UND men's basketball to face Notre Dame this season
May 22—GRAND FORKS — There will be a battle of the interlocking 'ND's in men's basketball this season.
UND men's basketball will play Notre Dame Nov. 19, 2024, at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center in Notre Dame, Ind., according to a contract obtained by the Herald through an open records request.
The two teams haven't faced each other since UND played at Notre Dame Feb. 4, 1941. UND lost 46-38.
This will also be the Fighting Hawks' first matchup against an ACC opponent in program history.
"It's exciting," UND athletic director Bill Chaves said. "It's always awesome to play a school with the history of the University of Notre Dame. We'll be excited to go out there, for sure."
North Dakota State was the most recent Summit League team to face Notre Dame. The Bison beat the Fighting Irish 73-69 in Notre Dame Dec. 11, 2013.
The competition agreement, which the schools signed in mid-January, guarantees UND $90,000.
"Coach Sather tries to provide different experiences for our team," Chaves said, "and I think if you can go to one of these institutions that is, obviously nationally, internationally known, it's going to be exciting for our team."
UND assistant Jamie Stevens is working to piece together the non-conference schedule, which Chaves said will again be released in late summer or early fall.
The Hawks went 8-7 in non-conference play last season and faced Power 5 programs Iowa and Nebraska, losing to both.
The last time UND beat a Power 5 opponent was at Nebraska Dec. 21, 2019, in coach Paul Sather's first season. The Hawks beat the Huskers 75-74.
UND finished 18-14 last year after a first round loss to Omaha in the Summit League Tournament.
Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry, who spent six seasons as an assistant with the Boston Celtics, is entering his second season with the Irish in 2024-2025.
Notre Dame went 13-20 overall last season and finished 13th in the ACC out of 15 teams.
"I think back to my childhood when Notre Dame was playing UCLA," Chaves said. "UCLA had all those amazing teams. (The Fighting Irish) were the ones to break up the 88-game winning streak. It's kind of a neat thing for history buffs, and certainly it'll be exciting for this year's team."
