While Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame aren’t celebrating in 2025 after being snubbed from the College Football Playoff, there is excitement to be had looking into the Fight Irish’s future.
After a lengthy recruitment process that saw schools like Auburn and Arkansas court him, the top defensive back in Ohio, Ace Alston, chose Notre Dame for where he will play college football come the new year.
During his announcement, Alston went viral on social media when he snubbed hats from Lane Kiffin’s LSU, Ryan Day’s Ohio State, and Lincoln Riley’s USC to pour himself a bowl of Lucky Charms before putting on the Fighting Irish hat to a chorus of cheers from the crowd.
Alston, a 5-foot-11 cornerback out of Cincinnati, Ohio, decided not stay home and play for one of the colleges in the state where he has become a blue-chip prospect.
A multi-sport athlete, Alston brings a quickness and intensity that override his slender frame and should allow him to be a future standout on a strong Notre Dame roster.
If the Eagles under Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman have taught us anything over the last decade — it’s that they look to acquire talent from anywhere at any time. And with some positions — you just can never have too much.
It would appear that the addition of Andrew Mukuba in the 2025 NFL Draft just seven months earlier has solidified the safety position opposite Reed Blankenship. But then again — the Eagles rarely worry about being too deep at a given position.
Photo Courtesy of Eagles Nation on X.
This season — Mukuba — who was the last rookie to sign a four-year contract worth $7,160,538, including $4,196,063 guaranteed money. The prospect of starting Mukuba is that his combination with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell would make the Eagles’ defensive backfield one of the youngest starting in the NFL. He joins that Eagles secondary that was the only team in NFL history to start two rookie defensive backs in the Conference Championship Game and subsequently — the Super Bowl.
This season — Shuler is once again shining for #9 Notre Dame (8–2.) Last week against #23 Pitt — Schuler continued a great season on defense with a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Irvington, New Jersey native isn’t just on the radar of NFL teams. He very well might be on the Draft Board of the Eagles.
We may not find out until the NFL Draft next April.
For the first time since Week 1, the Javonte Train finally went off the rails. Despite what the fantasy experts on the Grading The Week team saw as a (makes finger quotes in the air) “favorable” matchup at Carolina last Sunday, the ex-Bronco was held to a season-low 29 rushing yards on 13 carries and 5 receiving yards on five grabs.
Context: Despite a banged-up, messed-up offensive line in front of him across the pond, Dobbins still managed more rushing yards (40) and more total yards (also 40) on far fewer touches (14).
Estime, the Broncos’ fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2024 NFL draft, was waived by Denver this past August after falling behind Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin on the depth chart. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Estime a few days later and stuck him on their practice squad.
On Tuesday, our man Audric became unstuck. The Eagles released him.
The ex-Irish runner remained inactive for all six games with the Birds, including the Broncos’ 21-17 win at Philly back on Oct. 5.
Burning through two franchises over your first 18 months in the league makes for something of an auspicious NFL start for Estime, no question. But there’s one thing on the dude’s side: Time. He just turned 22 this past Sept. 6. If Estime can land on his feet, with head, heart and hands all pointing the same direction, he’s got time to re-write his narrative.
Wedgewood’s start for Avs — A
When the kids at the GTW offices can’t trust our eyes, we trust the math. After its first five games a year ago, the Avalanche had given up 28 goals (5.6 GAA) and had lost four times. After five games this fall to open the 2025-26 season, the burgundy and blue had surrendered just nine goals (1.8 GAA) while winning four of those five contests. Avs faithful may not know what a good power play looks like, but they know what it’s like to have a grown-up — Scott Wedgewood — keeping watch between the pipes.
Meanwhile, our old pal Alexandar Georgiev — the man in net here to start last season — just cleared waivers in Buffalo and was spotted in recent days practicing with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
Ed Lamb keeping UNC afloat — B+
When the GTW crew last saw Ed Lamb’s Northern Colorado Bears up close, they were being robbed of a historic win at Fort Collins in front of thousands. But while that bogus non-catch call against CSU still kind of burns our britches, we love happy — well, happy-ish — postscripts. After 23 losses in 24 games during the ’23 and ’24 seasons, Lamb’s UNC Bears went into the weekend 3-3 after their first six games for the first time since 2016. They won two non-conference games — and we all know there should’ve been a third — for the first time in nine years.
Since 2018 (the Bears didn’t play in 2020 for pandemic reasons), UNC’s average record after six games has been 1-5, and the squad has been 0-6 three different times over the previous six campaigns. It’s too early to bow, Ed. But we see you. And if this keeps up, we look forward to seeing a lot more of you.
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – OCTOBER 11: Will Pauling #2 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish catches a passes while defended by Ronnie Royal III #2 of the NC State Wolfpack in the first quarter at Notre Dame Stadium on October 11, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Justin Casterline
Getty Images
N.C. State’s visit to Notre Dame last Saturday did not end well for the Wolfpack. It’s harder to reach a full assessment of the 11-plus seasons of the ACC’s odd football accommodation with the Irish.
