Tag: notre dame athletics

Kickoff time for USC-Notre Dame football remains unannounced

USC-Notre Dame at the Coliseum on November 30 could start in the late afternoon slot or the midday slot. It will not be a late-night game.

Monday was supposed to be the day we found out the kickoff time and broadcast channel for USC football’s November 30 rivalry matchup against Notre Dame. Instead, however, it was announced Monday morning that the networks had elected to use a six-day hold for the matchup. Hence, we will not know the kickoff time until this weekend, likely either Saturday night or Sunday morning.

There are three possible windows in which the game could be broadcast: 12:30 p.m. Pacific time on CBS, 4 p.m. on FS1, and 4:30 p.m. on NBC. In addition to USC-Notre Dame, the two other games in contention for those windows are Washington at Oregon and Purdue at Indiana.

Given that the Trojans’ three most recent Saturday home games have all kicked off at either 12:30 or 1 p.m. local time, the general consensus among USC fans is that they would prefer a prime-time start. USC has not yet had a prime time home game this year, and its only Saturday home game with a kickoff after 1 p.m. was against Utah State back on September 7.

Before worrying about the Notre Dame game, however, the Trojans must first focus on another rivalry matchup with crosstown foe UCLA. Although neither team is having a particularly great season, major bragging rights are on the line when the Trojans and Bruins square off at the Rose Bowl this Saturday night.

Kickoff for the Crosstown Showdown is set for 7:30 p.m. local time in Pasadena on NBC.

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USC fans can pull a doubleheader in LA on November 23

It’s a blockbuster USC sports doubleheader on November 23. You can go to Galen Center for women’s hoops and then to Pasadena for football versus UCLA.

On Monday, the kickoff time was announced for the annual Crosstown Showdown rivalry game between USC and UCLA. On Saturday, November 23, the Trojans and Bruins will battle under the lights at the Rose Bowl. Kickoff of the Battle of Los Angeles is set for 7:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The game will be televised on NBC. Earlier that afternoon, the USC women’s basketball team will play a marquee early season game when the Women of Troy host Notre Dame at the Galen Center. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. Pacific, also on NBC.

For USC football and basketball fans in Los Angeles, this sets up a dream doubleheader scenario. Fans will be able to catch the basketball game in its entirety, then head over to the Rose Bowl for the football game. Even with LA traffic, there should still be plenty of time for tailgating prior to kickoff.

Even for those who will not be able to attend, it will still be incredibly convenient: NBC will televise both matchups nationally, so fans will not even need to change the channel.

For good measure, the peacock network will also televise Notre Dame football’s showdown with undefeated Army in between these two USC games. Hence, NBC’s schedule for Saturday, November 23 is (Pacific time):

1 p.m.: USC-Notre Dame women’s basketball

4 p.m.: Notre Dame football

7:30 p.m.: USC football versus UCLA

It sets up an exciting day in the spotlight for the Trojans and the Fighting Irish, leading up to their showdown on the football field the following week on Nov. 30.

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Notre Dame athletics announces new Name, Image and Likeness collective

It’s time to “RALLY”

While many schools across the nation were quick to push out Name, Image and Likeness collectives, Notre Dame wanted to wait to roll out its own that best suited the needs of the Irish’s student-athletes.

That day has finally come, as on Monday the Irish announced “[autotag]RALLY[/autotag],” described in a press release as “a collective and lifestyle agency for the next iteration of collegiate athletics dedicated to creating meaningful and market-based name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities for Notre Dame student-athletes.”

RALLY is led by the Board of Directors chairman Jack Shields, who graduated in 1983, along with a few others most notably [autotag]Jordan Cornette[/autotag] and [autotag]Hannah Storm[/autotag]. Having two former Irish media stars in the group is a big deal, as they’ll help navigate through some potentially unknown waters within that industry.

You can learn more at ndrally.com, where they attempt to connect prospect student-athletes, businesses and fans of Notre Dame to help the cause.

While some students-athletes have already gotten themselves involved in NIL deals, this will open the doors for many more in the future.

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Notre Dame president tests positive for COVID-19 before inauguration

Tough news for the head man.

