Why is Notre Dame-Navy football game at MetLife Stadium in 2024?

The annual Notre Dame-Navy football matchup is returning to the Meadowlands.

The No. 11 Fighting Irish and No. 24 Midshipmen are scheduled to face off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at noon ET on Saturday. The matchup marks the eighth time the Meadowlands Complex will host Notre Dame-Navy, and first time since 2010.

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Adding even more stakes to a game that claims importance every season is the fact it’ll be the first time since 2019 that both teams will be ranked as top-25 teams. That year, No. 16 Notre Dame beat the 21st-ranked Midshipmen 52-20. The last time Navy beat a ranked Notre Dame team was in 2009, when the Midshipmen stunned No. 21 Notre Dame 23-21 in South Bend. It has happened three other times, in 1936, 1944 and 1957.

Navy is seeking its first 7-0 start to a season since 1978, and the fifth such start in program history. The Fighting Irish have rebounded from a Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois, and likely need to win out to have a shot at the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Here’s why the Fighting Irish and Midshipmen are playing at MetLife Stadium in 2024:

Why are Notre Dame, Navy playing at MetLife Stadium?

On Aug. 5, 2021, it was announced that Notre Dame and Navy would play the 2024 version of their annual matchup at MetLife Stadium. Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk and MetLife Stadium President and CEO Ron VanDeVeen announced it in a news release:

“We return to MetLife Stadium with great enthusiasm and high expectations for a typical hard fought traditional matchup,” Gladchuk said. “The stadium’s thrilling environment, a sold-out venue and the pageantry of college football at its best always makes this experience one of the season’s finest. It’s always a wonderful college football day when we visit New Jersey to play the Irish. Many thanks to Ron VanDeVeen and his staff for this most appreciated invitation.”

Notre Dame generally plays its home games against Navy at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. However, due to the size of Navy’s home stadium — the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland — Navy usually plays its “home games” against the Fighting Irish at a neutral site.

Navy’s home stadium can hold 34,000, while MetLife Stadium has a capacity of 82,500. The Fighting Irish defeated Navy 42-3 in the Aer Lingus College Football Series in Dublin last season. Notre Dame-Navy has also played games in Baltimore; Jacksonville, Florida; San Diego; Philadelphia; and Orlando, Florida, among other locations.

The 2024 matchup will be the second time since 2000 that the game will be played in East Rutherford. On Oct. 16, 2004, the Irish defeated the Midshipmen 27-9 at the old Giants Stadium. On Oct. 23, 2010, Navy beat Notre Dame 35-17 at what was still called the New Meadowlands Stadium.