Five games a year is not the same as Notre Dame being a full member, the faint possibility of which seemed to come and go during COVID when the Irish actually played for an ACC football championship before returning to independence. And Notre Dame still holds way too much power in a league it won’t even fully join, pushing for the addition of Cal and Stanford during the summer of 2023 even though it didn’t have to deal with the ramifications in football.
Still, the scheduling arrangement has put meaningful games on ACC schedules that might not have been there otherwise and juices TV ratings now that they are a measurable commodity, even if that has meant a consistent cleaning of ACC clocks, with the Irish winning 38 of the past 41 regular-season games.
NC State Wolfpack wide receiver Teddy Hoffmann (12) makes a catch while defended by Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Dallas Golden (14) during their game at Notre Dame Stadium. Michael Caterina Imagn Images
“It’s incredibly valuable,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said. “Notre Dame is one of our conference members, with the exception of football. First of all, they’re one of our schools. They’re all in, with the asterisk of football.”
Phillips was aware, as he said that, of the considerable size of that asterisk. He does genuinely believe, however, the five-game annual agreement with Notre Dame has been a net benefit for the ACC at large.
Still, with the ACC going to a nine-game conference schedule next fall with a mandatory 10th game against a Power 4 opponent, it’s time for a reassessment. Things are going to get pretty heavy pretty fast for programs that traditionally haven’t taken on the most difficult of nonconference games, with much less room to maneuver for teams that have traditional SEC rivalries in years that Notre Dame lands on their schedules. That includes Clemson and Florida State, both of whom play Notre Dame more often under the adjusted rotation. (Miami does as well.)
Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman (10) runs by Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods (11) for a touchdown during the third quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, November 4, 2023. Ken Ruinard Imagn Images
Clemson, undeterred, announced a 12-year arrangement of its own with Notre Dame, supplementing its ACC-assigned games to ensure it plays the Irish every season through 2038. That was before the nine-game schedule was finalized, but Clemson knew it was a likely possibility when it signed the deal in May. Clemson is also 3-2 against Notre Dame since 2014, while the rest of the league is 10-49.
“Even in just the last decade, matchups between Clemson and Notre Dame have produced incredibly memorable moments and games,” Clemson athletic director Graham Neff said at the time. “We have immense excitement for the creation of this 12-year series between these two premier programs.”
But for a school like, say, Georgia Tech, playing nine ACC games plus Georgia plus Notre Dame in some years — that may be good for ratings and very lucrative under the ACC’s new compensation structure, but daunting from a competitive standpoint.
“We believe with time and the ability to look ahead that we’ll be able to handle it in an easier fashion,” Phillips said. “Because we’ve compressed them immediately by declaring that we’re going to do it beginning next year. Now, next year, we’re not going to have all 17 schools at nine-and-one. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s now or in the future, we have an odd number of schools, so one’s always going to have to play eight (ACC games). It’s put pressure on the series in the near term, but it won’t in the longer term.”
It’s also hard on those that don’t have SEC rivals. The Triangle schools may lack rivalry opponents outside each other, but Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State have lost 10 straight against Notre Dame since the Blue Devils won in South Bend and the Wolfpack won at home in a hurricane in 2016. Even if Notre Dame counts as their Power 4 opponent for that season, that’s not the same as a more winnable game against a Power 4 opponent … although the trio is a combined 0-4 against the Big 12, Big Ten and Notre Dame this season anyway.
Duke’s Jaquez Moore runs the ball to just shy of the end zone during the second half of the Blue Devils 21-14 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C. Kaitlin McKeown kmckeown@newsobserver.com
The better question may be, in a nine-plus-one model, does the ACC really need Notre Dame to beef up its strength of schedule? After all, it’s not like the ACC has been holding its own in the series. The conference might be better off playing more winnable games against Power 4 opponents than getting repeatedly trampled by tiny leprechaun feet.
“It’s very helpful because of the quality of the program,” Phillips said. “When you look at your overall resume in the CFP, having Notre Dame integrated with five games — and they may play more than the five that are contractually been agreed upon, that’s their decision — that’s a really good positive for Notre Dame and a really good positive for the ACC.”
There’s no doubt it’s a really good positive for Notre Dame, which also pushed to get Stanford into a league it won’t join itself to ensure one of its traditional rivals remained a Power 4 opponent. As always, it’s hard to blame the Irish for doing what is in its best interest, and Notre Dame clearly needs the ACC to fill out its schedule at this time of conference consolidation.
It’s a fair question just how badly the ACC needs Notre Dame football going forward, though. For a school like Clemson, it makes a lot of sense — more than a decade of sense. For everyone else, it’s harder to say the same. There are pluses and minuses. N.C. State has played one memorable game against Notre Dame since the ACC deal started. Saturday was anything but another.
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Sports columnist Luke DeCock joined The News & Observer in 2000 and has covered nine Final Fours, the Summer Olympics, the Super Bowl and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup win in 2006. He is a past president of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, was the 2020 winner of the National Headliner Award as the country’s top sports columnist and is a three-time North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year.
Notre Dame defensive lineman Boubacar Traore, sacks NC State quarterback CJ Bailey (11) during their game at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend.
