NOTRE DAME — For the first time in history, the University of Notre Dame is headed to the metropolitan New York area for a postseason football bowl game.

Notre Dame (8-4) will meet a yet-to-be-determined American Athletic Conference representative in the 4th New Era Pinstripe Bowl at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013, in 50,086-seat Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y.

It’s the fourth bowl appearance in as many seasons under Irish coach Brian Kelly, the fifth appearance for the Irish in the last six seasons and their eighth in the last 10 years.

“Quite simply, we are thrilled to bring our football program to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl,” said Kelly. “We were privileged to play in New York City and Yankee Stadium in 2010. The treatment our University received from the Steinbrenner family, the New York Yankees and the entire organization was unlike anything we’ve experienced in my tenure at Notre Dame.”

ESPN will televise the game and ESPN Radio also will carry the game. The Notre Dame IMG Football Radio Network also will carry the game.

Notre Dame will be playing in new Yankee Stadium for the second time—following a 27-3 win there over Army in 2010 in the first football game played in the facility. That game drew a stadium-record (for football) crowd of 54,251 fans.

The first three Pinstripe Bowls featured a 36-34 Syracuse win over Kansas State in 2010, a 27-13 Rutgers victory over Iowa State in 2011 and a 38-14 Syracuse triumph over West Virginia in 2012. The New Era Pinstripe Bowl is the youngest of the 35 bowl games.

This year’s game will be the seventh college football game held at the current Yankee Stadium. The original Yankee Stadium played host to a number of college games from the year it opened in 1923, including Notre Dame-Army games in 1925-46 and 1969. The original Yankee Stadium was site of the “Win One for the Gipper” matchup between Notre Dame and Army in 1928. The New York Giants also called Yankee Stadium home from 1956-73.

For Notre Dame it’s a 33rd postseason bowl appearance (15-17 record). It’s the fourth straight season under Kelly the Irish have played in the postseason—following appearances in the 2010 Sun Bowl, the 2011 Champs Sports Bowl and the 2013 Bowl Championship Series title game. It’s the first time in Notre Dame history any head football coach has taken each of his first four teams to bowl games.

The Irish have played seven times previously in the Cotton Bowl (following 1969, 1970, 1977, 1978, 1987, 1992 and 1993 seasons), five times in the Orange Bowl (following 1972, 1974, 1989, 1990 and 1995 seasons), four times in the Sugar Bowl (1973, 1980, 1991, 2006), four times in the Fiesta Bowl (1988, 1994, 2000, 2005) and once in the Rose Bowl (1924).

Additional bowl appearances sent the Irish to the Gator Bowl (1976, 1998, 2002), Liberty Bowl (1983), Aloha/Hawaii Bowl (1984, 2008), Independence Bowl (1997) and Insight Bowl (2004).

Previous Notre Dame postseason appearances have produced record numbers in terms of both attendance and television ratings:

• Irish bowl games drew record crowds at Sun-Life Stadium (80,120 for the 2013 BCS Championship Game vs. Alabama), the Sugar Bowl (85,161 in 1973 vs. Alabama), the Champs Sports Bowl (68,305 in 2011 vs. Florida State, tops among games played at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium), the Sun Bowl (54,021 in 2010 vs. Miami), the Hawaii Bowl (43,487 in 2008 vs. Hawaii), the Insight Bowl (45,971 in 2004 vs. Oregon State, tops among games at Chase Field) and the Independence Bowl (50,459 in 1997 vs. LSU).

• Notre Dame bowl games garnered record television ratings at the Sugar Bowl (28.8 on NBC in 1973 vs. Alabama), the Hawaii Bowl (3.7 on ESPN in 2008 vs. Hawaii) and the Independence Bowl (4.5 on ESPN in 1997 vs. LSU, best since game has been on ESPN/ESPN2 since 1992).