The 2024 season of Texas A&M’s football, under the leadership of head coach Mike Elko, is set to commence with a high-stakes clash against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This prime-time showdown, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, will be a thrilling start to the season. Adding to the excitement, ESPN’s College GameDay will make a long-awaited return to College Station for the first time since the 2018 season.
For the fourth consecutive season, Notre Dame will open the year on the road, and likely vs. a ranked Aggie team already pegged as the No. 25 program in ESPN’s early Top 25 rankings. So, why is this the first time College GameDay has returned to CSTAT in six seasons?
To start, former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s lack of ingenuity on offense led to predictable outcomes that bled through the last two seasons, leading to his eventual firing last November. Mike Elko’s familiarity with the program during his time as Texas A&M’s defensive coordinator (2018-2021) is a proven plus, while his offseason success via the transfer portal and a talented returning roster are highly intriguing on paper.
COLLEGE STATION, WE'RE COMING TO YOUR CITY FOR WEEK 1 📍 @NDFootball at @AggieFootball 🙌 pic.twitter.com/X4SsymVzqE
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) May 14, 2024
For the Irish, former Duke QB Riley Leonard, who played under Elko from 2022-2023, has undergone another ankle surgery this offseason after transferring to Notre Dame late last December. Whether he is ready to go for the opener, all eyes will eyes will be on Texas A&M starting quarterback Conner Weigman’s fifth start in his young career.
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