MICHAEL CLUBB
SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
All the numbers pointed to an offensive shootout, and CJ Bailey thought facing Notre Dame would be an opportunity to improve his second-half performances.
Bailey and the rest of the N.C. State team left South Bend disappointed and frustrated.
The Wolfpack (4-3) lost to No. 16 Notre Dame (4-2), 36-7, in its worst offensive performance of the season. It was also the worst outing by total yardage since the Wolfpack finished with 171 yards against Northern Illinois on Sept. 28, 2024, and the fewest points scored since Duke held the program to three points on Oct. 14, 2023.
“CJ was off a little today. There’s no other way to say it,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “I told him that in the locker room. … I hate to say it, but it’s just one of those days where he wasn’t as good as he’s been in some of our other games. And, Notre Dame was good in the box. It was hard to run the football.”
Bailey finished 17 of 30 for 186 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. It was his worst game of the season. He finished under 200 passing yards for the first time this year. Prior to the game, Bailey had averaged 277 yards through the air.
Bailey began the game with 3-of-7 passing for 25 yards, though ended the second quarter 11 of 17 (64.7%). Unlike the first six games, he didn’t have any runs with more than three consecutive completions.
CJ Bailey #11 of the NC State Wolfpack throws a pass during their game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 11, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana. Justin Casterline Getty Images
Bailey started 8 for 8 against Virginia and 9 for 9 against Virginia Tech. The sophomore threw 15 straight completions against Duke, while putting together 11 straight against East Carolina and Campbell. Even against Wake Forest, he had a stretch of at least six straight completions.
“Those first halves and those in all of the games, I’ve been dang near perfect,” Bailey said Wednesday. “I just want to continue to have that in the second half.”
It was not to be this week. Bailey was 6 of 12 in the second half. Some passes were lobbed beyond the receivers, plays he’s made before, and others were thrown under pressure. All three interceptions came in the fourth quarter, with two on fourth-and-long.
“I’m a competitor, so I’m not gonna just take a sack on a fourth down. You know what I mean?” Bailey said. “I’m trying to make a play. Those were where [the interceptions] came from, and I was trying to throw the ball away on the third one. It happens.”
To cap off Bailey’s day, the sophomore fumbled the football on a direct snap, which resulted in a safety for Notre Dame.
“Games flip and change, but we’ve got to be better,” Bailey said. “In my position, as well, I gotta be better. The turnovers — it wasn’t the reason we lost. We just had to score more.”
N.C. State finished with 233 yards of total offense, including 51 rushing yards. It never got inside the 20-yard line or had favorable field position to attempt a field goal. The lack of run game hurt and made the team one-dimensional, which also contributed to the interceptions.
The Wolfpack recorded 12 first downs, half of Notre Dame’s total, and three came in the run game. Of those first downs, it only had five in the second half. N.C. State averaged 23.1 first downs per game in its first six matchups, including eight from run plays.
In total, the Pack ran 59 plays and averaged 3.9 yards on each one. By comparison, Notre Dame finished with 11 more plays and averaged 2.9 more yards per play.
The defense, despite the lopsided score, kept N.C. State in the game. It held the Irish to 10 first-half points, recorded three red-zone stops and held Notre Dame to 1 of 3 on fourth down.
Notre Dame quarterback Will Pauling is tackled by N.C. State’s Kenny Soares of the NC State Wolfpack in the first quarter October 11, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana. Justin Casterline Getty Images
“We were in the game the whole time. We just had to score more,” Bailey said. “That’s really what it was. We have to find ways to get the ball in the end zone.”
The last time N.C. State was in this position — following that Duke loss — it went into the bye week before rattling off five consecutive wins. It has a chance to replicate that, with an off week before jumping back into action at Pitt in two weeks. That’s going to be the focus.
“We’ve had games where we played lights out on defense, had games where we played lights out on offense. Had games where special teams was really poor. We need to put all three phases together,” Doeren said. “It’s a five-game season now, so that’s going to be the focus of this thing, finishing with three-phase football, complementary football, and getting better.”
When N.C. State and Notre Dame went to the locker room at halftime with the Irish leading by three Saturday, it looked like the Wolfpack was going to have a chance at an upset.
The first two quarters were a defensive rock fight, the teams combining for 387 yards of total offense and just 83 rushing yards. While N.C. State’s defense did what it could in that opening half, it ran out of gas in the second, and the Pack’s offense lacked the firepower it showed in previous outings. No. 16 Notre Dame then ran away with a 36-7 victory over N.C. State in South Bend.
“We just didn’t get it done. It’s simple,” said linebacker Caden Fordham. “We’ve got to play complementary football. We haven’t done that yet all year, in my opinion.”
Fordham added that he’s not blaming the offense, which has bailed out the defense on several occasions. The team is merely disappointed that it still hasn’t put together a full game.
“It’s tough,” Fordham said. “All of us love to play ball, so we’re going to fight for them just like they fight for us. We’re a team at the end of the day, so we’re going to play together, and we’re going to keep going back out there and giving everything we got for those guys.”