2024 marks a new era for Notre Dame in the form of a new president, the [autotag]Rev. Robert Dowd[/autotag]. It’s way too early to tell exactly what impact he’ll have on the university, but hopefully, it mostly will be for the better, both for athletics and otherwise.

However, Dowd is human, and we’re not far removed from COVID-19 upending everyone’s way of life. Even with the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, the disease very much remains out there, and it can affect anyone at any time. Notre Dame’s previous president, the [autotag]Rev. John Jenkins[/autotag], tested positive for it during the pandemic.

Unfortunately for Dowd, he has tested positive for the disease, and the timing for it couldn’t have been worse:

The good news is that earlier this year, CDC guidelines relaxed the isolation period to 24 hours from the previous five days. So it’s not like Dowd will have to miss his inauguration bonanza altogether. Still, it’s a reminder that the real world can and will inject itself into pageantry whenever it feels like it.

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Breaking: Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick to step down

The Irish athletic director will move on next year

[autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] athletic director [autotag]Jack Swarbrick[/autotag]’s time is running out.

In a report by Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated, Swarbrick will step down as the Irish athletic director in 2024 and be succeeded by NBC Sports Group chairman [autotag]Pete Bevacqua[/autotag].

Swarbrick has run the athletic department since 2008, taking over for Kevin White who left for Duke. The alumnus was behind helping the Irish keep up with the ever evolving college athletics world.

He was behind the additions to Notre Dame Stadium, Fighting Irish Media, bringing in other major events to South Bend while helping the launch of the ACC Network and extending the NBC deal for Notre Dame as well.

Bevacqua is a second-generation Irish alum and told Forde “this is a dream come true.” At this point the exact date of him taking over for Swarbrick is unknown, but it will happen in 2024. Bevacqua will start the transition on July 1 as a special assistant for athletics to Notre Dame President Reverend John Jenkins.

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Four-Star ’22 Tight End Commits to Notre Dame

The good news for Notre Dame is that the Fighting Irish didn’t have to wait long for their second commitment in the ’22 class as tight end Jack Nickel made his commitment on Monday afternoon.

It took a while for Notre Dame to land their first commitment in the 2022 recruiting class as four-star offensive tackle Joey Tanona broke the seal on that over the weekend.

The good news for Notre Dame is that the Fighting Irish didn’t have to wait long for their second commitment in the ’22 class as tight end Jack Nickel made his commitment on Monday afternoon.

Nickel is listed at 6-4, 230 pounds and from Alpharetta, Georgia (Milton).  He chose Notre Dame despite having offers from 26 other schools including Iowa, Wisconsin, Penn State and LSU.

Nickel is the first tight end to commit to Notre Dame’s 2022 class but joins an incredibly talented group that features four-star Cane Berrong from the ’21 class, five-star Michael Mayer from the ’20 class and four-star Kevin Bauman, also of the ’20 class.

The Fighting Irish certainly haven’t hit on everything out of the gate in regards to the ’22 class but it’s nice to see the commitments finally start to roll in after what had felt like a pretty significant wait.

Top Remaining Notre Dame Target to Announce Decision Wednesday

Will Notre Dame land their fourth defensive back commitment in the 2021 recruiting class on Wednesday?

Could Notre Dame be about to add a third corner back to their 2021 recruiting class?

That’s their hope as their top remaining defensive back target, Chance Tucker of Encino, California (Crespi) is set to announce his college decision on Wednesday.

Tucker shared he’d made his decision and that he’s ready to announce on Tuesday.

Tucker is graded as a three-star talent by 247Sports that Notre Dame officially offered on June 2.  Most recently, Northwestern offered a scholarship to Tucker just one week ago.

Notre Dame is certainly one of the favorites here but so is Washington, a team that has had outstanding success of late in securing strong defensive talent.

Tucker will be making the announcement at 10 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET.

Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class currently sits with a pair of corner commits in Philip Riley and Ryan Barnes, as well as safety Justin Walters.

Stay tuned to Fighting Irish Wire for all of the reaction after Tucker announces his decision and whatever you do, for the love of God don’t complain to him on Twitter if he doesn’t pick your favorite college football program.

20 years ago today Notre Dame hired Mike Brey

How in the world has it been 20 years since Notre Dame hired Mike Brey? Time flies when you’re having fun.

