Notre Dame 2020-21 Basketball Schedule Released

Notre Dame’s basketball schedule is loaded with top-ranked teams as the Irish will play six teams ranked in the top 25 and five ranked in the top 15. 

"You're really living day-to-day,” said Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey on Monday. “You try to think of five months and getting to March. It's a little bit too much to bite off, quite frankly. It's been awesome to be back and in training since mid-August and being in the gym with our guys. 

"It's an aggressive December schedule and when you see the two league games that will plug in tomorrow on the 16th and 22nd, you'll know I've lost my mind completely.” 

Brey wasn’t lying as December will test his Irish from the start if you include the season-opener at Michigan State. 

Nov. 28: at Michigan State
Dec. 2: Western Michigan
Dec. 4: Tennessee 
Dec. 8: Ohio State (ACC/B10 Challenge) 
Dec. 12: at Kentucky
Dec. 16: Duke
Dec. 19: Purdue (Crossroads Classic) 
Dec. 22: at Syracuse 
Dec. 29/30: Virginia 

That’s quite the start and one that Brey wanted to give his kids because no one knows if there will be a March Madness...again. 

"My feeling to really go for it and schedule big, exciting games for our kids,” explained Brey. “I don't know what's going to happen the rest of the winter after the first of the year. What are we like in February? Is there a March Madness? 

"To give our kids an unbelievable experience and you've seen the non-league games that are out there - when the 16th and the 22nd dates and opponents plug in tomorrow, no one has ever had it eight games like that to start the season.”

The tough non-league schedule combined with the always tough ACC will be a daunting task, but Brey has confidence his team is ready to handle it after going through growing pains the last two seasons. 

"You don't throw these kinds of games on the board non-league unless you think you got a group you can have some fun with,” said Brey. “You saw at the end of last year and the second half of last year, the lightbulb goes on for some of our young players, especially our juniors, which we invested in as freshmen. They got their backsides handed to them and then they grew."

And yes, there are double dates and no specific date is a preference, so the wild ACC scheduling continues. 

Full 2020-21 schedule: 

Nov. 28: at Michigan State
Dec. 2: Western Michigan
Dec. 4: Tennessee 
Dec. 8: Ohio State (ACC/B10 Challenge) 
Dec. 12: at Kentucky
Dec. 16: Duke
Dec. 19: Purdue (Crossroads Classic) 
Dec. 22: at Syracuse 
Dec. 29/30: Virginia 
Jan. 2: at Pitt
Jan. 5/6: Georgia Tech
Jan. 10: at Virginia Tech
Jan. 12/13: at Virginia 
Jan. 16: Boston College 
Jan. 18: at Howard 
Jan. 24: at Miami
Jan. 26/27: Virginia Tech
Jan. 30: at North Carolina
Feb. 2/3: Wake Forest
Feb. 6: at Georgia Tech
Feb. 9/10: at Duke
Feb. 14: Miami 
Feb. 16/17: Clemson
Feb. 23/24: at Louisville
Feb. 27: at Boston College
March 2/3: NC State
March 6: Florida State