Pack quarterback CJ Bailey is a budding star, but he finished with his worst performance of the season. Bailey completed just 17 of 30 passes for 186 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
The Irish held the Wolfpack to a season-low 223 yards overall, and 51 rushing yards.
Freshman quarterback Will Wilson was one of the bright spots during the team’s rough day. He entered the lineup in the first quarter and converted on the fourth-and-1 play. Wilson is now 10 of 13 on the plays he’s used for, either converting for a first down or scoring a touchdown.
Following Wilson’s conversion, Bailey connected with wide receiver Terrell Anderson for a 45-yard touchdown.
The offense, or lack of it, overshadowed the effort N.C. State showed on defense, where the team has struggled this season. It finished with a goal-line stop and forced a pair of turnovers.
Fordham and defensive back Ronnie Royal led the team with 10 tackles each. Defensive back Asaad Brown followed close behind at nine.
Travali Price and Jackson Vick made a couple of highlight-worthy contributions as well. Price jumped up to bat down one of CJ Carr’s passes and later sacked the Irish quarterback. Vick returned to the lineup for the first time since Week 3, adding a near-interception in the second half and provided coverage on a third-down stop.
Carr finished 19 of 31 for 342 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
“I applaud defense for today, because they played ball today,” Bailey said. “That was big for us.”
O-line struggles for second game in three weeks
N.C. State’s offensive line has done a decent job this season in pass protection, limiting the amount of contact CJ Bailey has taken in the backfield. Of the nine sacks allowed this fall, five took place in the Week 5 loss to Virginia Tech. In the remaining games, N.C. State allowed one sack in two games and zero against Virginia and Campbell. As a team, it has finished with a pass blocking grade above 63 in five matchups and above 75 in three, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Wolfpack struggled to control the line of scrimmage again, giving up three sacks in the first half. Two sacks came on back-to-back plays in the second quarter. Even when he wasn’t on the ground, the offensive line could not consistently handle the Fighting Irish’s defensive front and forced Bailey to scramble on two other first-half plays as the pocket collapsed.
Notre Dame defensive lineman Boubacar Traore sacks NC State quarterback CJ Bailey during their game at Notre Dame Stadium on Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend. MICHAEL CLUBB SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
He was sacked for a loss of 12 yards late in the third quarter, erasing half of the yardage gained on the previous two plays.
The ability to maintain leverage at the line of scrimmage and protect whoever was in the backfield had been a point of pride for the Wolfpack.
“That’s what we block for,” offensive lineman Jacarrius Peak said this week. “Us five up front block for the other six on the field, so they can do their job and make plays.”
N.C. State’s challenges in South Bend can be partially attributed to an undisclosed injury to offensive lineman Anthony Carter in the first quarter. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Carter, a graduate student from Charlotte, is one of the more experienced players in the Wolfpack’s front five. He’s also one of the more efficient players in the pass-blocking scheme, entering the game with a grade of 70.7 on PFF.
Kamen Smith replaced Carter at guard. Smith has been used at guard in five games. He came into the contest with a 67.3 pass blocking average, though he was unable to get off the block on one play and allowed an opening for the Irish defense to swarm Bailey.
Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon, center, is brought down in the first half of a game against NC State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. MICHAEL CLUBB SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Pack defense starts hot on third, fourth down
Third-down defense is one of N.C. State’s pain points this season, as it has allowed opponents to convert on 41 of 93 opportunities (44%). It is ranked No. 110 out of 134 FBS teams. Its fourth-down defense ranked No. 50, giving up six conversions on 13 opportunities (46.2%)
On Saturday, N.C. State showed improvement — at least in the first half — in its ability to pick up third- and fourth-down stops.
The Wolfpack held the Fighting Irish to 2 of 7 on third-down opportunities (28.6%) in the first half, even though Notre Dame had, on average, 5.1 yards to go. On first-half third-down opportunities with 4 yards or fewer, N.C. State did not allow a conversion on the Irish’s four tries.
Its success extended to fourth-down chances as well. Notre Dame decided against punting on two first-half drives, and it came back to hurt the team.
The Wolfpack forced a turnover on downs with inches to the first-down marker after Fordham and Tra Thomas got around their respective opponents to push CJ Carr out of bounds for a sack of 10 yards and offensive possession.
Later in the second quarter, Brown picked off Carr in the end zone. He had an assist from Devon Marshall, who was blocking the intended receiver.
The Irish, however, finished 6 of 14 (42.8%) on third down after a long day for the Wolfpack defense.
Penalties keep Irish in the game
N.C. State committed 33 penalties in its first six games and averaged 50 penalty yards per game. It lacked discipline at times during its trip to Notre Dame.
The Wolfpack was called for five total penalties for 60 yards lost, with three committed by the defense. Midway through the third quarter, N.C. State had surpassed its average penalty yardage after an offensive holding penalty and three pass interference calls on three different players. Those calls extended drives during a game where the team couldn’t really afford mistakes.
NC State Wolfpack defensive back Asaad Brown Jr. intercepts a pass in the end zone during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Michael Caterina Imagn Images
Turnover battle: Lost
Head coach Dave Doeren and the players talked about the importance of winning the turnover battle. This is always a point of emphasis, but the Fighting Irish were the best team in the nation in the turnover game, and it was a specific area where N.C. State wanted to have success.
