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The storied Notre Dame and Michigan series is back, at least for two seasons.

The long-time rivals square off on September 1st, a night game in Notre Dame Stadium. It marks the first time since 2014 these two programs, which are two of the most storied programs in the history of college football, meet.

September 1st will mark the 43rd game between the rivals, with the Wolverines owning a 24-17-1 advantage. Michigan won eight of the first nine matchups, which were played between 1887 and 1909. The next two meetings were a home-and-home in 1942 and 1943, with the Wolverines winning the first matchup 32-20 and the Irish getting revenge with a 35-12 victory the following season.

From 1944 to 1977 the series was dormant, but it picked up again in 1978. The two teams would play each other in all but six seasons from 1978 to 2014. The modern era (post-World War II) record tied, so this season’s matchup will come with some bragging rights.

Blue & Gold Illustrated senior editor Lou Somogyi and TheWolverine.com senior editor Chris Balas have covered these two programs for a combined 54 years of experience covering these two storied programs, and at least one of them has covered every game of this matchup since 1985.

Over the next two weeks Somogyi and Balas will share their thoughts on a number of different topics regarding this series.

We begin with a discussion about the rivalry, and what it means.