On October 17, the University of Notre Dame men's basketball team will travel to the University of Dayton for an exhibition contest that forms part of the Flyers' annual Mental Health Awareness game.
The matchup will benefit Jay's Light, a mental health charity founded by Dayton head coach Anthony Grant and his wife following the loss of their daughter, aiming to raise awareness and funds for families coping with grief.
A Revived Rivalry with a Purpose
The two programs last met in 1995, a game that marked the beginning of a series that now stands at 28 wins for Notre Dame against 12 defeats. The upcoming meeting will be the first since Dayton replaced Butler on Notre Dame's 2026‑27 non‑conference slate.
Both teams enter the exhibition with contrasting recent records: Dayton finished the previous season 24‑12 overall and 12‑6 in the Atlantic 10, while Notre Dame went 13‑18 and 4‑14 in ACC play. Notre Dame's roster is expected to feature as many as ten new players, whereas Dayton will rely on a core that helped them reach the A‑10 tournament.
The game will be played at UD Arena, a venue that has hosted two Notre Dame NCAA tournament contests since 2013, including a memorable 61‑point performance by legend Austin Carr in 1970. The exhibition also precedes Notre Dame's regular‑season opener on November 1 in Rome against Villanova, after a prior meeting with DePaul in October.