Notre Dame basketball to visit an old Independent friend for exhibition

SOUTH BEND − Hello, old friend. They finally meet again. Noie: How an old Notre Dame basketball guy found a new appreciation for the game Decades removed from its days as an independent, Notre Dame basketball has often circled back to those days when it played certain schools – often twice a year – that were schedule staples in the 1970s and 80s and into the early 90s.

Noie: Ranking the best Notre Dame basketball teammates of the last 30 years In recent seasons as a member of the Big East, and then the Atlantic Coast Conference, Notre Dame has played DePaul. It has played Marquette. It called both conference colleagues when they were all in the Big East.

It rekindled the rivalry with UCLA. It has returned to its Big East roots and played Georgetown. It will play Villanova.

It never reconnected with one former independent colleague (thanks, Mike Brey) but will this preseason. On October 17, Notre Dame will play at Dayton in an exhibition game. It’s part of that school’s annual Mental Health Awareness game.