When does the Notre Dame football season start? A closer look at Fighting Irish's 2024 schedule

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are one of college football's historic programs. As the season begins, they are in the conversation for a national championship. However, due to their independent status, the Fighting Irish can not win a conference.

Notre Dame finished the 2023 season with a 10-3 record. Their fans hope for a repeat this year. But who will the Fighting Irish play this season?

When does the upcoming Notre Dame football season start?

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish season starts on Aug 31. This is the opening weekend of the college football season.

The Fighting Irish will open their season against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field, the Aggies' home stadium. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

What other teams will Notre Dame play in 2024?

During the 2024 season, as well as Texas A&M, the Fighting Irish will play the following teams:

• Northern Illinois Huskies
• Purdue Boilermakers
• Miami (Ohio) Redhawks
• Louisville Cardinals
• Stanford Cardinals
• Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
• Navy Midshipmen
• Florida State Seminoles
• Virginia Cavaliers
• Army Black Knights
• USC Trojans

Which games may be tricky for Notre Dame in 2024?

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are one of college football's stronger teams, and this year should be no exception. However, a few games could cause problems for the Fighting Irish.

The first of these tough matchups is against the Florida State Seminoles. Florida State is coming off an unbeaten season, and while they have lost many of their key players from that team, such as quarterback Jordan Travis, they are still predicted to be competitive in 2024. Florida State is a program that Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard knows well from his time with the Duke Blue Devils. He hopes to use this knowledge to aid his new teammates in victory.

The other game that could be tough for the Irish is the team's regular-season finale against the USC Trojans. Now, in the Big Ten, after leaving the PAC-12, the Trojans face problems similar to the Irish. However, this adversity should strengthen the emerging Trojans minus star quarterback Caleb Williams.

This game is crucial for the Fighting Irish. Since they aren't in a conference, they must be ranked in the top 12 at season's end to earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs. A slip-up in their final game could decide if they make the playoff field.