Notre Dame will add a new piece of history to its noteworthy football program. To open the 2023 season, the Fighting Irish announced that Notre Dame will face Tennessee State on Sept. 2 at Notre Dame Stadium with the game being televised on NBC.
The game marks the first time Notre Dame will compete against one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the program’s history, as well as its first game against an FCS opponent. It will also be the home opener for the Fighting Irish.
“None of this would be possible without Dr. [Mikki] Allen and Coach [Eddie] George’s vision for what this game can represent to our Universities," said Notre Dame Vice President and Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick. "I’m thrilled we’re able to bring the Tigers and the Irish together for a weekend that will feature programs with over 20 combined national titles, the Aristocrat of Bands and the Band of the Fighting Irish.”
George finished his first season at Tennessee State—a HBCU located in the Ohio Valley Conference—with a 5–6 record overall. When George took the job, he stated that he wanted to be a coach, a leader and an advocate for service to the young men he would coach in restoring the Tigers’ program.
The clash will also feature two Black head coaches in George and Marcus Freeman, who became the head coach of the Fighting Irish on Dec. 3, 2021, after previously serving as the team’s defensive coordinator.
Before Notre Dame hosts Tennessee State, the Fighting Irish will kick off their season against Army on Aug. 26 in Dublin, Ireland at Aviva Stadium.
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