NOTRE DAME, Indiana — After returning to the NCAA Championship and advancing to the second round in the 2019 season, head coach Nate Norman has turned the page to the next season and announced the 2020 schedule Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m just so excited that we have a chance to play games this fall,” said head coach Nate Norman. “We really appreciate the work that Notre Dame and the ACC has done to give us the opportunity to compete and compete and continue to grow as a team. Obviously when you compete in the ACC you are going to play an exciting and challenging schedule, and this year is like no other. We look forward to beginning our fall season very soon!”
The 2020 slate features eight conference opponents split between four home matches and four road contests. The top-eight teams will qualify for the 2020 ACC Championship to be held at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. The quarterfinals will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 10 followed by the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 13 and final on Sunday, Nov. 15.
The Irish return 24 players from the 2019 squad and welcome nine freshmen to round out the 2020 team. The ACC announced the preseason coaches poll Tuesday afternoon and the Irish were slated to finish sixth in the 13-team league this season. Last season, the Irish finished eighth after being pegged ninth by the coaches in the preseason poll.
The Irish open the season with a road trip through the Sunshine state starting with a matchup against Florida State. The Irish and Seminoles will kick the season off on Sept. 17 at 8 pm ET on the ACC Network. The last time the Irish traveled to Tallahassee, they defeated the 18th-ranked Seminoles 4-3 after Sammi Fisher netted the game winner in the 88th minute. Florida State was selected to finish second in the preseason coaches poll.
Notre Dame heads south and closes the trip out with a Sunday matinee matchup with Miami on September 20. The Irish and Hurricanes battled at Alumni Stadium last season and the Irish came out on top, 3-0. Sammi Fisher scored three goals in just under 13 minutes in the second half to record her first career hat trick and the first for the Irish since 2013.
The Irish open the home slate on Thursday, Oct. 1 with a visit from Boston College. It will be the first matchup between the two schools since 2015, when the Irish defeated the Eagles 2-0 at Alumni Stadium. The Irish will be back on ACC Network for the matchup against the Eagles, their second of four ACC Network games this season.
The weekend ends with a Sunday afternoon match against the Syracuse Orange, another repeat opponent from last season. The Irish are 15-0-1 all-time against the Orange and defeated them 3-0 last season at Alumni Stadium.
Next up for the Irish is a home meeting with Wake Forest on Oct. 15. The Irish defeated the Demon Deacons 3-2 in 2OT in the regular season finale last season to clinch a spot in the ACC Tournament.
Notre Dame’s final home game will be on Sunday, Oct. 18 when the Clemson Tigers come to Alumni Stadium. The Tigers will be making their first visit since 2016 when the Irish knocked off the Tigers 1-0.
Notre Dame heads south the following Sunday to take on Louisville on Oct. 25. Last season, the Irish and the 13th-ranked Cardinals played to a 0-0 2OT draw at Alumni Stadium and Notre Dame holds a 11-4-1 record over Louisville. The matchup against the Cardinals will air on the ACC Network at 1:30pm from Louisville.
The regular season finale brings the Irish back on the road to face the national runner-up North Carolina Tar Heels on Nov. 1. North Carolina defeated the Irish in Chapel Hill in both meetings during the 2019 season. The Tar Heels were selected as the league favorites in the preseason coaches poll and the regular season finale will be on the ACC Network.
Following the conclusion of the regular season on Nov. 1, the top-eight teams will travel to Cary for the ACC Championship. The Irish look to make back-to-back trips to the ACC Championship after finishing eighth in the conference in 2019.
Alumni Stadium Fan Policy
Until further notice, while the University is in session during the fall semester, spectators will not be allowed at home sporting events unless otherwise specified.
The University will monitor the health and safety of the campus and local community throughout the fall semester – working closely with health officials in formulating policies and procedures.
All home games for women’s soccer will air on ACCN or ACCNX.
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