Notre Dame, Georgia Reportedly Working to Schedule Home-and-Home Football Series

Notre Dame is reportedly working on a home-and-home series with Georgia that would pit the Irish against an SEC team in the regular season for the first time since 2005.

Per Jeremy Fowler of CBSSports.com:

"

Georgia and Notre Dame are working to finalize a home-and-home series, according to a source, possibly for 2018-19.

When reached Tuesday, Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity acknowledged verbal communication with Notre Dame about a potential series but stressed there's no agreement in writing and, thus, no reason to get too excited.

"

This report doesn't quite come from left field.

According to Eric Hansen of the South Bend Tribune, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly called Georgia a perfect team to play against last August, though he did also lament how the Irish's new ACC scheduling commitment might get in the way:

It appears now that the feeling is mutual. According to Fowler, when asked about the potential series, UGA athletic director Greg McGarity said, "I think it'd be great for the University of Georgia if we were able to make it happen."

Notre Dame's last two games against the SEC haven't gone so well. There was the 2013 national title game against Alabama, which the Irish lost 42-14. Before that came the 2006 Sugar Bowl against LSU, which the Irish lost by a near-identical score of 41-14 against a team led by Jamarcus Russell.

Before that, though, Notre Dame played a home-and-home series with Tennessee in 2004 and 2005, winning a close game 17-13 in Knoxville the first year before blowing out the Vols 41-21 in South Bend.

Starting in 2014, Notre Dame must play five games against the ACC—the scheduling commitment Kelly alluded to—in addition to other long-standing agreements to play certain opponents.

Hopefully this series can get past the conceptual phase.