“If you want to win a game, that’s the first thing we have to do,” Doeren said. “That takes everybody.”
Its game plan did not come to fruition.
In addition to Brown’s end-zone interception, Royal forced a fumble. Their contributions could have been the difference in the game, but they were overshadowed by the offensive collapse. N.C. State committed three turnovers in the loss.
Prior to the outing, Notre Dame’s defense led the nation in turnovers gained (9) — eight on interceptions — and averaged a plus-1 turnover margin. It added three more turnovers to its season statistics and, as expected, won the game with a positive turnover margin.
This story was originally published October 11, 2025 at 7:23 PM.
For anyone who thought the transfer portal, NIL payments, and an expanded playoff would somehow damage the regular season popularity of college football, you can think again. Television ratings and game attendance are thriving, as the game has taken on more of an NFL feel, up to and including the big paychecks some players are getting.
Sure, the 12-team playoff has made losing a little more forgivable in the regular season, but if you’re an old school fan who wants de facto elimination games in September, then allow me to direct you to South Bend, Indiana on Saturday night, where the Texas A&M Aggies take on the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, in a rematch of last season’s season opener, in which the Irish prevailed in College Station, 23-13.
Notre Dame lost its opener this season, back on August 31, in Miami to the Miami Hurricanes, 27-24. Meanwhile, the Aggies are 2-0, with convincing wins over UTSA and Utah State. So why is this a de facto elimination game? Well, Notre Dame going 0-2 would mean they’d have to run the table just to get into playoff consideration. The Aggies losing would mean they’d need to go, at worst, 6-2 in the SEC to get into playoff consideration.
In other words, while it’s not a literal elimination for the loser, it does shrink their margin for error to a slice above nil. So, with no Houston Texans game until Monday night, let’s do the Friday “four things to watch for” for this crucial college football matchup with massive local flavor:
Irish desperation, Aggie revenge The motivations for each team are simple. As outlined above, Notre Dame is just trying to stay alive for playoff comfort. After the win over the Aggies last season, the Irish had an inexplicable loss at home to Northern Illinois, forcing them to run the table ten straight weeks to make the playoff. In other words, they know how to play desperate. Meanwhile, the Aggies are looking for revenge after the Irish won, in perhaps the biggest on campus September game in Aggie history last season. Aggie head coach Mike Elko returns to South Bend as a head coach for the first time since leaving his defensive coordinator position for Notre Dame after the 2017 season.
Jeremiyah Love In their last game, in Miami, Notre Dame’s strategy offensively seemed more centered around getting freshman QB C.J. Carr comfortable early than getting the ball into the hands of their best player, running back Jeremiyah Love. I’m guessing this won’t happen again. They’ll feed Love early and often, and they need to. In case you were unaware of Notre Dame’s history running the football, when they don’t run enough, they lose. They ran just 28 times against Miami, and lost. They ran it fewer than 28 times twice last season — in the two losses to Ohio State and Northern Illinois. The trend is there.
Marcel Reed In their season opener against Miami, the Irish had trouble getting pressure on Hurricanes QB Carson Beck, and he had a solid game. Reed poses a different challenge, with his ability to run the football. Early this season, Reed has shown improvement as a passer, but the Irish will look to keep him in the pocket. If he escapes, he is dangerous, and can make it a long night for the Irish defense.
The gambling angles Okay, here is where the runner meets the road — prediction time, and a lot of the numbers line up in Notre Dame’s favor. Here are a few gambling nuggets:
* Texas A&M is 0-7 against the spread in its last 7 games * Notre Dame is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games * Notre Dame is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games against SEC opponents * A&M is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games against Independent teams * Notre Dame is 5-0 against the spread in its last 5 home games * Texas A&M is 1-7-1 against the spread in its last 9 road games Texas A&M won 3 of its last 14 road games straight up * Notre Dame is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 home games
Yikes! There is only one right choice here… Go Irish!
Ben Verbrugge is a freelance sportswriter with a journalism degree from CSU Dominguez Hills. He is a member of the Los Angeles media and spends most of his time covering the NBA, NFL, and MLB. When not writing, he is either playing or watching sports.
🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on the Miami Hurricanes during Week 1 of the college football season on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium.
CJ Carr #13 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish throws the ball during the 94th Annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Game at Notre Dame Stadium on April 12, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana. CJ Carr #13 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish throws the ball during the 94th Annual Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring Game at Notre Dame Stadium on April 12, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana. Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Miami is riding high into this season after the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Cam Ward, brought them back into the national conversation last season. Ward led the Hurricanes to their first 10-win season since 2017, and had them on the cusp of the College Football Playoff for much of the year. Miami will look to continue staying in the conversation as title contenders despite the loss of their top player, and hope Carson Beck can display some of the skills he showed during his time at Georgia.
