By Brian Hamilton
What has long been expected as the next Notre Dame off-site home football game became official on Monday: The Irish will face Maryland on Nov. 12, 2011, from FedEx Field.
The 91,704-seat stadium is home to the Washington Redskins and the Washington, D.C., corridor was a no-brainer as athletic director Jack Swarbrick sought venues for future games. It will be the third in a series of off-site games and the fourth on the future schedules to date.
"Playing in the Washington, D.C., area seemed a natural for us in terms of institutional fit," Swarbrick said in a statement. "The size of the FedEx Field facility alone will provide great access to tickets for fans of both Notre Dame and Maryland."
Chicago and Soldier Field has long been considered a prime contender for Notre Dame's off-site home game in 2012.
What has long been expected as the next Notre Dame off-site home football game became official on Monday: The Irish will face Maryland on Nov. 12, 2011, from FedEx Field.
The 91,704-seat stadium is home to the Washington Redskins and the Washington, D.C., corridor was a no-brainer as athletic director Jack Swarbrick sought venues for future games. It will be the third in a series of off-site games and the fourth on the future schedules to date.
"Playing in the Washington, D.C., area seemed a natural for us in terms of institutional fit," Swarbrick said in a statement. "The size of the FedEx Field facility alone will provide great access to tickets for fans of both Notre Dame and Maryland."
Chicago and Soldier Field has long been considered a prime contender for Notre Dame's off-site home game in 2012.
NBC is expected to televise the Maryland game nationally in prime time, the
school said. The first off-site home game took place this season when the Irish faced Washington State in San Antonio.
The 2010 off-site game pits the Irish against Army at Yankee Stadium, and the 2013 game is already set for the Dallas Cowboys' new home in Arlington, Texas, with Arizona State providing the opposition.
Notre Dame's only previous meeting with Maryland came in a 20-0 Irish victory on Aug. 31, 2002, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
The 2010 off-site game pits the Irish against Army at Yankee Stadium, and the 2013 game is already set for the Dallas Cowboys' new home in Arlington, Texas, with Arizona State providing the opposition.
Notre Dame's only previous meeting with Maryland came in a 20-0 Irish victory on Aug. 31, 2002, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
GO Irish !!!
ND hand picks another football powerhouse for one of its vast majority of "home" games, once again. Pathetic.