The annual Notre Dame-Navy football matchup is returning to the Meadowlands. The No. 11 Fighting Irish and No. 24 Midshipmen are scheduled to face off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at noon ET on Saturday. The matchup marks the eighth time the Meadowlands Complex will host Notre Dame-Navy, and first time since 2010.
Adding even more stakes to a game that claims importance every season is the fact it'll be the first time since 2019 that both teams will be ranked as top-25 teams. That year, No. 16 Notre Dame beat the 21st-ranked Midshipmen 52-20. The last time Navy beat a ranked Notre Dame team was in 2009, when the Midshipmen stunned No. 21 Notre Dame 23-21 in South Bend. It has happened three other times, in 1936, 1944 and 1957.
Navy is seeking its first 7-0 start to a season since 1978, and the fifth such start in program history. The Fighting Irish have rebounded from a Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois, and likely need to win out to have a shot at the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Here's why the Fighting Irish and Midshipmen are playing at MetLife Stadium in 2024:
On Aug. 5, 2021, it was announced that Notre Dame and Navy would play the 2024 version of their annual matchup at MetLife Stadium. Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk and MetLife Stadium President and CEO Ron VanDeVeen announced it in a news release:
"We return to MetLife Stadium with great enthusiasm and high expectations for a typical hard fought traditional matchup," Gladchuk said. "The stadium's thrilling environment, a sold-out venue and the pageantry of college football at its best always makes this experience one of the season's finest. It's always a wonderful college football day when we visit New Jersey to play the Irish. Many thanks to Ron VanDeVeen and his staff for this most appreciated invitation."
Notre Dame generally plays its home games against Navy at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. However, due to the size of Navy's home stadium — the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland — Navy usually plays its "home games" against the Fighting Irish at a neutral site.
Navy's home stadium can hold 34,000, while MetLife Stadium has a capacity of 82,500. The Fighting Irish defeated Navy 42-3 in the Aer Lingus College Football Series in Dublin last season. Notre Dame-Navy has also played games in Baltimore; Jacksonville, Florida; San Diego; Philadelphia; and Orlando, Florida, among other locations.
The 2024 matchup will be the second time since 2000 that the game will be played in East Rutherford. On Oct. 16, 2004, the Irish defeated the Midshipmen 27-9 at the old Giants Stadium. On Oct. 23, 2010, Navy beat Notre Dame 35-17 at what was still called the New Meadowlands Stadium.
Notre Dame vs. Navy: Game Info
No. 12 Notre Dame and No. 24 Navy are set to face off for the Rip Miller Trophy Saturday afternoon inside East Rutherford, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. This will be the third year in a row one of college football's most historic rivalries is played at a neutral site.
Navy and Notre Dame played every year from 1927-2019, making it the longest uninterrupted non-conference series in college football, but that streak was broken in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notre Dame, which holds an 80-13-1 all-time advantage in 96 meetings (not counting contests that were vacated), has largely dominated the rivalry. The Midshipmen have just one win against the Fighting Irish in the past 10 years and four since the turn of the century.
Navy did triumph 35-17 in 2010, the last time this game was held in East Rutherford. This is also just the third time in the last 67 seasons that the two are meeting as ranked teams. Notre Dame leads the all-time series 7-2-1 when both teams are in the AP Top 25.
Though this game may not count towards any sort of conference standings, it will have major implications on the College Football Playoff race, beyond the traditional bragging rights that come with beating top rival. Notre Dame is a -250 bet to make the CFP, according to DraftKings. Navy checks in at +1500 on the sports betting app.
How To Watch Notre Dame vs. Navy
Date: Saturday, Oct. 26 | Time: Noon ET## Location: MetLife Stadium -- East Rutherford, New Jersey## TV: ABC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
The Big Picture
Biggest game in a long time
There's a lot more than rivalry pride on the line when Notre Dame and Navy take the field Saturday. At 12-1, the Midshipmen and Fighting Irish bring their best combined record into a meeting since 1945, when both teams were 5-0. That ended in a 6-6 tie. Navy is seeking its first 7-0 start since 1978, while Notre Dame has the chance to win six consecutive games for the first time under Marcus Freeman. Navy also hasn't beaten multiple ranked teams in the same season since 1958.
Notre Dame is taking teams to task
Notre Dame has put its shocking loss to Northern Illinois firmly in the rearview mirror. The Fighting Irish have won each of their five games since then, tying the longest win streak of the Freeman era, and are doing so in largely dominant fashion. Notre Dame is allowing just 10.8 points per game in that span, which leads the FBS. The Irish also boast a points-per-game differential of 30.2 in their favor. They won their last two games by a combined score of 80-20 and three of their last four wins have come by at least 25 points.
Notre Dame's success is even more impressive when you consider the litany of crucial injuries the Irish have endured. They are down two starting offensive linemen (tackle Charles Jagusah and center Ashton Craig), two starting defensive linemen (Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore) and their best cornerback in Benjamin Morrison.
Navy's offense leading the way
Navy offensive coordinator Drew Cronic has led one of the nation's most impressive turnarounds, and it's a huge reason why the Midshipmen are churning toward their best season in recent memory. Navy is leading the American Athletic Conference with 44.8 points per game -- a 27.1-point increase over last season. As things stand, that's the largest year-to-year scoring increase by any FBS team this century. The Midshipmen have scored at least 34 points in every game, and their six straight games of 30-plus points are the most for the program since 2010.
Quarterback Blake Horvath has been a revelation. Naturally, he's getting work done on the ground, but he has also opened up Navy's aerial attack. He leads the FBS in pass efficiency (210.5) and yards per attempt (12.3, minimum of 50 attempts). He's also one of five FBS quarterbacks -- along with Notre Dame's Riley Leonard -- to score 10-plus rushing touchdowns this year. He's also the first player since Jalen Hurts in 2019 to to average more than 100 yards passing and rushing per game through six games.
