For the very first time after three decades, Notre Dame home games will be broadcasted by ESPN, marking an unusual and significant break from its previous-only airing on NBC. This momentous event will take place on December 20, 2024, when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will face the Indiana Hoosiers in the first game of the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame Home Games on NBC
The first-ever contest of the extended playoffs will be hosted by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish against their rivals, Indiana Hoosiers. It will kick off on Friday, December 20, 2024, at 8:00 pm ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN and ABC. Notably, not only will this be the first game of the expanded playoff but also the first home game for Notre Dame not to air on NBC (or Peacock) since 1990.
primetime in the bend one more time . 😆 pic.twitter.com/lFkGBcMiLr
— Notre Dame Planet (@notredameplanet) December 8, 2024
Journalist Timothy Burke had posted on Bluesky that this Fighting Irish home game against Indiana will be the first to appear on a non-NBC network since November 17th, 1990, when Notre Dame had last played Penn State at home, and the game was shown on ESPN.
The Commentators were Ron Franklin, Gary Danielson, and Neil Lomax. For now, though, the agreement between Notre Dame and NBC covers Fighting Irish home games until 2029.
not counting peacock, November 17, 1990
As a result of the newly adopted expanded playoff procedure, there are possibilities for more Notre Dame home games to be broadcast outside of NBC. If the Fighting Irish maintain a seed between five and eight, as seen this season, ESPN or its sublicensee, TNT, could seize additional opportunities to broadcast live from South Bend, Indiana. This dimension could promise exciting prospects in terms of future alliances and telecast arrangements.
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