Hostilities over, rivalry renewed between Irish, Wolverines

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The "end" of the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry was a three-year soap opera that included accusations of cowardice and the "Chicken Dance" being played in the Big House.

It was quite the drama. The "end," however, turned out to be just a brief hiatus.

The series' revival was so matter-of-fact that the athletic directors who got it done weren't sure who reached out first. To the people involved, it seemed inevitable the Wolverines and Fighting Irish would play again, no peace treaty necessary. No. 14 Michigan visits No. 12 Notre Dame on Saturday night.

"It is something that we value, that we believe is valuable for college football," Michigan AD Warde Manuel said.

Michigan-Notre Dame is a rivalry with more prestige than history. The teams first played in 1887, but the schools did not become semiregular opponents until the 1970s.

A deal in 2007 extended the agreement though 2031, but it allowed for either school to pull out with three games' notice.

In 2012, Notre Dame exercised that option. The Irish had joined the Atlantic Coast Conference, keeping their football independence but calling for five games against ACC opponents each season.

What followed were some WWE-style follies. Then-Michigan coach Brady Hoke accused Notre Dame of being "chicken" to play the Wolverines. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Michigan was not one of the Irish's traditional rivals.

The crowd at Michigan Stadium in 2013 was frenzied for a night game the Wolverines won 41-30. After it was over, the "Chicken Dance" song blared through the Big House.

"I sort of enjoy the mythology of all that," Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick said. "It's got marketing value."

The Irish got their revenge in 2014 in South Bend, beating Michigan 31-0. The Wolverines had gone 365 games in a row without being shut out.

The rivalry went dormant — but not for long. The exact details are fuzzy, but in 2016, the ball got rolling.

Manuel and Swarbrick have a relationship that goes back almost two decades, when both were in the Big East. "I either ran into Jack somewhere or he called me," Manuel said.

Said Swarbrick: "It's funny, I keep on hearing different versions of it. From my perspective, Warde reached out to me. It took us, like, no time. As soon as we could identify a date to agree to the game."

In July 2016, Notre Dame and Michigan announced they would play this season and next. There are no more games scheduled after next season, but everyone involved wants to make it work.

"This is something that Jim and I wanted to get on the schedule. Be careful what you wish for," Kelly said. "But I think it's great for college football. We're excited about this matchup, we think it's great for college football."