With talk that Alabama and Notre Dame are reportedly negotiating a home-and-home in the future, Sporting News decided to look at the best nonconference games for the future.
The 2018 season features several must-watch September games, but the College Football Playoff era has helped created even better matchups for the future.
MORE: 18 predictions for 2018
Here's a closer look at the best nonconference games throughout the 2022 season (Notre Dame's best ACC matchups included):
2018
| Sept. 1: Michigan at Notre Dame |
| Sept. 1: Auburn vs. Washington (Atlanta) |
| Sept. 1: Louisville vs. Alabama (Orlando) |
| Sept. 1: Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss (Houston) |
| Sept. 1: Tennessee vs. West Virginia (Charlotte) |
| Sept. 2: Miami vs. LSU (Arlington) |
| Sept. 8: UCLA at Oklahoma |
| Sept. 8: Clemson at Texas A&M |
| Sept. 8: Colorado at Nebraska |
| Sept. 8: Penn State at Pitt |
| Sept. 8: Michigan State at Arizona State |
| Sept. 15: Boise State at Oklahoma State |
| Sept. 15: Ohio State vs. TCU (Arlington) |
| Sept. 15: USC at Texas |
| Sept. 21: Florida Atlantic at UCF |
| Nov. 10: Florida State at Notre Dame |
2019
| Aug. 31: Northwestern at Stanford |
| Aug. 31: Duke vs. Alabama (Atlanta) |
| Aug. 31: Miami vs. Florida (Orlando) |
| Aug. 31: Florida State vs. Boise State (Jacksonville) |
| Aug. 31: South Carolina vs. North Carolina (Charlotte) |
| Aug. 31: Oregon vs. Auburn (Arlington) |
| Sept. 2: Notre Dame at Louisville |
| Sept. 7: Texas A&M at Clemson |
| Sept. 7: Nebraska at Colorado |
| Sept. 7: LSU at Texas |
| Sept. 14: Pitt at Penn State |
| Sept. 14: Arizona State at Michigan State |
| Sept. 14: Oklahoma at UCLA |
| Sept. 21: Notre Dame at Georgia |
| Oct. 26: Notre Dame at Michigan |
MORE: CFP 2018: Five scenarios to make everyone mad
2020
| Sept. 5: Michigan at Washington |
| Sept. 5: Florida State vs. West Virginia (Atlanta) |
| Sept. 5: Baylor vs. Ole Miss (Houston) |
| Sept. 7: Virginia vs. Georgia (Atlanta) |
| Sept. 12: Tennessee at Oklahoma |
| Sept. 12: Ohio State at Oregon |
| Sept. 12: Penn State at Virginia Tech |
| Sept. 12: Texas at LSU |
| Sept. 26: Miami at Michigan State |
| Oct. 3: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin (Green Bay) |
| Nov. 7: Clemson at Notre Dame |
| Nov. 21: Louisville at Notre Dame |
2021
| Sept. 4: Alabama vs. Miami (Atlanta) |
| Sept. 4: Kansas State at Stanford |
| Sept. 4: LSU at UCLA |
| Sept. 6: Notre Dame at Florida State |
| Sept. 11: Pitt at Tennessee |
| Sept. 11: Oregon at Ohio State |
| Sept. 11: Texas at Arkansas |
| Sept. 11: Washington at Michigan |
| Sept. 18: Michigan State at Miami |
| Sept. 18: Auburn at Penn State |
| Sept. 18: Nebraska at Oklahoma |
| Sept. 18: Oklahoma State at Boise State |
| Sept. 18: Virginia Tech at West Virginia |
| Sept. 25: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin (Chicago) |
MORE: SN's post-spring way-too-early top 25
2022
| Sept. 3: West Virginia at Pitt |
| Sept. 3: Notre Dame at Ohio State |
| Sept. 10: Alabama at Texas |
| Sept. 10: Tennessee at Pitt |
| Sept. 10: UCLA at Michigan |
| Sept. 10: Mississippi State at Arizona |
| Sept. 10: Missouri at Kansas State |
| Sept. 17: Miami at Texas A&M |
| Sept. 17: Penn State at Auburn |
| Sept. 17: Michigan State at Boise State |
| Sept. 17: Oklahoma at Nebraska |
| Sept. 24: West Virginia at Virginia Tech |
