MetLife Stadium will host the '20 rivalry game between Navy and Notre Dame after the two schools "previously played at the stadium" in '10, according to James Kratch of the Newark STAR-LEDGER. Notre Dame played Syracuse there in October, and the '20 game will be Notre Dame's "fourth game at the stadium" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 11/4). In Annapolis, Bill Wagner notes Notre Dame and Navy this Saturday will play at EverBank Field, making Jacksonville the "16th different site" to host the bi-annual neutral site game. San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium is slated to host the '18 game. Navy AD Chet Gladchuk said that he is "already reviewing proposals" for '22 and mentioned Baltimore, DC, Houston, Seattle and S.F. as "just a handful of many interested cities." Gladchuk: "Any NFL city in America would love to have this game. We can place the game wherever we think it makes the most sense." Wagner notes Notre Dame-Navy has "been held in Dublin, Ireland twice" in '96 and '10. Gladchuk said that he and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick have "discussed going back to Ireland, but it is not feasible in the foreseeable future" (Annapolis CAPITAL GAZETTE, 11/4).
PACIFIC DRIFT: In Atlanta, Tim Tucker noted Washington and Auburn will "meet in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium" to start the '18 football season. UW will be the "first team from the Pac-12" to play in the annual kickoff game, which began in '08. Auburn has played in the event twice previously. Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl President & CEO Gary Stokan said that to land UW he "began by reaching out" to coach Chris Petersen, who was Boise State’s coach when they played Georgia in the '11 Chick-fil-A Kickoff. Stokan: “I reached out to him at Pac-12 media days in Los Angeles in July and said, ‘Chris, we’d love to have a Pac-12 team come play in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game.’ Really, out of that conversation, we started a dialogue." Tucker noted an SEC team has "appeared in every Chick-fil-A Kickoff game." Usually, the opponent has "been an ACC team" (MYAJC.com, 11/3). In Seattle, Adam Jude notes the announcement "comes less than two days" after the College Football Playoff Committee ranked UW fifth for its perceived "soft nonconference schedule" (SEATTLE TIMES, 11/4).