Notre Dame also lost their starting quarterback to the NFL ranks, and CJ Carr will get the first crack at the job after Riley Leonard led them to a 14-win season last year. The Fighting Irish came up just short, losing to Ohio State in the National Championship game, but Marcus Freeman has established himself as one of the best head coaches in the college ranks, making Notre Dame a perennial contender.
This is a great college football matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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The college football season is already underway, with several bite-sized morsels served out this past weekend during the oddly labeled “Week 0,” If you’re wondering about the magnitude of the actual games, know this — the biggest story coming out of Week 0 was the father and brother of Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson getting into a fight WITH EACH OTHER in the streets of Dublin, Ireland, after the Wildcats’ 24-21 loss to Iowa State:
After yesterday’s 24-21 loss to Iowa State in Ireland, Avery Johnson’s dad & brother got into a fight…with each other. Both of them apologized in a joint statement earlier this morning pic.twitter.com/SIlxrmaSkY
Week 1 should bring us some actual relevant football action as the top stories, headlined by the top ranked Texans Longhorns visiting defending national champion Ohio State in Columbus in the early window on Saturday afternoon. That is a game where we can truly say “These two teams may see each other again in January.” Should be fun!
You know what else is fun? GAMBLING on college football! Sure, you can go week to week, game to game, but here is my annual article for the more conservative bunch out there, those who want to engage in the “long play” of betting on season win totals. With that in mind, here are my four favorite bets on Season win totals:
BAYLOR OVER 7.5 wins Baylor was one of the hottest teams in the country down the stretch in 2024, finishing out the season with six straight wins. You’ll have a pretty good idea if this ticket is going to cash before the first month of the season is over, as the Bears open at home against Auburn and then on the road in Dallas against playoff team SMU. Two weeks later, they play another 2024 playoff team in Arizona State. Sawyer Robertson is an experienced signal caller, which should help tremendously in navigating that mine field. Arizona State, Utah, and Kansas State are on the schedule, but all of those games are in Waco.
NOTRE DAME UNDER 10.5 wins As a proud 1991 graduate of the small parochial school in northern Indiana, this one hurts to give out, but the fact is this — historically, Notre Dame has not followed up GREAT seasons, seasons with one or zero losses, with another great season. In the last 70 years, it’s happened twice, both under Lou Holtz, back in the late ’80s and early ’90s. As early season schedules go, Notre Dame’s is not murderer’s row, but it’s very treacherous, if you need 11 wins to cash an OVER ticket — at Miami, hosting Texas A&M, at Arkansas, with games against Boise State and USC on the schedule, as well. If the Irish make the playoffs this season, they’ll have earned it. 10-2 may get it done for a playoff berth, but it doesn’t for the OVER. Take the UNDER. TCU OVER 6.5 wins We’re just a couple seasons removed from TCU coming within one (massive, murderous, blowout) loss to Georgia from winning a national championship. It’s been very up and down for Sonny Dykes’ crew since then, but 6.5 wins just feels very low for a team with this many playmakers on the defensive side of the football. Finishing above .500 cashes you this ticket, granted the juice is so high on the OVER that you might get 7 wins as the number in some places.
MISSOURI OVER 7.5 wins Eli Drinkwitz’s team has been one of the better ones in the country over the last two seasons, having won 23 games the last two years. The Tigers have done a nice job in the transfer portal, adding top level talent to a unit that was already pretty good. They need to find playmakers to replace Luther Burden and Theo Wease. Missouri gets lost in the SEC perception shuffle, because their brand isn’t that of Deep South programs like Georgia, Alabama and LSU, but the schedule is conducive to an eight or nine win season, with the swing games against teams like Texas A&M and South Carolina being at home.
Riley Leonard #13 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish warms up prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on August 31, 2024 in College Station, Texas.
Jack Gorman/Getty Images
The Northern Illinois vs. Notre Dame NCAA college football game happens today. Both teams come in riding high from victories last week.
Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the Northern Illinois vs. Notre Dame NCAA college football game, even if you don’t have cable.
How and when to watch the Northern Illinois vs. Notre Dame game
The Northern Illinois vs. Notre Dame game will be played on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT). The college football game will air on NBC, and stream on Fubo and the platforms featured below.
How and when to watch the Northern Illinois vs. Notre Dame game without cable
While many cable packages include NBC, it’s easy to watch the game if NBC isn’t included in your cable TV subscription, or if you don’t have cable at all. Your best options for watching are below. (Streaming options will require an internet provider.)
Live TV streaming service Fubo offers the same top-tier programming you can get from your local cable provider at a fraction of the price. The streamer is a sports fan’s dream considering the sheer volume of live sporting events you can watch on it.
Fubo packages include access to plenty of channels for NCAA college football fans, including SEC Network, Big Ten Network and ESPNU. Subscribers also get access to NFL games airing on your local CBS affiliate, Fox Sunday NFC games via “NFL on Fox,” “Sunday Night Football” on NBC, “Monday Night Football” on ABC and ESPN, and all games aired on NFL Network.
If you want to give Fubo a try, now’s a great time to do so: Fubo is currently offering $30 off your first month of any subscription tier. That means you can watch every NFL and college football game airing on network TV this week starting at just $49.99. Once you subscribe, you can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer.