Notre Dame has been dominant lately, so it makes a little sense that the line would be inflated. But Navy might just be Notre Dame's biggest non-Mid-American Conference test since Week 1's road game against Texas A&M. The Midshipmen are for real. The offense steals a lot of the headlines, but their defense has also held each of their last three opponents under 10 points. Despite all the injuries, things seem to be coming together for Notre Dame on both sides of the ball. The betting-favorite Irish are a smart pick to win, but this one's going to be a lot closer than Vegas seems to think. Pick: Navy +12.5
Where To Watch Notre Dame vs. Navy
The undefeated and 24th-ranked Navy Midshipmen get a big upset opportunity on their home field with a Saturday matchup against the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The game is scheduled to start at noon ET with TV coverage on ABC and streaming on-demand.
#12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-1) vs. #24 Navy Midshipmen (6-0)
NCAA football matchup at a glance
When: Saturday, Oct. 26 at noon ET Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. TV channel: ABC and ESPN+ Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial) | ESPN+ ($11.99/mo.)
Navy-Notre Dame is getting the big national treatment on ABC and with streaming on ESPN+ ($11.99/mo.). The matchup pits a Fighting Irish team on a five-game winning streak since an upset loss to Northern Illinois (16-14) in Week 2. Notre Dame has stifled opponents as the No. 5 scoring defense (11.9 ppg), but Navy’s fourth-ranked rushing attack poses a unique challenge. Discipline is part of that framework for coach Brian Newberry’s team with the No. 2 turnover margin (+2.00) in the country.
Notre Dame vs. Navy: How To Watch Live Online For Free
The morning slate of college football action kicks off with No. 12 ranked Notre Dame taking on the No. 24 Navy Midshipmen in Week 9. This game kicks off at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 26 with a live broadcast on ABC, and streaming live on ESPN Plus.
• WATCH: Notre Dame vs. Navy football live for FREE with Fubo (free trial), or stream this game and more football on the cheap with one month of ESPN+ (costs $11.99/month, cancel anytime).
This game represents the 97th meeting between the two schools, with Navy Looking to notch their first series win since 2016 at the neutral site of MetLife Stadium. The Irish are coming in at 6-1 with five straight wins. Navy is undefeated at 6-0, averaging an impressive 44 points per game.
When: Kickoff takes place at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET (11 a.m. CT) on Saturday, October 26 Where: MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ TV Channel: ABC, and streaming on ESPN Plus How to watch live stream online: If you don’t have cable, you can still watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial). If you are out of free trials, the cheapest and best way to watch this game and more football this month is by signing up for one month of ESPN+ (costs $11.99/month, cancel anytime).
If you already have a cable or satellite subscription, you can watch the game on Watch ESPN or the ESPN app by signing in with your provider information.
You can find out more about which channel ABC is on in your area by using the channel finders here: Comcast Xfinity, DIRECTV, Dish, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice.
Notre Dame vs. Navy: Betting Odds
Moneyline: ND: -600 | NAVY: +400 Point spread: ND: -14 | NAVY: +14 Over/Under: 51.5
What Is A Midshipman?
Navy football has a chance to prove it's legit with a big matchup against No. 11 Notre Dame on Saturday.
With the service academy heading into Week 9 of the college football season undefeated at 6-0 and 4-0 in American Athletic Conference play, it might be a great time to explain Navy's nickname:
In 2024 at least, the Midshipmen are potential College Football Playoff contenders — and have a potential resume-builder teed up on Saturday with the Fighting Irish standing in their way. The service academies have made a comeback in 2024, as Navy and Army are undefeated and ranked in both the AP Top 25 poll and Coaches Poll.
Here's an explanation of Navy's nickname, including how Midshipmen was coined:
A Midshipman is a rank of those in training to become a naval officer — hence the nickname of students at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Midshipman was first a term used to describe those who worked in the main and mizzen masts of a ship, which explains the "mid" part of the nickname. The term originated in the 1600s, according to Navy's official website.
The U.S. Navy first adopted Midshipman as a rank when it opened what's now the Naval Academy in 1845. Graduated students were referred to as "Passed Midshipmen" until 1912, when officers then started graduating with the rank of "Ensign."
The Navy football team has held the nickname of Midshipmen since the Academy was founded.
Navy's mascot is a goat, otherwise known as "Bill The Goat."
Why? Well, according to Navy's official website, goats were a common companion on ships, because they could constantly provide milk, cheese and butter at a time before refrigeration existed. They were also easy to upkeep, as they didn't require special feed and sailors could use them as "walking garbage disposals," according to Navy's website.
According to legend, a young midshipman grew fond of a goat companion that died during a venture in the 19th century. Instead of burying the goat, they saved its skin and had its head mounted on the ship. The midshipmen then returned home and attended a Navy football game, wearing the goat's coat. Navy won the game as the midshipman ran up and down the sidelines with the goat's fur around him, sparking the goat to become Navy's mascot.
The goat officially became Navy's mascot in 1893, when Navy beat Army with a goat named El Cid occupying the sidelines.
Notre Dame vs. Navy: History
The Midshipmen last defeated Notre Dame in 2016, when Navy quarterback Will Worth ran for 175 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-27 win.
The Fighting Irish were a lackluster 3-5 entering the game, compared to Navy's record of 5-2 before the matchup. Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns in the game, but it wasn't enough to avoid an upset.
Notre Dame finished 4-8 in 2016 in Brian Kelly's seventh season with the Fighting Irish. It was the only season Notre Dame failed to make a bowl game under Kelly, who's now the head coach at LSU.
