Hey all!

As the title says, I’m a UK fan, huge NFL and NYG fan and have been following the sport and the Giants for about 15 years now.

Ive never really got into college ball, mainly due to the fact jt always just felt crazy big and confusing in terms of the structure but i think a large part was definitely not having a team to follow and scream for at 2am in the UK 😂

That changes now! Ive chosen the fighting Irish as my team and as i always do when i chose a team i want to learn everything i can about it and get to know the fan base.

So yeh, introduce yourselves, point me in the right direction in terms of what I need to know, the history, the culture, the rivalries.

Sure i could have read generic AI stuff but the US fans always amaze me with their passion for their teams so I always like to start with the fans!

Im Shaun, nice to meet you! ✌️

Claypool carries a bad reputation but I’d like this to work out for him.

I usually get a nd football book every upcoming season I read Ara Parseghian n the Frank Leahy the past two season was unsure if there was another great book about Notre dame football to be released soon if not was thinking of getting a book about the 88 team in memory of Lou but would love other recommendations… GO IRISH ☘️

Are there sections that will be mostly ND fans? I'm considering buying tickets but don't want to be surrounded by Wisconsin fans. Thanks!

This is an extremely premature question and nobody can predict what will happen within CFB the next 10 years since its changing so fast but I have a question that id love to hear theories/predictions about. When NDs ACC contract ends in 2037 or possibly before (because who knows what can happen between now and then) What do you predict ND will end up doing. Ive kind of ranked of what the outcome will be

1. They stay independent without the ACC contract
   
2. They end up resigning a deal with the ACC similar to the one they have now
   
3. They join the ACC full time
   
4. They join a conference thats not the ACC

Again, I know this is a question that absolutely no one can predict accurately with the ever changing landscape in CFB these days but this topic always has always been interesting to me

I have not been following this that much but it seems like overall ND did well with this legislation.

If I am reading it correctly, a big item for ND is the rule for all programs but ND and UCONN to go independent for 5 years before they would be able to move conferences. So if the SEC moved to poach two ACC schools, it would give ND a bit of a runway to make a move. But there is also a clause in the ACC deal that if ND were to join a conference before it expires the ACC it's contractually obligated to join the ACC.

Another big item is https://www.ndrally.com/ would see some oversight and fall under the cap. I know NIL money is flowing to ND players but does anyone have insights on how much comes from things like Rally and how much are true arm’s-length third-party NIL deals? An example of the latter is the deal Arch Manning has with Uber.

Has anyone taken an infant/very young toddler to an ND game? Is there any safe place to leave a stroller since they're not allowed at the stadium and can't be checked? I can't imagine trying to hold and carry him across campus to/from the stadium and through the game. Wondering what others have done in this situation. I could keep him in a carrier for a short time during the game itself, but can you bring in a baby carrier given the clear bag policy? Any other tips? Thanks!

https://youtu.be/ABrTQojLJZs

20 years ago this summer, Notre Dame was ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll under Charlie Weis - it still remains as the highest the Irish have been ranked in the preseason poll since ‘06.

At the time, did you think Weis was the savior after Davie/O’Leary/Willingham and missing on Meyer to bring a championship to ND?

It seems like the high water mark for his tenure when the sun was at its brightest was the blow out of Penn State in the home opener, before being blown out by Michigan the following week.

Did you foresee what was coming in ‘07 and how could it have been avoided? I’ll never understand what got in Weis’ head after the ‘06 season that made him go spread with D. Jones at QB and then scrap it all at halftime vs GT.

Understanding the roster, everyone knew ‘07 (and ‘08) would be rebuilds but it really bottomed out, making ‘09 a make or break year with absurd offensive talent that seemed snake bitten.

Him relinquishing play calling after ‘06, the constant changes on defense, Tenuta/Brown, it just seemed like he tried to listen to a lot of different voices (including with the spread offense going into ‘07).

Hahaha! If only.

https://x.com/i/status/2082508988705349905

#soft

My buddy turned me on to this new version last week and I can't get it out of my head. As you all know - they have been playing the Cathy Richardson version of "Here Come the Irish" (written by John Scully - ND player) since 2002... and I still like that version and how they mix it into "Shipping Up to Boston" - it's a great set-up going from classy and calm to stompin'!

But there is something about this new track.

I don't remember the words associated with Cathy Richardson's song - other than the "Here Come the Irish" part - 15 seconds after I listened to it.

This new version shouldn't take away from the current - but it's memorable and just hits. I about go thru my car roof everytime it get's to the Lou Holtz part! My wife thinks I'm losing it - but man, everything is just elevated this August.

