randzy Fate Mondy October 19, 2024 0 Comments

Why Notre Dame plays Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Marcus Freeman and the 11th-ranked Fighting Irish hit the road in Week 8 to begin a two-game stretch away from Notre Dame Stadium.

But the Irish’s Week 8 matchup against Georgia Tech will not be played at the Yellow Jackets’ home stadium. Instead, Saturday’s matchup between Notre Dame (5-1) and Georgia Tech (5-2, 3-2 in ACC play) will take place at an NFL stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, about 2 miles from Bobby Stadium Dodda. .

REQUIRED READING: Score the Irish: How did Notre Dame fare on the report card after beating Stanford?

This is the first meeting between the Irish and the Yellow Jackets since 2021. Saturday’s game at a neutral site is not the first time Notre Dame has played a regular-season game at a neutral site and will not be the last during the 2024 season. season.

Here’s what you need to know about why Notre Dame is playing Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, including why the Irish are playing several games at neutral sites this season:

Location of Notre Dame vs. Georgia Tech

Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Location: Atlanta

Saturday’s matchup between Notre Dame and Georgia Tech will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons. It has a capacity of 71,000 for multiple reports.

Why is Notre Dame Georgia Tech located in Mercedes-Benz Stadium?

In 2019, Georgia Tech Athletics, AMB Sports & Entertainment—the operator of Mercedes-Benz Stadium—and the Peach Bowl announced a five-year agreement allowing Georgia Tech to host one game annually at Mercedes-Benz Stadium from 2020 to 2024.

In fact, Georgia Tech’s game against Notre Dame was supposed to be the first game of this agreement in 2020, but the game was moved to Bobby Dodd Stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Notre Dame, of course, played in the ACC that season.

“I am pleased that Georgia Tech, our student-athletes and our fans have the opportunity to showcase our football program annually in one of the most recognizable and state-of-the-art facilities in the world, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.” “Former Georgia Tech athletic director Todd Stansbury said in a statement at the time.

“Competing annually at Mercedes-Benz Stadium helps us achieve several goals for the future of our program, including continuing to establish ourselves as a leading brand in Atlanta sports culture and providing our student-athletes with the opportunity to play for one of the best franchises in the NFL. stadiums and provide our fans with a state-of-the-art game day experience.

“I am grateful to expand our outstanding partnerships with AMB Sports & Entertainment, the Atlanta Falcons and the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game and look forward to bringing the great tradition of Georgia Tech football to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.”

On Tuesday, Mercedes-Benz Stadium was also announced as the site of the 2025 “Pure, Old Fashioned Hate” rivalry between Georgia Tech and Georgia.

Why do Notre Dame football have so many neutral-site games?

While neutral-site games are not unusual during the regular season, especially in the first week of the season, Notre Dame has been playing these games for quite some time.

From 2021 to 2023, Notre Dame played four neutral-site games during the regular season, compared to 12 games on the road. Because Notre Dame plays as an independent club, it is not required to play a certain number of home and away games each season.

Here are the stats for Notre Dame’s regular-season neutral-site games starting in 2021:

Location in parentheses

2021: vs. Wisconsin at Soldier Field (Chicago)*
2022: vs. BYU at Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas)*
2022: vs. Navy at M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore)
2023: v Navy at Aviva Stadium (Dublin)

*Denotes a Shamrock Series game.

Notre Dame football games at a neutral site in 2024

Notre Dame will play three neutral-site games this season (compared to three on the road), starting with Saturday’s matchup against Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Irish will then travel to East Rutherford, New Jersey in Week 9 for their 97th meeting with the Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. This is the eighth time Notre Dame-Navy will be played at MetLife Stadium and the first since 2010. This game and its location were announced back in 2021.

Notre Dame will then resume the Shamrock Series on Saturday, Nov. 23 against Army at Yankee Stadium. This is the first Shamrock game for the Irish since 2022.

Here’s a breakdown of Notre Dame’s neutral-site regular-season games this season: