Michigan and Notre Dame Extend their Rivalry until 2031
Where will you be in 2031? I am not sure where I’ll be or if I’ll even be around. However, the Michigan Wolverines and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish know where they will be, playing one of the last football games in their newly signed game contract. It seems incredible to think that the teams are planning an annual game so far in advance, but with the contract up between the two teams in 2011, the 20 year extension comes just in time!
In 2031, I will be 50 years old (and turn 51 in December of that year). At 26, I am absolutely terrified thinking about myself at 50. I still have my whole life ahead of me right now, so when I heard about the extension on ESPN’s SportCenter, I couldn’t help but cringe in the thought that I might not be around to see my Wolverines and one of the teams I love watching them play, the Fighting Irish, nearly 30 years from now.
The only explanation for such a long extension is the need to play an annual game between two teams who have been playing together since 1877! Of course, the rivalry wasn’t always pleasant between the two schools. According to the football history and lore, it was Michigan players who taught a group of Notre Dame Students how to play the game. However, Michigan, which had won every rivalry game the two teams played, lost their first game in 1909. Bitter by their loss, the rivalry was terminated by Michigan until the 1940s. The teams played twice in the 1940s, though the rivalry ended again until 1978. Since that point, the battle between the Wolverines and Fighting Irish has been an annual tradition, fiercely fought and highly respected by both teams.
The greatest rivals for both teams are not one another (USC is Notre Dame’s and OSU is Michigan’s). However, the rivalry between the two is considered the second greatest for both teams and the oldest, considering the Irish played their very first football game against Michigan, back in the 19th century. Since then, both teams have gone on to become two of the most popular and winning teams in college football history. Both schools have over 800 wins. The two have the highest winning percentages of any of the teams in the NCAA. Michigan is the #1 team for winning with Notre Dame a close second.
There are many additional records both schools have set, but to list them all would take all day. All you need to know is that the rivalry will continue as far forward as 2031, whether you (and me) will be there to see it or not.
Michigan Wolverines, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Football, Rivalry, 2031, Contract
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