Western Michigan Adds Notre Dame Football to 2020 Schedule

Though it's years off, circle September 19, 2020 on your mental calendar as Western Michigan University will travel to South Bend to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The game marks the second modern-era meeting between the two schools and the fourth overall.

According to a release from WMU Athletics Department,

Western Michigan and Notre Dame last met on Oct. 16, 2010, as the Broncos became the first Mid-American Conference team to square off against the Fighting Irish since the conference's inception in 1947. The game was played in front of a sell out crowd of 80,795 fans at Notre Dame Stadium. It also marked the first time WMU football played a game on an NBC broadcast.

WMU had twice before faced Notre Dame in program history, in 1919 and 1920. The Broncos will be looking for their first ever victory over the Irish in 2020.

The game comes almost a full century after the schools' meeting in 1920. That game, held on October 9, saw Notre Dame blanking Western State Normal School, as WMU was then known 42-0. Interestingly, the WMU/ND game in 1920 was the second straight week Notre Dame entertained a school from Southwest Michigan. October 2, 1920, Notre Dame beat Kalamazoo College 39-0.

Win or lose when the Broncos comes to Notre Dame Stadium in 2020, Western Michigan will cash a huge $1.175 million check from Notre Dame.