INDIANAPOLIS — The last time Purdue football took the field to play Notre Dame was during the Shamrock Series in 2014 at Lucas Oil Stadium.
It was the same venue hosting the 2021 Big Ten Football Media Days, where coach Jeff Brohm expressed the importance of the in-state rivalry coming back this upcoming season. The Boilermakers travel to South Bend, Indiana, to play the Fighting Irish on Sept. 18, concluding the team's three-game nonconference schedule.
“It’s great to get that game back going," Brohm said. "It’s a great rivalry that they’ve had in the past that really meant a lot to the program and to the fans. I know our fans and players are looking forward to it."
Notre Dame is coming off an impressive 10-2 season that ended with a trip to the Rose Bowl as a No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff. The team's only two losses came at the hands of No. 1 Alabama in the CFB Semifinal and No. 3 Clemson during the ACC Championship.
The Fighting Irish have proven to be a formidable opponent for the Boilermakers in the history of the series. Notre Dame owns a 56-26-2 record over Purdue, which includes a five-game win streak.
The last time the Boilermakers defeated the Fighting Irish Notre was in 2007 at Ross-Ade Stadium. But the Boilermakers will have to travel to Notre Dame Stadium, in front of about 77,000 fans, in search of an upset.
"To go to that venue and play a top College Football Playoff team, one of the four, it’s going to be exciting," Brohm said. "Of course we’re going to have to be ready, but those are things you want as a kid when you grow up. You want to play in those types of games, and that’s the great thing about our schedule."
Purdue is no stranger to earning unfathomable victories, having defeated No. 2 Ohio State back in 2018. But the team is just 5-6 in nonconference games the last four years under Brohm.
For a team looking to finish the upcoming season with its second winning record since 2011, falling behind in the first three games of the year would be a recipe for disaster.
"You’re going to get a chance to play great opponents at great venues," Brohm said. "If you want to make a difference and make a name for yourself, let’s work hard to get it done.”
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