The annual Notre Dame-Navy soccer matchup is returning to the Meadowlands.
The No. 11 Combating Irish and No. 24 Midshipmen are scheduled to face off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at midday ET on Saturday. The matchup marks the eighth time the Meadowlands Complicated will host Notre Dame-Navy, and first time since 2010.
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Including much more stakes to a recreation that claims significance each season is the very fact it will be the primary time since 2019 that each groups can be ranked as top-25 groups. That yr, No. 16 Notre Dame beat the Twenty first-ranked Midshipmen 52-20. The final time Navy beat a ranked Notre Dame workforce was in 2009, when the Midshipmen shocked No. 21 Notre Dame 23-21 in South Bend. It has occurred three different occasions, in 1936, 1944 and 1957.
Navy is looking for its first 7-0 begin to a season since 1978, and the fifth such begin in program historical past. The Combating Irish have rebounded from a Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois, and sure must win out to have a shot on the 12-team School Soccer Playoff.
This is why the Combating Irish and Midshipmen are taking part in at MetLife Stadium in 2024:
Why are Notre Dame, Navy taking part in at MetLife Stadium?
On Aug. 5, 2021, it was introduced that Notre Dame and Navy would play the 2024 model of their annual matchup at MetLife Stadium. Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk and MetLife Stadium President and CEO Ron VanDeVeen introduced it in a information launch:
“We return to MetLife Stadium with nice enthusiasm and excessive expectations for a typical exhausting fought conventional matchup,” Gladchuk stated. “The stadium’s thrilling surroundings, a sold-out venue and the pageantry of faculty soccer at its finest at all times makes this expertise one of many season’s best. It is at all times a beautiful faculty soccer day once we go to New Jersey to play the Irish. Many because of Ron VanDeVeen and his workers for this most appreciated invitation.”
Notre Dame typically performs its house video games towards Navy at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. Nevertheless, as a result of measurement of Navy’s house stadium — the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland — Navy normally performs its “house video games” towards the Combating Irish at a impartial web site.
Navy’s house stadium can maintain 34,000, whereas MetLife Stadium has a capability of 82,500. The Combating Irish defeated Navy 42-3 within the Aer Lingus School Soccer Sequence in Dublin final season. Notre Dame-Navy has additionally performed video games in Baltimore; Jacksonville, Florida; San Diego; Philadelphia; and Orlando, Florida, amongst different places.
The 2024 matchup would be the second time since 2000 that the sport can be performed in East Rutherford. On Oct. 16, 2004, the Irish defeated the Midshipmen 27-9 on the previous Giants Stadium. On Oct. 23, 2010, Navy beat Notre Dame 35-17 at what was nonetheless referred to as the New Meadowlands Stadium.