Notre Dame 2025

[Bobref]

47 minutes ago, temptation said:

Enlighten me.

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/notre-dame-vs-usc-rivalry-at-risk-why-historic-college-football-showdown-must-be-preserved-at-all-costs/

[Sparty]

Cost (money) is right.  Politics also played a role in varying stories.  

[23andCounting]

Universities make decisions that are in their best interests. I don't think terms like "cowardly" accurately portrays a program when leaving a high profile rivalry like this one. Michigan said the same thing about Notre Dame. Notre Dame had their hands tied with their agreement with the ACC, and there's no way they were going to drop Navy or USC. The Wolverines had to go bye bye. Now the same thing is happening with the USC in the Big Ten. At the end of the day, with the brutal schedule they'll be tasked with, they might just be looking for a more winnable game. When it comes to making the playoffs, wins and losses seem to have a heavier weight than strength of schedule. It's hard to blame them. 

[Bobref]

2 hours ago, 23andCounting said:

Universities make decisions that are in their best interests. I don't think terms like "cowardly" accurately portrays a program when leaving a high profile rivalry like this one. Michigan said the same thing about Notre Dame. Notre Dame had their hands tied with their agreement with the ACC, and there's no way they were going to drop Navy or USC. The Wolverines had to go bye bye. Now the same thing is happening with the USC in the Big Ten. At the end of the day, with the brutal schedule they'll be tasked with, they might just be looking for a more winnable game. When it comes to making the playoffs, wins and losses seem to have a heavier weight than strength of schedule. It's hard to blame them. 

The ND-Michigan series was a great one, and I wish they still played. But it’s a mistake to compare it to the greatest intersectional rivalry in the history of college football. The Irish and Trojans have played every year since 1924, with the exception of a few years during WW II. More than twice as many times as ND has played Michigan. In terms of the way the schools feel about one another: no comparison.

[temptation]

14 hours ago, Bobref said:

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/notre-dame-vs-usc-rivalry-at-risk-why-historic-college-football-showdown-must-be-preserved-at-all-costs/

Wait, its a rivalry because Rockne's wife wanted to go on vacation?

Wow.

If anything, that proves my point.

In modern day football, USC doesn't need Notre Dame.  Schedule a couple of non-conference gimmes and then split your games in the Big Ten against the Big Four and you are a playoff team annually.

[Bobref]

1 hour ago, temptation said:

Wait, its a rivalry because Rockne's wife wanted to go on vacation?

Wow.

If anything, that proves my point.

In modern day football, USC doesn't need Notre Dame.  Schedule a couple of non-conference gimmes and then split your games in the Big Ten against the Big Four and you are a playoff team annually.

So, would this be an example of the playoff expansion diluting the regular season?

[temptation]

18 minutes ago, Bobref said:

So, would this be an example of the playoff expansion diluting the regular season?

I mean, yes.  But once again, no upside to USC playing ND…

At least it used to be spun as an opportunity to make a footprint with recruits from the Midwest but now that they are in the Big Ten, they do that annually.

Join a conference already.

[Coach Nowlin]

In next 5 years none of this will matter as what we view as College Football/Athletics will not be what we see as far as Conferences/etc. 

There is a real good chance that full on academic load is completely thrown out and that the Power 4 will just be straight minor league paid athletes.  I mean NCAA just said that it will be up to the POWER 4 to institute the forever settllement and not the NCAA.   

The 2 tier system is upon us.   This is potentially where ND will really need to ask themselves what they are wanting to do moving forward. 

[temptation]

36 minutes ago, Coach Nowlin said:

In next 5 years none of this will matter as what we view as College Football/Athletics will not be what we see as far as Conferences/etc. 

There is a real good chance that full on academic load is completely thrown out and that the Power 4 will just be straight minor league paid athletes.  I mean NCAA just said that it will be up to the POWER 4 to institute the forever settllement and not the NCAA.   

The 2 tier system is upon us.   This is potentially where ND will really need to ask themselves what they are wanting to do moving forward. 

Hope you're wrong...fear you're right.

[Coach Nowlin]

3 hours ago, temptation said:

Hope you're wrong...fear you're right.

can't put the lid on it now, sadly 

[Irishman]

4 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

In next 5 years none of this will matter as what we view as College Football/Athletics will not be what we see as far as Conferences/etc. 

There is a real good chance that full on academic load is completely thrown out and that the Power 4 will just be straight minor league paid athletes.  I mean NCAA just said that it will be up to the POWER 4 to institute the forever settllement and not the NCAA.   