Top features of Fubo:
There are no contracts with Fubo. You can cancel at any time.
The Pro ($49.99 first month, $79.99 thereafter) tier includes over 200 channels, including channels not available on some other live TV streaming services.
Upgrade to 4K resolution with the Elite with Sports Plus tier ($69.99 first month, $99.99 thereafter). It features 299 channels, including NFL RedZone.
Fubo also offers live MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games.
All tiers now come with unlimited cloud-based DVR recording.
You can watch on up to 10 screens at once with any Fubo plan.
Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.
If you don’t have cable TV that includes NBC, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream college football this season is through a subscription to Sling TV. We suggest leveling up your coverage to the Orange + Blue with Sports Extra tier to get more NFL and college football games this fall.
The Orange + Blue plan regularly costs $60 per month, but the streamer currently offers a $25 off promotion for your first month, so you’ll pay just $35. The Orange + Blue with Sports Extra plan is $50 for your first month and $75 per month after. The Sports Extra add-on features 18 channels, including NFL Redzone, ESPNU, SEC Network, Big 10 Network and ACC Network, making it ideal for pro and college football fans.
The streamer is also currently offering big savings on four months of the Orange + Blue tier plus the Sports Extra plan when you prepay for the Sling TV Season Pass. The plan costs $219, reduced from $300.
Note: Because Sling TV does not carry CBS, Sling subscribers will want to add Paramount+ to their bundle. (Paramount+ and CBS Essentials are both subsidiaries of Paramount Global.)
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue plan:
Sling TV is our top choice for streaming major sporting events like NASCAR.
There are 52 channels to watch in total, including local ESPN, NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
You can add Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (18 in total) via Sling TV’s Sports Extras add-on.
College football fans can stream games airing on NBC on Peacock, in addition to getting access to Peacock-exclusive NFL games. Peacock subscribers can also access Peacock originals like “Love Island” and the Annette Bening thriller “Apples Never Fall,” plus live NBC-aired content with a Peacock Premium Plus subscription, and Peacock’s library of on-demand content including “The Office.”
Your best value, you can get a year of Peacock Premium (with ads) for $80, or a year of Peacock Premium Plus (mostly ad-free) for $120. Or, get a monthly subscription: Peacock Premium subscription costs $8 per month, while Peacock Premium Plus is $14 per month.
You can watch college football, including NBC and ESPN with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including both Fox and FS1. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every game on every network with Hulu + Live TV, plus catch live NFL preseason games, exclusive live regular season games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month after a three-day free trial.
If you’re anxiously waiting for today’s game to begin, now is a great time to check out Amazon’s college football fan shop. The Amazon College Fan Shop is filled to the brim with officially licensed fan gear: You’ll find jerseys, team flags, T-shirts, hoodies and more, including tons of great gear for the football fan in your life. There are plenty of great deals awaiting you at Amazon, too, including some must-see deals on TVs for watching sports.
Tap the button below to head directly to the College Fan Shop page on Amazon and select your favorite team.
What is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish current team ranking?
The Fighting Irish are currently ranked 5 out of 134 teams, according to our sister site CBS Sports.
What is the Northern Illinois Huskies current team ranking?
The Huskies are currently ranked 91 out of 134 teams, according to CBS Sports.
When is the 2024 NCAA college football championship game?
The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Sports found Vic Lombardi. And he has spent his adult life finding ways to make it more fun and interesting for the rest of us.
The son of Italian immigrants Ezio and Bambina, Lombardi did not speak English until around the age of 7. He remembers watching neighborhood kids play football, not knowing the rules, but joining the game anyway.
“It was my way to assimilate into the culture. A way to be American,” recalled Lombardi, a TV and radio host for Altitude Sports. “It made me want to be part of something bigger. I thank sports for giving me a light.”
By the age of 12, Lombardi found his purpose, enthralled by watching nightly sportscasts of Ron Zappolo, Les Shapiro and Tom Green. Sitting in front of his TV in North Denver, he promised himself that he would pursue a career in broadcasting.
After more than three decades in the media, it is clear Lombardi made the right decision. Beyond having what he calls “the most punchable face in the Denver media for 25 years running” is a fearless interviewer, a journalist with a passion for storytelling and a reporter with a slapstick sense of humor.
Lombardi’s excellence and longevity were honored as he was recently inducted into the Silver Circle of the Heartland Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. It recognizes 25 years in the industry with a meaningful and significant contribution to broadcasting. Lombardi is the first sports-exclusive anchor in the group — an honor revealed to him by the Altitude crew in a surprise ceremony last week.
What is it like to achieve the status of living legend?
“I had no idea. I thought I was going to a cookout, so I was wearing cookout clothes,” Lombardi said. “I am humbled and flattered.”
Lombardi’s greatest strength is being driven without losing his identity. He makes people laugh, he makes them mad and he makes them feel like they would like to hang out with him.
“One of the most authentic TV anchors I have ever worked with, and someone who loved to get involved in his stories. Sometimes too involved,” said Tim Wieland, president and general manager of CBS Colorado. “His stories often included buying or breaking something. I eventually just created a line in my expense budget titled ‘Vic’ because I knew I’d need it for something.”
