San Diego Bowl Game Association officials have announced that the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will play in a regular-season college football game at Qualcomm Stadium on Oct. 27, 2018.
San Diego Bowl Game Association officials have announced that the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will play in a regular-season college football game at Qualcomm Stadium on Oct. 27, 2018.
“Our mission is to put on championship caliber events and we do that every December with our two bowl games – the Holiday Bowl and San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl,” SDBGA President Kimberley Layton explained. “When we had the opportunity to host a traditional matchup with two football programs of such legendary status, we jumped at the chance.”
“The Naval Academy has played in the SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl four times and each of their visits has been very successful,” Layton said “We are excited to bring the Midshipmen back to San Diego to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. We expect thousands of supporters from both teams to travel to our region to support their team which means an economic boost to our region.”
Navy and Notre Dame have met on the gridiron 88 times dating back to 1927. Last year the Fighting Irish defeated the Midshipmen 49 – 39. Notre Dame leads the series 75-12-1. The last time Navy won was in 2010.
“We are excited about the opportunity to play a regular-season game against Notre Dame in San Diego, which is a city filled with Navy and Marine Corps service men and women,” Navy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk explained. “The partnership the Naval Academy has had with the bowl administration in San Diego has been extraordinary for well over a decade.
“This special matchup with Notre Dame will mirror in many ways the highly successful event format that has brought great success to the economy, city, and community over the years. We are so very pleased to bring the Navy family together again in this wonderful environment for what is always a highly competitive match up against two institutions with unparalleled national respect and tradition. We are all looking forward to 2018.”
Notre Dame has never played in San Diego. This will be the first meeting between these two teams west of the Mississippi River.
A timetable for ticket sales will be announced at a future date. However, Holiday Bowl and SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl ticket members will have first priority to purchase tickets. To be placed on a waiting list, or to inquire about bowl game tickets, call (619) 283-5808 or visit SanDiegoBowlGames.com.
This year’s Poinsettia Bowl game is scheduled Dec. 23.
