Kickoff Time Announced For Navy-Notre Dame
A kickoff time of 8:00 p.m ET for the Navy vs. Notre Dame game was announced on Wednesday morning.
You might not think twice about Notre Dame playing in yet another night game, but it’s the start of four of five games on the road to end the 2018 season for Notre Dame.
Not only is it a road game for Notre Dame, but it’s an unnecessary night game being played in San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium that will have the Irish arriving back in South Bend at a non-desirable time on Sunday morning.
For a team that has playoff aspirations in 2018, the scheduling continues to hurt Notre Dame’s chances by limiting the rest and recovery of its players by taking two unnecessary road trips during the final five weeks of the season.
Notre Dame will travel to Northwestern the following week before a November 10th showdown against Florida State for Senior Day, but the Irish will go to Yankee Stadium the next week for a game against Syracuse and then end the year at USC.
Sure, Notre Dame being an Independent has always taken a stance of playing tough games and playing them anywhere, but it’s a considerable disadvantage.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the other schedules over the last five weeks of the year.
Alabama
Oct. 27 - Bye
Nov. 3 – at LSU
Nov. 10 – Mississippi State
Nov. 17 – The Citadel
Nov. 24 – Auburn
Auburn
Oct. 27 – Bye
Nov. 3 – Texas A&M
Nov. 10 – at Georgia
Nov. 17 – Liberty
Nov. 24 – at Alabama
Clemson
Oct. 27 – at Florida State
Nov. 3 – Louisville
Nov. 10 – at Boston College
Nov. 17 – Duke
Nov. 24 – South Carolina
Georgia
Oct. 27 – Florida in Jacksonville
Nov. 3 – at Kentucky
Nov. 10 – Auburn
Nov. 17 - UMass
Nov. 24 – Georgia Tech
Ohio State
Oct. 27 - Bye
Nov. 3 – Nebraska
Nov. 10 – at Michigan State
Nov. 17 – at Maryland
Nov. 24 – Michigan
USC
Oct. 27 – Arizona State
Nov. 3 – at Oregon State
Nov. 10 – Cal
Nov. 17 – at UCLA
Nov. 24 – Notre Dame
Yes, all these teams are in the middle of conference play, and I wouldn’t want to see Notre Dame schedule a non-Division I program, but these programs aren’t leaving the region, much less time zone, while Notre Dame’s shortest trip to Northwestern is leaving the eastern time zone.
It just seems crazy to me Notre Dame continues to schedule this way when a playoff appearance would mean so much for the program.
Now, the games in San Diego and the Bronx can have positive recruiting benefits, but I would think a playoff appearance would mean much more than getting a few kids to a game that the staff can't even speak with at the game.