The 2 tier system is upon us.   This is potentially where ND will really need to ask themselves what they are wanting to do moving forward. 

Over a year ago, I made the 5 year claim too. So there are 4 years left. I can see some things that accelerate the ending of it. No controls over agents are salaries......it's like Captain Edward Smith saying full steam ahead after hitting the iceberg. 

[Bobref]

4 hours ago, Coach Nowlin said:

The 2 tier system is upon us.   This is potentially where ND will really need to ask themselves what they are wanting to do moving forward. 

That is going to be a spirited conversation if, at some point, ND has to choose between abandoning the concept of the student-athlete and foregoing all that $$ with which the University does so much good. Lots of places will have that debate. But for most, the answer is easy. Not so at Notre Dame.

[Irishman]

[PHJIrish]

Mark Zackery looked mighty good with the Indiana basketball All Stars Saturday night.  Maybe he can do the double for the Irish.

[Bobref]

I knew ND’s use of the transfer portal had some university imposed restrictions, but wasn’t exactly sure what they were. So, I did some research. ND accepts graduate student transfers, like Riley Leonard was. But their use of the portal to recruit undergraduate players is restricted. Notre Dame has a policy that limits undergraduate transfers after their sophomore year. This means that undergraduate transfers must be admitted before their academic sophomore year, making the pool of eligible players considerably smaller. They also need to fulfill specific academic requirements to transfer credits. That’s why you don’t see established players, who are still undergraduates,  transferring to ND.

[Bash Riprock]

22 hours ago, Bobref said:

I knew ND’s use of the transfer portal had some university imposed restrictions, but wasn’t exactly sure what they were. So, I did some research. ND accepts graduate student transfers, like Riley Leonard was. But their use of the portal to recruit undergraduate players is restricted. Notre Dame has a policy that limits undergraduate transfers after their sophomore year. This means that undergraduate transfers must be admitted before their academic sophomore year, making the pool of eligible players considerably smaller. They also need to fulfill specific academic requirements to transfer credits. That’s why you don’t see established players, who are still undergraduates,  transferring to ND.

Is this accurate?  I checked some 2025 incoming transfers..Jared Dawson is considered a senior; Elijah Hughes is a junior; Devonta Smith is a senior; Jalen Stroman is a senior, etc.  Did I misunderstand your comment?

https://fightingirish.com/roster/jared-dawson/

https://fightingirish.com/roster/elijah-hughes/

https://fightingirish.com/roster/devonta-smith/

https://fightingirish.com/roster/jalen-stroman/

 

 

[Footballking16]

35 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

Is this accurate?  I checked some 2025 incoming transfers..Jared Dawson is considered a senior; Elijah Hughes is a junior; Devonta Smith is a senior; Jalen Stroman is a senior, etc.  Did I misunderstand your comment?

https://fightingirish.com/roster/jared-dawson/

https://fightingirish.com/roster/elijah-hughes/

https://fightingirish.com/roster/devonta-smith/

https://fightingirish.com/roster/jalen-stroman/

 

 

I think all but Elijah Hughes finished their undergrad at their previous destinations so therefore are considered graduate transfers. ND took a very good underclassmen safety from Northwestern a few years back, so they do accept some non-graduate transfers. But it's rare and usually from another university with a similar prestige.

[Bash Riprock]

1 hour ago, Footballking16 said:

I think all but Elijah Hughes finished their undergrad at their previous destinations so therefore are considered graduate transfers. ND took a very good underclassmen safety from Northwestern a few years back, so they do accept some non-graduate transfers. But it's rare and usually from another university with a similar prestige.

I'm with you....so the junior/senior status is about eligibility and doesn't mean they have already earned their degrees at their prior institution.

[Bash Riprock]

9 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

I'm with you....so the junior/senior status is about eligibility and doesn't mean they have already earned their degrees at their prior institution.

Sorry....have not

[Footballking16]

43 minutes ago, Bash Riprock said:

Sorry....have not

correct. 

With the amount of time these guys spend on campus/online availability, graduating in 3 years is more and more common these days. Factor in redshirting and it's very possible to graduate and still have two years of eligibility left. 

[Bobref]

[Bobref]

Only 15 days until the 2025 edition of “Catholics vs. Convicts.”

[Sparty]

Didn’t know the U was a Catholic school?

[WolvesOnTheProwl]

Drayk Bowen named 1 of 6 Irish captains this fall.

[PHJIrish]

On 8/9/2025 at 4:10 PM, Bobref said:

Quite comprehensive!

Lookin' forward to the season starting!