EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern and Notre Dame, two institutions that first battled on the gridiron in 1889, are renewing their rivalry in 2014, according to Jim Phillips, NU’s director of athletics and recreation.

The announcement was made on ESPN’s Mike & Mike in the Morning radio show today by Mike Greenberg, a Northwestern alum, and Mike Golic, a Notre Dame alum.

The Wildcats, who last played the Fighting Irish in 1995, will travel to South Bend, Ind. on Nov. 15, 2014 and then the Fighting Irish will visit Ryan Field during the 2018 season. Northwestern and Notre Dame have played one another 47 times in the last 121 years, making the Fighting Irish the Wildcats’ most popular non-conference opponent in program history.

“This is really an exciting time for Chicago’s Big Ten team as we continue to upgrade our future non-conference schedule,” said Phillips. “With schools such as Boston College, California, Syracuse and Vanderbilt visiting Ryan Field in future years, combined with the addition of Nebraska to our division in the Big Ten, there’s no better time to be a Wildcat football fan.

“We’re excited about this series and having Notre Dame make its first visit to Evanston since 1976. Northwestern and Notre Dame represent two of the finest academic institutions in the nation, and it’s only fitting that we renew our rivalry on the football field.”

Although the Wildcats and Fighting Irish have played one another 47 times, the schools have met just four times – from 1992 to 1995 – since the 1976 season. Northwestern won the last encounter, a 17-15 victory over Notre Dame on Sept. 2, 1995.