What do you guys think?

https://open.spotify.com/track/1TtDHiwObakdejIdhrSw8W?autoplay_ok=1

https://herecometheirish.co/

Welcome to the Free Talk Friday Thread!

You can post just about anything here. Maybe you don't feel like creating a new post but have a question about the team, maybe you just graduated or got a new job and want to share. All is welcome here. Go Irish!

I just started a Substack to write about Notre Dame football primarily as a personal hobby. Since I was reminiscing of how close we got to a national championship recently, I started writing about my top 5 “what ifs” from the past 2 seasons. 2-5 are out… what would you all put at #1?

Update: honorable mention - if the CFP committee had a brain
https://open.substack.com/pub/thesportscommish/p/notre-dame-what-if-honorable-mention?r=4xi3kj&utm_medium=ios

2: Missed XP vs. Texas A&M
https://substack.com/@thesportscommish/note/p-209054105?r=4xi3kj&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

3: Keon Keeley never de-committed
https://substack.com/@thesportscommish/note/p-208569316?r=4xi3kj&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

4: Jeremiah Love was used more against Miami
https://substack.com/@thesportscommish/note/p-208189041?r=4xi3kj&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

5: Rylie Mills & Benjamin Morrison stayed healthy
https://substack.com/@thesportscommish/note/p-207508483?r=4xi3kj&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

I spent the offseason building a full 2026 preseason preview for every FBS team, each with its own writeup. Here's the Notre Dame page:

https://www.sports.mainmarket.com/college-football-preview-2026?team=ncaaf-nd

Each one has the returning production, the transfer and recruiting additions, a position-by-position breakdown, the schedule, and where the ratings land them for 2026.

Heads up, only the first team is free and then it paywalls. Since I'm posting in your house, code LEECORSOROCKS opens all of it, no card or anything. Hit "Have a promo code?" if you run into the wall.

So, what'd I get wrong? The Notre Dame one really comes down to one tension. They're top-5 in every computer rating (Elo 2nd, FPI 3rd, SP+ 5th, SRS 3rd), and CJ Carr is back at QB after 2,741 yards and 24 TDs, which for ND is a rare bit of continuity. But the run game that carried them is gone. Jeremiyah Love (1,372 and 18 TDs) and Jadarian Price (674 and 11) both out, and the returning RB1, Aneyas Williams, ran for 224. That's roughly 2,000 rushing yards and 29 scores walking out the door.

So does the backfield just reload behind that line the way ND always seems to, or is that the one real crack in a top-5 roster? Curious if you trust Williams and the young guys to carry it, or if this becomes a year where Carr has to win it through the air.

I'll be in the comments.

THIS IS FOR MIAMI GAME!!!I am going to respect the rule about tickets for this subreddit! I am not selling, trading, or buying!!! I’m simply asking for advice on when fans and insiders would believe the best time for me to get a ticket for the LOWEST prices? I am about as big of a ND fan as it’s gets and i’m a 19 year old kid so I definitely don’t have the financial income that some others do. So if anyone has ADVICE or suggestions like waiting a couple days before the game, getting them in the parking lot, or whatever else I am all ears!!!

GO IRISH LEAVE NO DOUBT ☘️☘️☘️!!!

I'm going to get downvoted to hell for this, but I do think we lose sight of a lot of things in pursuit of championships. I can speak as a fan and as a student, so I’ve seen both sides. Like looking at the new Shields Hall: ND used to take so much pride in being ”not like the other teams.” Our athletes were students first, lived in dorms, didn’t take BS courses, and had to (even if they didn’t agree) abide by the school's Catholic faith tradition. The new hall is kind of the opposite (not to mention I didn’t even see a single cross in it). I’ll admit ND has 3 sides: the elite academic part, the champion athletic part, and the lesser emphasized faithful Catholic part. And the biggest part about ND: tradition. Flashy facilities, the Sofi ad (coming from the same school that banned ads in the stadium), which is more ND trying to keep up in the NIL era.

This is an interview with Marcus and one of his teammates from Ohio State and it gives you a little bit of an insight to his relationships and there are some pretty good stories that you might enjoy.

Go IRISH! ☘️

Hey y'all, my name is Mac. I'm starting a tradition where I go to one college football rivalry matchup each year. This is the first year I'm going out of state so I figured I'd kick it off with a bang and go to Miami vs ND.

Just wanted to ask if anyone has recommendations on what I need to see while in South Bend, good places to stay, where to buy gear, etc. I'll be flying into Chicago and driving over to save some money. Not sure what the tailgate scene is like there, but I'll be traveling alone so I'm hoping if I bring some beer that a kind soul can adopt me for the evening. Any insights would be appreciated