Notre Dame Football Kicks Off 25th Season of NBC Sports Coverage

Notre Dame pre-game show countdown to kickoff begins at 7 p.m. ET live on NBCSN from Notre Dame Stadium this Saturday, Sept. 5.

QB Malik Zaire and No. 11 Notre Dame kick off the 2015 season when they host QB Tyrone Swoopes and Texas on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. NBC Sports Group’s 25th season broadcasting Notre Dame Football begins at 7 p.m. ET with Countdown to Kickoff, NBCSN’s live pre-game show from Notre Dame Stadium.

Notre Dame heads into the game ranked 11th in the country and looks to build upon the end-of-season momentum the team achieved when it defeated heavily favored LSU in the Music City Bowl last year. Texas is looking to return to national prominence following a 6-7 record in 2014.

Saturday night’s primetime matchup marks the 11th time Notre Dame and Texas have played, with the Fighting Irish having won eight of the 10 contests. In addition, Notre Dame (882 total victories) and Texas (881) rank 2nd and 3rd, respectively, on the college football all-time wins list.

Dan Hicks (@DanHicksNBC) returns as the play-by-play voice this season. Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie (@DougFlutie) will serve as lead analyst, continuing a role he began at the end of last season. Kathryn Tappen (@KathrynTappen) will manage sideline reporting duties for the second consecutive season.

Liam McHugh (@liam_mchugh) will host Countdown To Kickoff at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, on-site at Notre Dame Stadium. McHugh will be joined by two-time Super Bowl Champion and former University of Georgia QB/WR Hines Ward (@mvp86hinesward), and Super Bowl Champion, BCS National Champion and former University of Miami LB Jonathan Vilma (@JonVilma51). Vilma is making his debut in the role. McHugh, Ward and Vilma will also manage halftime duties on NBC and post-game coverage on NBCSN.

NBC Sports Group’s coverage of Notre Dame Football is led by Emmy Award-winning producer Rob Hyland and Emmy Award-winning director Pierre Moossa.

Listed below is a complete schedule of NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the 2015 Notre Dame Football season.

Notre Dame Football on NBC and NBCSN

Saturday, September 5
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Opponent: Texas
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Network: NBC

Saturday, September 19
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Opponent: Georgia Tech
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Network: NBC

Saturday, September 26
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Opponent: UMass
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Network: NBC

Saturday, October 10
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Opponent: Navy
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Network: NBC

Saturday, October 17
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Opponent: USC
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Network: NBC

Saturday, November 14
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Opponent: Wake Forest
Location: South Bend, Indiana
Network: NBC

Saturday, November 21
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Opponent: Boston College
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Network: NBCSN*

*Shamrock Series game from Fenway Park (All Times ET)

Streaming and online

NBC Sports Live Extra — the NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets — will stream all Notre Dame Football home games.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra. The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

NBC Sports Live Extra online will feature a simulcast of the broadcast feed in full HD quality plus one additional online-only bonus camera. The video player will include picture-in-picture capability and full DVR functionality, allowing the user to pause the live video and even review plays in "slo-mo."

Sideline reporter Kathryn Tappen will provide live in-game tweets from the sideline from @NDonNBC on Twitter. Additionally, fans can watch in-game highlights, live coverage of the Notre Dame and visiting teams’ bands at halftime, as well as live postgame footage that will include head coach Brian Kelly’s press conference.

NBCSports.com

NBCSports.com will continue its Notre Dame Football coverage through its Notre Dame Central section. Notre Dame will also be featured within NBC Sports Talk with its popular Inside The Irish blog written by Notre Dame Football insider Keith Arnold.

Comcast SportsNet Chicago

For the third straight year, Comcast SportsNet Chicago will continue its expanded coverage of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football via its partnership with NBC Sports by providing additional content to help power NBCSports.com’s popular Notre Dame Central section (http://www.nbcsports.com/college-football/notre-dame-central). Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s Notre Dame Football "Insider" JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) from CSNChicago.com, will serve as the primary beat reporter in providing up-to-the-minute Fighting Irish news and analysis, columns, game previews/recaps, interviews and much more.