Jim Harbaugh 'Open' to Rekindling Michigan vs. Notre Dame Rivalry

Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly assumed an optimistic tone when discussing the renewal of a Michigan-Notre Dame series last week, and Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh followed suit Tuesday. 

Days after Kelly appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and indicated prospects of a Michigan-Notre Dame series revival were "trending up," Harbaugh said he would "be open" to the idea during a teleconference with reporters Tuesday, according to MLive.com's Nick Baumgardner.  

"I'd probably have a conversation with Coach Kelly about that before (I had one with) anyone else, that'd be the best course of action," Harbaugh said, per Baumgardner. 

The schools last met in 2014 when Notre Dame emerged with a 31-0 victory in South Bend, Indiana, but the Fighting Irish opted out of the series in 2012. The cancellation marked the end of a streak that saw Michigan and Notre Dame meet every season between 2002 and 2014. 

If both sides agree to rekindle the competitive flame, they will be forced to wait a couple of years before clashing on the gridiron. According to Baumgardner, Michigan doesn't have an open date on its schedule until 2018.    

That said, Harbaugh's words have provided plenty of hope that the tide will turn in a rather swift fashion.  

"In the case of Michigan and Harbaugh—whose arrival in Ann Arbor seems to represent a pointed shift back towards Wolverines tradition and away from the experiments of the failed Dave Brandon era—an endorsement from the coach will carry tremendous weight," CBSSports.com's Jerry Hinnen wrote.  

Michigan owns a 24-17-1 edge all-time against Notre Dame in a rivalry that dates back to 1887, but the Irish did win two of the last three meetings before exploring other attractive opportunities—including a home-and-home series with Ohio State that will take place in 2022 and 2023.    

With the Irish in the perennial powerhouse conversation under Kelly and Michigan hoping to join that discussion as Harbaugh begins to mold the Wolverines in his image, it's hard not to be intrigued by the possibility of two elite collegiate staples reigniting a compelling competitive streak.