Nov 12, 2011; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of a Southern Methodist Mustangs helmet during the game with the Navy Midshipmen at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. The Midshipmen defeated the Mustangs 24-17. The Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Notre Dame football plays five ACC opponents every season in exchange for retaining its independence. While we are told who the Irish will play well into the next decade, that opponents list can change anytime. We just got an example of that.
The ACC has announced that the Irish will host SMU during the 2026 season on a date yet to be determined. This game will replace the one against Virginia that was scheduled for Oct. 17 of that season. This will allow the Cavaliers to play the first of two games they have scheduled against West Virginia, a series that was concurrently announced.
This will be the first time the Irish and Mustangs have met since the Irish earned a crushing 59-6 victory in 1989. At that time, the Irish were the top team in the country and fresh off their most recent national championship. The Mustangs, meanwhile, were fresh off the death penalty sidelining them for two years.
The playing field should be a little more even this time. That should at least make this game more competitive.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame football will host SMU in 2026, replacing Virginia
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