After a lot of grumbling by Arizona State athletic director Steve Patterson, it appears that Notre Dame and Arizona State’s game in 2014 will go on after all. The Sun Devil’s athletic director took to the internet yesterday to announce that the Irish’s date in Tempe that looked to be in jeopardy is back on and scheduled.
With the first full year of Notre Dame’s ACC scheduling agreement coming into play in 2014, there were too many partners on the Irish’s dance card. But one of those making the cut is Arizona State, with the Irish set to visit Tempe on November 8, 2014.
Here’s the official statement from Patterson, who deserves credit for being the squeaky wheel on this one:“We’re pleased that Notre Dame was able to resolve its scheduling issues in a way that allows it to play at Sun Devil Stadium in 2014,” said ASU Athletics Director Steve Patterson. “The game will now be played on Nov. 8, 2014. Our entire Sun Devil family--season ticket holders, fans, students, alumni--and our entire community here in the Valley have been looking forward to playing Notre Dame in Tempe since the original agreement was signed in 2008.
“While the game at Notre Dame in 2017 has been canceled, what is most important to us is that the game in Tempe has been saved. Under a separate agreement we also play Notre Dame at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on October 5, 2013.
“These are exciting times for our football program and having a special opponent like Notre Dame travel to ASU will make for another memorable experience.”
From the looks of it, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick gave up a future home date with Arizona State to make this game happen. Next year’s Shamrock Series game against the Sun Devils -- set to be played in Cowboys Stadium -- will go on as scheduled, but that will end the scheduling agreement with Arizona State.
For West Coast Irish fans, they’ll have an opportunity to see the Irish twice in November, with Notre Dame finishing the season against USC in the Coliseum. But the work to fit together the 2014 schedule is far from done, with an away game against Florida State still needing to be slotted, as well as home contests against Louisville, North Carolina and Wake Forest.