The Notre Dame Fighting Irish don’t have a game this week, but they can sit back and watch a couple of future opponents to see what their strengths and weaknesses might be. The Irish have played in Dublin before, and this year they’ll sit back and watch Billy Edwards and North Carolina play TCU.
- Later on Saturday, the Stanford Cardinal will open the year against Hawaii. Like North Carolina, Notre Dame’s old rival isn’t expected to be very good in 2026; however, they might be a bit more of a wild card than the Tar Heels. If they can get off to a good start, they might not be as bad as some expect.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish don't have a great Friday
- The Notre Dame Fighting Irish volleyball team did not get off to a great start to the 2026 campaign. They began the year with a loss to Ball State. Not only did they lose, but they lost 3 sets to 2 to the MAC squad. Next up, they'll try to find some way to get off the snide against Xavier on Sunday.
- The Notre Dame women's soccer team is off to a rough start after beginning the year as one of the top teams in the country. The good news is that they haven't lost a game yet. The bad news is that out of five contests, they've only won once. On Thursday evening, the Irish got their fourth draw of the year.
- Junior goalkeeper Sonoma Kasica finished the night tying her career-best with 8 saves. But once again, the offense simply wasn't good enough. The 1-1 draw against Michigan leaves Notre Dame at 1-0-4. Granted, they're far from the only team out there getting lots of draws. The Wolverines are now 0-0-3 so far in 2026.
- One good thing that happened at the end of the week was Marcus Freeman and Co. getting a glowing assessment from one of the top tight ends of 2028. Braxton Rein looks like he could be heading to Ole Miss or another SEC school. However, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have made some headway and could reel him in. Their pursuit starts in earnest when the 4-star TE is in South Bend to watch the game against Miami on November 7.
- Freshman wide receiver Devin Fitzgerald has been named to the Hispanic College Football Player of the Year Award Watch List. The list recognizes 20 standout college football athletes of Hispanic heritage making an impact on and off the field this season.
- It’s the second season of the award, which is presented by the Hispanic Football Hall of Fame. DL Gabriel Rubio represented the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on last season’s inaugural watch list.
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