The 2018 edition of the Navy-Notre Dame college football rivalry will be played at Qualcomm Stadium, the San Diego Bowl Game Association announced Wednesday.
“Our mission is to put on championship caliber events and we do that every December with our two bowl games — the Holiday Bowl and San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl,” said association President Kimberley Layton. “When we had the opportunity to host a traditional match-up with two football programs of such legendary status, we jumped at the chance.”
While Notre Dame has an overwhelming advantage in victories against Navy, the rivalry has become one of the most exciting in the sport in recent years. The Midshipmen have won three of the last eight games, and three of the setbacks were close.
The schools will play Oct. 27, 2018, in San Diego. While the possible departure of the Chargers has left the future of Qualcomm Stadium in doubt, the facility is expected to remain standing through at least that season to accommodate San Diego State and the two bowl games.
Navy has played in San Diego a half-dozen times over the past 21 years — four times in the Poinsettia Bowl and twice in regular season games against SDSU in the 1990s.
“We are excited to bring the Midshipmen back to San Diego to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish,” Layton said. “We expect thousands of supporters from both teams to travel to our region to support their team which means an economic boost to our region.”
Notre Dame makes annual visits to the West Coast, alternating between facing USC in Los Angeles and Stanford in Palo Alto. The Irish have not played in San Diego.
This will also be the first Notre Dame-Navy match-up west of the Mississippi River, according to the bowl association.
—City News Service
