I’m generally not a fan of the Shamrock Series. While I understand the desire to play in cool venues and reward Notre Dame’s national alumni network and fan base, it often comes at the expense of better on-campus matchups. Additionally, the series tends to impose undue travel during key stretches of the season.
All that said, the Shamrock Series can work. The sweet spot here is a team good enough to be an exciting matchup but lacking a particularly vibrant or interesting home venue, paired with a location that is genuinely cool and/or (preferably and) strategically important for recruiting.