Notre Dame AD confident team will play full season

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If Power 5 conferences opt for conference-only schedules due to the coronavirus pandemic, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick is confident the Fighting Irish will still be able to play a full football season.

"We are very comfortable that if it goes that way, we'll be fine," Swarbrick said, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich. "We'll be able to play a high-quality, full schedule, the same number of games other teams will play."

Notre Dame plays as an independent and has scheduled six games against ACC opponents, two versus Pac-12 teams, and one apiece against SEC and Big Ten programs.

Swarbrick didn't specify how the Irish would fill the schedule but is encouraging conference commissioners who are considering a conference-only slate to include a "plus one" to allow for traditional rivalries.

"We would love Wisconsin to still be able to play Notre Dame in Lambeau this year, or Arkansas to still visit," he said. "We just have to see how that evolves, but I'm not concerned about our ability to have a challenging, robust schedule even if the conferences go to a conference-only model."