Notre Dame & Purdue Trying to Get Back on Schedule

Notre Dame and Purdue didn’t play in 2015 for the first time since a year after World War II ended.  According to the Goshen News, however, that could change soon with the two schools in “advanced” talks to get each other about resuming the intra-state series.

Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski, a Notre Dame graduate, is keen on getting the Irish and Boilers playing football against each other according to the report.  Due to the nature of college football schedules, however, it will take a few years for anything to truly happen.  Bobinski said in the report that it likely won’t be until some time in the 20’s for the two to face off again.

In 2014, Notre Dame’s Shamrock Series found the Irish playing the Boilermakers in Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis for the final schedule game in the N0tre Dame – Purdue series.  Notre Dame’s ACC scheduling commitment forced them to cut ties with the likes of Purdue, Michigan, and Michigan State in order to maintain yearly rivalries with Navy, Stanford, and USC.

Prior to the then series finale, the Notre Dame – Purdue rivalry dates back to 1896 and featured 86 contests between the two.  The rivalry, however, has been very one-sided.  Notre Dame holds a 58-26-2 record against Purdue.  Since Lou Holtz arrived at Notre Dame in 1986, the two squared off 29 times with Notre Dame holding a 24-5 advantage.  Holtz never lost to Purdue and coincidentally, neither has Brian Kelly.  Kelly holds a 5-0 advantage over Purdue during his time at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame already added a series with Michigan State and will start it’s 2018 season Michigan as part of a scheduling deal with the Wolverines as well.  Should they add Purdue back to the schedule as well, they will have successfully been able to maintain some semblance of a rivalry with all three Big Ten schools that they were forced to cut from the schedule with the ACC agreement.

Purdue has had some lean years since the retirement of Joe Tiller, but things could change around for them in he near future.  The Danny Hope and Darrell Hazell eras were rather forgettable periods for Purdue, but Bobinski was able to lure Jeff Brohm from Western Kentucky earlier this month landing the Boilers one of the hottest up and coming coaches in college football.

Purdue’s gain, however, ended up being Notre Dame’s loss.  After they tapped Brohm to take over the reigns from Hazell, Western Kentucky targeted Mike Sanford to take over their program.  As a result, Notre Dame currently does not have an offensive coordinator.  Sanford left South Bend after two years and takes over his first program at 34 years of age.