Miami-Notre Dame series delayed a year due to scheduling snafu; and Darrell Jackson news

AUGUST 08, 2023 2:48 PM
The renewal of the storied Miami-Notre Dame football series has been pushed back from 2024 to 2025.
The teams — which haven’t met since Miami beat Notre Dame, 41-8, at Hard Rock Stadium in 2017 — were originally scheduled to play next season in South Bend, Indiana. But UM had a scheduling conundrum, with five non-conference games slated for four slots next season, including potentially difficult games at Florida and at Notre Dame.
Instead, the Hurricanes and Fighting Irish agreed to move the 2024 game to 2026 in South Bend. The teams previously agreed to play at Hard Rock Stadium in 2025.
UM and Notre Dame are also scheduled to play in 2028 and 2031 and 2037 in South Bend, and in 2032 and 2034 in Miami.
Beginning in 1971, the two schools played 19 times over 20 seasons, and some of the games in the 1980s produced some of the more memorable moments in college football history. But the teams have played only four times since 1990.
Notre Dame won their meetings in 2010 (the Sun Bowl), 2012 and 2016, and UM won the 2017 game. Notre Dame leads the all-time series,18-7-1.
UM’s 2024 non-conference schedule is now set, with road games at Florida and USF and home games against Florida A&M and Ball State. Miami’s 2025 schedule includes home games against USF, Florida and Notre Dame.
TRANSFER DENIED
The Hurricanes lost a valuable defensive tackle in the offseason when 6-5, 334-pound Darrell Jackson announced he was transferring to Florida State, closer to his home in the Florida Panhandle town of Havana, where his mother was apparently ailing with a medical condition.
But Jackson, despite already being enrolled at FSU and practicing with the team, was denied his hardship waiver request by the NCAA, FSU coach Mike Norvell and Jackson told reporters Tuesday.
Jackson played his freshman season at Maryland before transferring to Miami for his sophomore season. The NCAA allows one free transfer per player, meaning that player would not have to sit out the customary season before being allowed to play with his new team. But sometimes the NCAA makes exceptions to the one-time transfer rule.
“I came home for my mom,” he told reporters Tuesday, saying the decision was “hurtful.”
“She thinks it’s her fault, but it’s not. I’m going to continue to be there for my mom and see how things play out.”
Jackson became UM’s 11th transfer, and a valuable one at that. He played in all 12 games opposite Leonard Taylor last season, with 27 tackles, 4 1/2 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Said Norvell: “He came home for a reason, to be there with his mom. I thought that was shown and presented, but ultimately the NCAA, they have a choice of what they’re going to do and the decision that they made.
“If he’s not able to play in games this fall, we’re going to push, develop and do everything we can to put him in the best position to be one of the best defensive linemen in the country.”