Notre Dame and Alabama finally agreed to a home-and-home series. The only problem is we'll have to wait until 2028 to see it.
The Fighting Irish will host the Crimson Tide on Sept. 2, 2028, with Alabama returning the favor on Sept. 1, 2029.
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Obviously, both programs will have changed a lot by then — but that didn't stop Sporting News from making a few (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) guesses on what to expect a decade from now when the teams meet.
Here are five things that would take those games to the next level.
Nick Saban finds Alabama's 2028 QB — next year
Always looking for a recruiting advantage, Saban uses the next cycle to promise a fifth-grader a chance to start the Notre Dame game in 2028 if he commits to Alabama in the near future. That kid puts the promise in writing, graduates in 2025 and works his way up the depth chart by his junior year to start in the biggest opener of the 2028 season. Of course, he shows that piece of paper to Alabama's next coach; who could it be?
Dabo Swinney is coaching Alabama
We know, we know. Swinney, however, remains the most logical candidate to lead Alabama after Saban's retirement. And despite keeping the Clemson dynasty rolling for the next five seasons, the former walk-on will get an offer from the Tide that he just can't refuse when Saban, who would be 76 years old in the 2028 game, ultimately decides to call it quits. Swinney inherits the Alabama job in 2022, exactly 30 years after winning the national championship as a player with the Crimson Tide.
MORE: Alabama 2018 lookahead
Lane Kiffin at Notre Dame?
Yeah, we said it. Will you at least think about it? We don't think Urban Meyer will ever leave Ohio State — otherwise that would be our answer. Picture this scenario: Kiffin continues to build a Group of 5 buster at Florida Atlantic through 2027, then he finds the right spot for the next job. He spurns SEC and Pac-12 opportunities before finally taking over in South Bend. It's a controversial hire, but one that eventually pays off.
Notre Dame keeps fighting for independence
The Irish's clash with Power 5 conferences continues. The lone independent remaining in the FBS will still be looking for its first berth in the College Football Playoff. A snub in 2027 inflames this game, and the hype approaches "Catholics vs. Convicts" levels of intensity once Kiffin crashes SEC Media Days to guarantee victory for the Irish. That makes this the most anticipated regular-season matchup of the millennium.
MORE: Notre Dame 2018 lookahead
Saban is college football's commissioner
You didn't think Saban was just going to retire, did you? No, he'll celebrate his retirement from Alabama by becoming the first college football commissioner — a position he'll still hold when Notre Dame and Alabama meet for that first game. He even gets a Twitter account. Saban is instrumental in the push to keep the College Football Playoff at four teams. He also keeps the Power 5 together. Saban shows up for the opening coin toss in Tuscaloosa in 2029 in front of a frenzied crowd in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup that somehow tops the 2028 game.
Admit it: you want some of this to happen.
See you in 2028.
