I am not so sure of the "storied" part either.

Michigan refused to play ND from 1909-1942 and from 1943-78.

So, the games were not played for most of the 20th Century. I was 21 when the series resumed.

Michigan also blackballed ND out of the then Western Conference (now Big Ten) and pressured other Big Ten schools to boycott playing ND.

ND tried desperately in the early 20th Century to join the Big Ten, but Michigan kept them out.

So, the whole "ND is independent" thing is Michigan's fault to begin with. :)

The Big Ten demanded that the three ND games (Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue) had to be played in September, so for many years, those were the first three games on the Irish schedule.

Whoever won the Michigan/ND game usually went on to have a very good season. The loser struggled.

So, I guess that and the fact that many games were close and were decided in the final minutes made them "storied".

I just despise Michigan and have a deep lifetime dislike for the whole Big Ten so I am not a fan of these games resuming.

[Post edited by TerryD at 07/07/2016 12:45PM]