Cheers to Notre Dame head basketball coach Mike Brey, who was hired by Notre Dame 20 years ago today.

It may seem like a strange time of year for a college basketball coach to be changing jobs but if you recall, Brey replaced Matt Doherty who left South Bend after just one year, as Doherty replaced Bill Guthridge who retired from is post at North Carolina.

Despite being a relative unknown, Brey has taken Notre Dame basketball to a level of sustained success that it simply has not ever had.

In Brey’s 19 completed seasons at Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish have earned a post season berth in the NCAA Tournament 12 times and twice helped guide the Irish to Elite Eight appearances.

Brey’s 417 wins at Notre Dame are more than any other men’s basketball coach in history, including Digger Phelps who finished his career in 1991 with 393.

The former Duke assistant coach came to Notre Dame 20 years ago today from Delaware where he guided the Blue Hens to a 99-52 record in five seasons, twice earning NCAA Tournament bids.

It doesn’t matter what your profession is, 20 years at one job is beyond impressive.

A tip of the cap, or a floor-slap if you’d prefer it, to Mike Brey on two fantastic decades at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame: Braden Lenzy’s Powerful Message

Notre Dame speedster Braden Lenzy spoke up about the injustices in the United States. Read what he had to say in a post to UND.com today.

Braden Lenzy is a weapon on the football field who possesses lightning quick speed that very few can compete with.  He had a coming out party of sorts in 2019 as he sparked Notre Dame in several contests.

Braden Lenzy isn’t just a football player.

Braden Lenzy is doing more than just posting on social media crying for a change.  More importantly, he’s calling on others of all races to do the same.

Lenzy has already taken his thoughts to social media, offering a look into his perspective.

Lenzy penned a letter that was posted to the Notre Dame athletics website on Thursday.  You can read the entire letter here and I recommend you do.  Some of the thought and hopefully change-provoking messages include:

Are we so blind as a nation to neglect such a large portion of our country we claim is “the home of the free,” that we won’t admit that everyone isn’t free?

As I woke up today, I felt the need to truly speak up. The nation I grew up loving is failing, and justice has yet to be served. George Floyd’s tragic death struck the hearts of all black men and women around the world, and it forced us to take action.

…

We have come to a point in time where silence is no longer acceptable. The hashtags will no longer cut it. The police brutality that we have endured for my entire life must come to a stop. No one man or woman was created above the other, and it’s time our nation reflects that. 

…

I ask you this, America: show love and seek justice. No matter who you are, you can play a role. Peacefully protesting, donating to this cause, or even having a simple conversation with someone who needs it is doing so much. But I strongly urge you to make an effort. Do what is right. Take the steps needed that our fallen Black brothers and sisters should have experienced before they were taken from us. Don’t let the media sway you away from the biggest issue. We need everyone. We truly need you all. We are in pain and we need you. Please stand with us. 

Good for Lenzy for speaking what’s on his mind and for the reminder that some may need, that he’s more than just a football player that wears jersey number 25 on Saturday, but that he’s a young man growing up in a country that unfortunately hasn’t changed to the degree some of us would like to think.

Brian Kelly Updates Latest on Notre Dame vs. Navy in Ireland

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly met the media Wednesday and gave the latest on the status of ND vs Navy in Ireland this August.

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met the media in a very non-traditional way Wednesday as he updated the world on everything related to the Notre Dame football program.  If you’d like, you can check out that entire press conference that took place over Zoom, here.

One of the several things Kelly was asked and spoke about was the status of the season-opener that is supposed to take place in Ireland the last Saturday of August.  Will Notre Dame and Navy be making the trip?

“We’re having discussions with that,” Kelly said. “Clearly, we can’t just wait until May 15 to have the first discussion about going overseas, so those discussions are taking place.”

“We’re looking at all options at this time. We’d like to play the game in Ireland; whether we can or not, that it still a topic that’s being discussed.”

Clearly there are more trying events going on and more pressing issues than if a football game ends up being played or not.  Hearing Kelly say that though and perhaps because I’ve been watching too much news lately (don’t do that, it will literally drive you insane) but compared to a week ago I’m not gaining confidence about the chances of football going off as regularly scheduled.

And I wasn’t exactly the most-optimistic about it a week ago, here’s to hoping I’m wrong.