Purdue confirmed this afternoon that their date with Notre Dame next year will in fact take place in Lucas Oil Stadium. Notre Dame will “host” the Boilermakers in their 2014 Shamrock Series game, an all Indiana affair.
“We are excited to bring this great instate rivalry game to Indianapolis next season,” Purdue athletics director Morgan Burke said in a statement. “Both schools have great fan and alumni bases there, so it will make for an entertaining evening of college football.”
While a game with Purdue in both team’s home state doesn’t quite “feel” like what the Shamrock Series is all about, both schools scratched to find a way to keep the in-state rivalry moving forward. But Burke announced that the series between the two schools would also take a break, with both schools feeling a scheduling crunch, thanks to the Big Ten’s commitment to nine conference games and Notre Dame’s contracted five ACC games starting next year.
Notre Dame will next play Purdue in 2020, visiting West Lafayette after a six season break. The two teams will trade home games in 2020 and 2021, again in 2024 and 2025, before playing a neutral site game in 2026.
“Jack (Swarbrick) and I tried everything we could to keep the series going without interruption,” Burke said. “But, between the Big Ten going to a nine-game schedule and Notre Dame’s affiliation with the Atlantic Coast Conference, it just didn’t work out. The series is important to both schools, and we are pleased that we are able to extend it through 2026.”