The Notre Dame Fighting Irish got a big win on Thursday without the football team even playing a game. The College Football Playoff format has changed to straight seeds. That in turn means that the Irish can now get a Top 4 seed after not being to get anything higher than a No. 5 seed last year.
Marcus Freeman and company got to host a playoff game last year and that was cool and all. But the Irish would very much like to get a bye and have a shot at the top overrall seed this year. Now they can. And they’re able to do it without joining a conference.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish nab a big commit
The football team wasn’t the only program that got a big win in South Bend on Thursday. The women’s basketball team got a massive commit.
Niele Ivey’s team got some big time talent in the form of Bella Ragone. Ragone is the the No. 20 overall prospect in the class of 2026 and she pulled the trigger for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Thursday. The small forward instantly adds back some talent to a squad that lost quite a bit this offseason.
Marcus Freeman zeroes in on Omaha prospect
The football team is on quite a run, recruiting-wise, and Marcus Freeman isn’t limiting his hot streak to the 2026 class. He’s going after another kid from Omaha. Considering Tory Pittman III is one of the most talented players in the state, the Irish are thinking he might be another Xavier Watts.
Pittman doesn’t come from the same school, but he comes from the same city. And he’s a very talented defensive back.
The Bus getting honored
Jerome Bettis has long been one of the best college football players in history. Now he’s getting honored again. He’s getting inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.
The former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star scored 18 of his school’s 28 points in a 28-3 victory in the 1993 Cotton Bowl over Texas A&M.