry, both schools are under very different scheduling pressures. Purdue, as a member of the Big Ten, faces an increasingly rigorous slate with the addition of powerhouse programs like USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington to the conference. The expansion has already made scheduling flexibility a rare commodity, and athletic departments are being forced to reevaluate non-conference opponents, especially those that don’t offer clear financial or playoff advantages.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame’s scheduling structure includes annual commitments to marquee programs like USC, Stanford, and Navy, along with five required games against ACC opponents due to their scheduling agreement with the conference. That leaves limited room for regional rivalries unless they can offer real value in terms of competition, exposure, and postseason preparation. As playoff selection criteria continue to prioritize strength of schedule, programs like Notre Dame are increasingly cautious about who fills those few precious non-conference slots.
The potential cancellation of an in-state rivalry series — particularly one as tradition-rich as Notre Dame vs. Purdue or Notre Dame vs. Indiana — would undoubtedly disappoint fans on both sides. These matchups have long served as benchmarks for pride within the state and as accessible games for fans unable to travel across the country. For players, they offer meaningful competition with familiar foes and often draw packed stadiums and intense atmospheres.
But for Notre Dame, the stakes have never been higher when it comes to managing their schedule. With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, and strength of schedule taking on an even more critical role in the selection process, the Irish must ensure every game adds to their resume. Regional rivalries, while sentimental, are being measured more critically. If those games are perceived to be lower in competitive value or don’t generate national interest, they may be sacrificed in favor of more strategic matchups.
On the Purdue side, the issue is equally complex. The Boilermakers, now locked into a grueling Big Ten slate with an expanded roster of elite opponents, are reevaluating their non-conference games from a survival standpoint. The path to bowl eligibility — let alone national prominence — is more challenging than ever, and athletic departments are becoming more risk-averse when it comes to scheduling formidable out-of-conference rivals. Playing Notre Dame may be a great tradition, but it’s also a potential loss in an already difficult season.
Another potential factor in the brewing uncertainty is the financial aspect of modern college football. With the rise of media rights deals and conference-exclusive broadcast contracts, non-conference games can sometimes become difficult to negotiate in terms of television revenue and exposure. Notre Dame’s exclusive deal with NBC adds another layer of complication, especially if a Big Ten opponent has conflicting obligations to networks like FOX, CBS, or NBC’s Big Ten package. That kind of overlap can lead to logistical hurdles that, in some cases, result in postponements or outright cancellations.
Notre Dame Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick, who has long been an advocate for preserving key rivalries and maintaining the program’s independent status, is reportedly aware of the situation and working behind the scenes to address it. However, as Swarbrick transitions out of his role and incoming AD Pete Bevacqua prepares to take the reins, decisions like these could fall on new leadership that may have different views on how to navigate the changing college football terrain.
There’s also the recruiting angle to consider. Notre Dame has always used in-state matchups as a valuable tool in recruiting top prospects from Indiana and surrounding Midwest areas. Playing Purdue or Indiana regularly helps maintain the program’s visibility within the state and provides recruits with tangible opportunities to see the Irish compete against familiar programs. Canceling those games could have downstream effects on recruiting — though the extent would depend heavily on how Notre Dame compensates elsewhere on the schedule.
From a historical standpoint, the rivalry with Purdue is particularly significant. The two schools first met in 1896 and played nearly every year from 1946 to 2014. The Shillelagh Trophy, awarded to the winner, became a symbol of pride and dominance within the state. After a brief hiatus, the rivalry resumed in 2021, but the long-term future of the series remains in doubt. Similar tension surrounds the series with Indiana, though that matchup has been more sporadic over the years.
Fans of both schools are already expressing frustration at the possibility that such storied games could disappear. Many see these rivalries as essential parts of the college football experience — tradition-rich battles that go beyond the win-loss column and speak to the culture and identity of the programs involved. For Notre Dame fans, losing a game against Purdue or Indiana wouldn’t just be about scheduling; it would be about losing a piece of what makes college football unique.
Notre Dame’s response to these growing concerns is likely to be calculated and deliberate. While the Irish have every incentive to protect their long-standing identity and regional connections, they also recognize the need to evolve in order to remain nationally competitive. That evolution may mean more games against SEC, Big Ten, or ACC powers — and fewer games against nearby rivals that offer less upside in the playoff era.
The coaching staff, led by Marcus Freeman, is also focused on building a program capable of competing with the elite. That means every decision — including future scheduling — must align with the goal of returning Notre Dame to national championship contention. If playing Purdue or Indiana no longer supports that objective, even the most cherished traditions may be set aside.
Still, there remains a sliver of hope for fans clinging to the past. Athletic departments from both schools could find creative ways to preserve the rivalries on a rotational basis or explore neutral-site options to ease scheduling burdens. In a world where everything is fluid — from conference affiliations to media rights — there may yet be room for compromise.
Ultimately, the potential cancellation of a future Notre Dame series with an in-state rival is a microcosm of the broader transformation sweeping through college football. The game is moving toward a more professionalized, playoff-centric model where tradition often takes a back seat to strategy, money, and media exposure. And while some rivalries will endure, others may be casualties of a new era.
For now, Notre Dame fans will have to wait and see whether the Fighting Irish continue to line up against their in-state foes in the years ahead — or whether those familiar matchups become memories of a bygone era. Either way, the Irish are moving forward with a singular focus: building a schedule that can deliver them to the top of college football’s new, and rapidly evolving, world.
