The Notre Dame Fighting Irish decided to opt out of its series with Michigan, making the matchup of the two teams in 2014 the last for the foreseeable future.
The Associated Press, through a Freedom of Information Act request on Tuesday, obtained a letter from Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick to Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon cancelling games in 2015-2017.
Brandon told the AP he was handed the letter on the field in South Bend, Ind., about an hour before Saturday night's game.
"I put the letter in my pocket and didn't bother to read it right away because I was focused on the game we were about to play," Brandon said to the Associated Press. "I read it on the way home Sunday morning."
The letter was dated the day before the two schools played on Saturday.
"Because I am providing you with this notice prior to the commencement of this year's football game on September, 22, 2012," Swarbrick wrote, "there is no liability to Notre Dame for cancelling those games."
The two schools had agreed on a contract extension five years ago that brought the series to the 2031 season, but it was set on a three-year rolling basis. Either side had the chance to opt out of the deal as long as it was done with three years of notice.
"Our contract with Michigan has an automatic rollover provision -- with a year being added each time a game is played," Notre Dame senior associate athletics director John Heisler said in a statement. "We needed to avoid the automatic addition of additional games until we can get a better understanding of our available inventory in those years -- an understanding that will develop as we implement our five-game scheduling commitment to the Atlantic Coast Conference."
Notre Dame announced in early September that they would be moving all sports apart from football to the Atlantic Coast Conference. While the football team will not join, the school agreed to play five conference games per year, which is one likely factor in the Michigan decision.
"While this move is a necessary precaution as we begin the process of meeting our new scheduling commitment to the ACC," Swarbrick wrote in his letter to Brandon, "please know that Notre Dame very much values its relationship with Michigan and we look forward to working with you to ensure that our great football rivalry can continue."
The two teams have played against each other since 1887 and most recently played on Saturday, with Notre Dame winning 13-6. They have played every year since 2002; Michigan holds the lead in the series with a 23-16-1 record.
Notre Dame's first ever football game was against Michigan, with the Wolverines winning that game and the next seven after that. It took until 1909 for Notre Dame to beat Michigan. The two didn't play again until 1942.
"The decision to cancel games in 2015-17 was Notre Dame's and not ours," Brandon said in a release. "We value our annual rivalry with Notre Dame but will have to see what the future holds for any continuation of the series. This cancellation presents new scheduling opportunities for our program and provides a chance to create some new rivalries."
The last two games of the series will take place Sept. 7, 2013 at Michigan Stadium and Sept. 6, 2014 at Notre Dame Stadium.
"It's unfortunate and a great rivalry and all those things," Michigan coach Brady Hoke said during Tuesday's Big Ten conference call, according to ESPN.com. "But they have to do what they think is best. We'll move on and add some new scheduling opportunities for us."
Brandon stated that he will try to work with Notre Dame on another contract.
"The ball is in their court because they've triggered the three-game notice," he said. "We'll play them next year at Michigan Stadium for the last time in a while -- it appears -- and we'll make our last scheduled trip to South Bend in 2014. There will likely be nothing on the board for five years after that. Beyond that, I don't know what will happen."
Notre Dame is off to its best start in a decade at 4-0 and is ranked in the top 10 for the first time since 2002. After beginning the season ranked at No. 8, Michigan has fallen out of the top 25 rankings.
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