JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 30 2025

Notre Dame Football Live Chat April 30 2025

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Eric Hansen

12:48

Notre Dame took intentional breaks in 2017 and 2019 and an unintentional one in 2020 because of COVID restrictions. 2025 will be break No. 4. The 2020 game vs. Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in Green Bay was reslotted into the 2025 schedule. Generally, they are not scheduled way out in advance, as most non-conference games are. Maybe a year to three years ahead.

“And to take the history and the tradition and the power of Notre Dame football and to go to different great venues around the country and around the world. So whether that’s Yankee Stadium, Dublin, Ireland, Lambeau Field, we are going to continue to do that. That’s important to us. Will we do it every year? Probably not.”

12:45

“I would say I absolutely love it. We absolutely plan on continuing it. We think it’s so important to take Notre Dame, the most national/international of college football brands, and bring it to great places around the country and the world, quite frankly.

“You think about where we’re going [in 2024] to play that game, Yankee Stadium — 100th anniversary of the Four Horsemen Game, against Army. It’s going to be a primetime game on NBC. It’s going to be a blast. But I don’t think it needs to be every year.

“I don’t think there’s any magic in terms of how often we play it, but we’re definitely going to continue to do it. When you think back to the Knute Rockne days, you take Notre Dame on the road, you go out to LA and play Southern Cal. It’s kind of one of the many things that put Notre Dame football on the map. (more)

12:42

Swarbrick was able to get past the footprint issue. branded the concept Shamrock Series and refine it in trying to make the venues and opponents make sense. He at one point realized, ND might have to skip a season here and there, but he was committed to having one almost every year. Then comes Pete Bevacqua. During my one-on-one with him last spring, here is what he had to say:

12:38

Scott, thanks for that intro. Really cool. The Shamrock Series concept of an off-site home game was the brainchild of Kevin White, who was ND's athletic director before recently retired Jack Swarbrick, The first one was against Washington State in San Antonio in 2009. That seems kind of random and it was. White wanted to schedule a Big 12 team in Texas, but the Big 12 balked at having one of their teams play an ND home game within its footprint. (more)

Scott - Bloomington IN

12:28

Eric, long time reader and first time posting. I have enjoyed your work for a long time. In fact, I stopped reading a certain paper when it longer had you associated with it. Although we are strangers I feel you have created a community in these chats. From Marie’s insightful questions to Manny’s exclamation marks. Thank you for that. My question is about the Shamrock Series. How are those games selected? More importantly when are they decided? It appears that there is no Shamrock Series game for 2025. I know it is a lot to sacrifice a home game but I was always a fan of the concept. Will the series return? Just not a lot of info about it that I can find. Did I miss something? Thanks again for all the great coverage.

Eric Hansen

12:26

Hi Joe. You're confused? Join the club!! First of all it's not when she approves it. It's IF she approves it. That hinges on schools backtracking and grandfathering in existing walk-ons, so that nobody loses their roster spots. Let's say it is approved. I am going to try to oversimplify this just to keep from making you all run to the medicine cabinet for Advil. Schools will have a spending cap for revenue-sharing of up to $20.5 in 2025. Football will get the majority of that. NIL money moves into more of a gray area where the NCAA is trying to get this to be in a Clearinghouse situation, where it's NIL as it was meant to be as in actual name, image, likeness compensation. That will be challenged in court. And there will be schools that try to find way to legally or at least clandestinely circumvent those rules. Once the settlement has been approved, I can speak more clearly to have this is supposed to evolve.

Guest

12:19

Joe Howard from Williams Bay Wi Hi Eric Thanks again for continuing these excellent weekly chats I am confused with what is going to happen when the judge approves the new settlement plan What Im hearing is that each school will be allowed to have 95 scholarship players and that each school will have 20.5 million dollars available in NIL money Is that correct and how do you think it will effect Notre Dame and does that mean that other private collectives for NIL money will cease to exist

Eric Hansen

12:19

Manny!!!!!!! My man(ny)!!! Weather is gorgeous here too! The 12 later-enrolling freshman start classes on June 9. The two June-arriving transfers may come a little earlier with the returning plays ... like a week earlier. Injuries can change the two-deep picture, as we saw last year. But of those 12 June-arriving freshmen, based on talent, college readiness AND opportunity, I'd say the ones with the best chance to make the two-deeps early in 2025 are TE James Flanigan, CB Dallas Golden, and OT Will Black ... maybe CB Mark Zackery IV. DE Chris Burgess isn't likely in the two-deeps, but I think ND will play 3 at his position, and he has a good chance to be that No. 3. There are some very good players in that group that just have too many players to climb over to get into the two-deep, like LB Anthony Sacca.

Manny from San Pedro

12:13

Eric!!!!! My man!!! Weather is gorgeous. Ready for BBQ season but can’t wait for the fall crisp air and to hear… Here comes the Irish!!!!!! When do the freshman and portal transfers arrive on campus? With the Fresh, does any have a real chance at the two deep?

Eric Hansen

12:13

As we get into fall camp, we'll get a better feel for this team's ceiling. But barring injury, it's hard to imagine this team has a lower floor than making the 12-team playoff.

12:12

HI Drue. Thanks for the good wishes and the questions. As to my golf game, the only one I hone involved windmills and one club. ... To your questions. It's not just about individual position groups, it's how they fit together. But let's deconstruct it to look at individual position groups. The big question is how quickly and effectively will the quarterback position get up to speed. The fact that the offensive line is so much more experienced that last year really gives that position a boost. The three position groups that had the most question marks about them going into thr spring -- WRs, TEs and interior defensive line -- all produced some pleasant spring surprises with the promise of more at WR and TE with some June additions. (more)

Guest

12:07

Drue in Springfield, Mo. It is my fondest hope that the severe weather and tornadoes that have eluded us here may avoid South Bend with the same dexterity!! Last off season, I asked you if you thought the loss of Estime would deter Irish chances to compete for title...as he seemed to get whatever first down yardage was needed at any time. You were confident that Love could fill those vacant shoes, and along with Leonard's efforts, you were right!!! My question today is, though all position groups seem to have maintained their 2024 quality of talent, in spite of losing some great leadership and experience, do you see any weakness that could deter this team from challenging for it all once again? Having no contact with the team, I defer to your judgement of the talent you see returning and the quality of leadership (especially losing Watts and Leonard) that will fill that void. I hope we all soon return to great weather so you can work on your golf game as Charlie Bartlett would expect!!

Eric Hansen

Off we go.

The amendments here are that only the no spitting and no fighting rules are in play this week ...

Here are the rules:

12:04

PLEASE include your name and hometown along with your question(s).

As far as this week's chat ...

12:03

► Finally, Rivals is offering four months of insideNDsports.com for the price of one. That's just $9.95 for premium access that will take you all the way thru preseason camp for #NotreDame Football! Use code: B1G3F
Deal expires Sunday. https://notredame.rivals.com/sign_up?promo_code=B1G3F

► At WSBT Sports Radio 96.1, we’re rolling through a newsy Notre Dame post-spring football practice cycle. Darin Pritchett and I are together this week on Wednesday and Thursday, and each week moving forward on Weekday SportsBeat (960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. You can download all episodes as podcasts.

12:01

► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, what are you doing with your life? Seriously, the show keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation, so you can catch up now or later on our YouTube channel. We’ll be back LIVE Monday night at 7 ET for another presentation of Football Never Sleeps.

Some quick programming notes:

12:00

Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, Post-spring/post-portal/post-draft edition.

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