SOUTH BEND − That’s more like it.
This regular season schedule fits this Notre Dame basketball team. Fits its personnel and fits what it believes it can be in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
In the previous two college basketball seasons, Notre Dame didn’t just bite off more than it could chew in November and December. It hauled back to its table the entire breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet options. The Irish weren’t in over their heads early trying to stay afloat; they were anchored to college basketball’s ocean floor. Too overmatched and too outmanned to sustain any early momentum for later in the season.
Part of that stemmed from third-year coach Micah Shrewsberry’s belief when he arrived in March 2023 that the Irish could/would play anyone, anytime, anywhere. No fear. That bravado is nice for established programs and established college coaches. It didn’t fit for 2023-24 or 2024-25.
In 2023-24, Notre Dame played three of its first seven at home. It had no business in its third game under Shrewsberry playing Auburn in Barclays Center (24-point loss). It had no business playing Marquette in Milwaukee (the Irish trailed 17-0 before a 19-point loss). A home loss (65-45) to The Citadel crippled any confidence that the Irish would be good anytime soon.
Notre Dame went 13-20 overall, 7-13 in the ACC in 2023-24.
Last season, Notre Dame (15-18; 8-12) hoped to get going at home with four of its first five. One of those was the lackluster loss to Elon before a trip to Las Vegas and the Players Era Festival. Point guard Markus Burton hurt his knee in the first half of the first game in Vegas and that was that. You could’ve (correctly) penciled in Notre Dame for an 0-3 trip. Then it was spanked at Georgia (69-48) to cap a four-game in eight-day cross country stretch that Shrewsberry likened to an NBA schedule.
Looking at Notre Dame’s (kind of) completed schedule released by the ACC on Tuesday afternoon (specific tip times and TV designations still TBD) offers a chance to get some early momentum at home. Notre Dame starts with three straight and four of five at Purcell Pavilion.
Notre Dame’s first two true road games – Ohio State (November 16) and TCU (December 5) – will challenge but not overwhelm. Overall, Notre Dame plays eight of its first 13 at home before league play revs up in late December in, of all places, Northern California.
Playing at home early and often should help a team with six newcomers – four freshmen, two graduate transfers – but only if the Irish take advantage. Home success has been an issue each of the last two years. In 2023-24, Notre Dame went 9-8 overall at Purcell Pavilion, 5-5 in league play. Last year, the Irish were 11-5 overall, 6-4 in ACC play and averaged only 5,262 fans. That ranked 14th for home attendance in the 18-team league.
Notre Dame has had one home sellout – last season against North Carolina – in Shrewsberry’s first two seasons. Home has to be happier the third time around.
This season also brings a tweak to the league schedule. Gone is the monster 20-game grind that Notre Dame handled since 2019-20. That’s been shaved to 18 league games and includes only two repeat opponents – Boston College and Stanford. Boston College has been a permanent repeat opponent since Notre Dame joined the league in 2013.
For the first time as an ACC member, Notre Dame is not scheduled to play Georgia Tech twice. It will not see Wake Forest at all. Weird.
Everyone knew when Cal and Stanford joined in 2024-25 that league teams would have to make the two-for trek West. Notre Dame dodged that swing last season, but opens league play (no more early December league games) at Stanford and then at Cal.
The league may have done Notre Dame a scheduling favor (shocking!) in slotting that trip for late December/early January. It’s part of a stretch of six of 10 on the road to start league play, but it’s out of the way early. Get out there, get home and get on with ACC play.
There’s plenty getting to be done. Since setting the school record with 15 league wins in 2021-22, also the last time Notre Dame went to the NCAA Tournament, the Irish are a combined 18-42 in the ACC. Notre Dame has finished 14th, 12th and 12th over the last three seasons. In each of the last two seasons, Notre Dame has not won more than three straight after December. It’s been a sustained slog.
Like last season, the ACC is not expected to be all that deep after a top that will include Duke and Louisville for certain and then maybe North Carolina and North Carolina State and everyone else.
Opportunity exists to make a move.
For Notre Dame, it’s time to get moving.
2025-26 NOTRE DAME MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Home games in ALL CAPS
Tip times and TV to be determined
OCTOBER
17 Fri. at Bulter (exhibition); 24 Fri. DEPAUL (exhibition)
NOVEMBER
3 Mon. LIU BROOKLYN; 7 Fri. DETROIT MERCY; 11 Tues. EASTERN ILLINOIS; 16 Sun. at Ohio State; 19 Wed. BELLARMINE; 24 Mon. vs. Kansas (Players Era Festival, Las Vegas); 25 Tues. vs. Rutgers (Players Era Festival, Las Vegas); 26/27 Wed./Thurs. vs. TBD (Players Era Festival).
DECEMBER
2 Tues. MISSOURI (ACC/SEC Challenge); 5 Fri. at TCU; 10 Wed. IDAHO; 13 Sat. EVANSVILLE; 21 Sun. PURDUE FORT WAYNE; 30/31 Tues./Wed. At Stanford.
JANUARY
2 Fri., at California; 10 Sat. CLEMSON; 13/14 Tues./Wed. MIAMI (Fla.); 17 Sat. At Virginia Tech; 20/21 Tues./Wed. At North Carolina; 24 Sat. BOSTON COLLEGE; 27/28 Tues./Wed. VIRGINIA; 31 Sat. at Syracuse.
FEBRUARY
3-4 Tues./Wed. At Louisville; 7 Sat. FLORIDA STATE; 10/11 Tues./Wed. At SMU; 14 Sat. GEORGIA TECH; 21 Sat. At Pittsburgh; 24/25 Tues./Wed. DUKE; 28 Sat. NORTH CAROLINA STATE.
MARCH
3-4 Tues./Wed. STANFORD; 7 Sat. At Boston College; 10-14 Tues-Sat. At Atlantic Coast Conference (Charlotte, North Carolina).
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com