Notre Dame-Navy rivalry falls victim to new ACC football schedule

The game against Clemson appears to be Notre Dame’s marquee matchup this season. | Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

Notre Dame-USC? Notre Dame-Navy? Not this year.

Two of the Fighting Irish’s longest rivalries are off the schedule. Notre Dame will play 2020 as a full member of the ACC, whose 11-game schedule didn’t leave room for Navy. The Pac-12 had previously announced it would play a conference-only schedule.

The coronavirus pandemic has forces college sports to juggle their fall schedules.

Notre Dame and Navy had played every year since 1927. Western Michigan on Sept. 19 will be Notre Dame’s only non-conference opponent.

The Irish open Sept. 12 against Duke. The Nov. 7 game against Clemson in South Bend looks to be a marquee matchup.

The Atlantic Coastal Conference released its 11-game, 13-week regular season schedule on Thursday for all 15 members.

Time to Rally! ☘️

First up? #BeatDuke #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/WKefvHUy0u

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) August 6, 2020

All teams will play 10 conference games and one non-conference opponent. Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes will open the season with a Sept. 10 game against Alabama-Birmingham, followed by Virginia taking on Virginia Military Institute the next day. Most the teams will have conference matchups on Saturday, Sept. 12.

The league announced the ACC championship game, which the Irish are eligible for this year, will be played on either Dec. 12 or 19 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Two teams, North Carolina and Clemson, are still seeking non-conference opponents for Week 2.

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