Lombardi, 55, remains busy as the husband to wife, Terri, and father to son, Dante, and daughters Alexis and Isabella. Sports are never far from his reach. He golfs and plays a mean game of pick-up hoops — competitiveness and versatility that define his career.
“He engages with all audiences. He can tell a story like others can’t,” said Matt Krol, vice president and general manager of Altitude Sports. “He can interview Charles Barkley or a fan at a Nuggets game, whoever it is, it is entertaining.”
During his freshman year at the University of Colorado in 1987, Lombardi walked into the campus radio station and asked to broadcast sporting events and host a talk show. One problem. KUCB played alternative music, dabbling only in sports with the station’s ultimate frisbee intramural team. Undaunted, he borrowed equipment to do play-by-play, while securing a press pass from longtime sports information director David Plati, whom Lombardi worked for part-time.
When he got accepted into Notre Dame, Lombardi continued his broadcasting path with the Irish. As a student, he called some of the biggest games with the biggest names. Upon graduation, he had a job lined up as a researcher for NBC Sports for the upcoming Olympics.
“It was then I was asked, ‘Do you want to be behind the scenes or in front of the camera?’ I am a ham,” Lombardi said. “I got hired by WSJV in Elkhart, Indiana. I lived with the other sports guy at the station and he had seven cats. And I was allergic. But he was so kind.”
Talent does not operate on traditional timelines. Lombardi quickly landed in Austin, Texas, then Phoenix before returning home to anchor weekends for CBS4. It was in Austin where Lombardi began distinguishing himself. Covering the Dallas Cowboys at training camp, he put a uniform and a mic on the athletic weatherman.
“He went through the entire practice with the punters. Coaches had no idea who he was. Players didn’t know who he was,” Lombardi said with a laugh. “It was the most ridiculous story I have been a part of. (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones loved it.”
Current 9News sports producer Brian Olson worked in the area at the time and remembers the piece.
“It was like George Plimpton’s Paper Lion,” Olson said. “Vic always had great energy and was full of ideas. You could tell then he was ready to do big things.”
Working in Denver was Lombardi’s dream. And the stage, to his surprise, was almost too big for him. No longer was his audience nameless and faceless. His family and friends were watching.
“I dealt with anxiety. I had to overcome that,” Lombardi admitted. “I believe that if you don’t have some nervous energy when speaking to a crowd or an audience, there is something wrong with the presentation.”
At CBS4, Lombardi found his way, eventually becoming a major sports personality in Denver. His sportscasts were contagious, his commentaries biting. He colored outside the lines, like the time at Broncos training camp when he conducted interviews without a microphone.
“He used a spoon when talking to the players,” Denver7’s Lionel Bienvenu said. “They didn’t (notice.). It’s a hilarious clip. He was always looking for creative ways to be different.”
At Altitude, Lombardi fills a variety of roles from pre and postgame host to sideline reporter. He also served as emcee of the Nuggets championship parade last summer, with the former Nuggets ballboy producing one of the event’s most memorable moments when he declared coach Michael Malone the “Lakers’ Daddy.”
“I made a fundamental error. I crawled into my 12-year-old body. The Lakers owned us for 40 years. And when I say us, I mean those of us fans that grew up here in Denver,” Lombardi said. “We finally hit the bully in the mouth. My intent was never to be part of the story.”
It came from a place of passion, like so many things throughout his illustrious broadcasting career.
Nearly every big Colorado sporting event over the past 30 years has included Lombardi’s stamp. He has done it while making a lot of friends, a few enemies and winning a lot of Emmys.
“You have to give people a reason to react, to respond,” Lombardi said. “I am not afraid. That comes from not knowing any better. I am born of immigrant parents. I am not supposed to be here. I have already won.”
University of North Carolina pitcher Kenna Raye Dark is consoled by catcher Isabela Emerling during the Tar Heels’ 7-4 loss to Notre Dame at the 2024 ACC Softball Championship in Durham, N.C. Wednesday May 8th, 2024
Jaylynn Nash
ACC
DURHAM
Starting pitcher Kenna Raye Dark held a tissue to her eyes after North Carolina’s first-round ACC Tournament exit on Wednesday.
Young fans, faces reddened from tears, hugged their favorite North Carolina players after a rough sixth inning ended UNC’s season.
No. 10 seed Notre Dame (27-22, 9-15 ACC) trailed for most of the game, even after hitting a pair of solo home runs in the fourth, but five two-out runs in the sixth gave the Irish a lead for good and they beat the Tar Heels, 7-4, at Duke Softball Stadium.
The No. 7 seed Tar Heels (30-20, 10-14 ACC) made two pitching changes but couldn’t come back.
The Irish recorded four hits to tie the game at four. UNC replaced Dark with Talia Hannappel. The first batter she faced, however, reached on an error when Carolina second baseman Skyler Brooks overthrew a ground ball to Carlie Myrtle, allowing two runs to score.
Notre Dame’s Jane Kronenberger went 2-for-4 with a home run. Anna Holloway and Addison Amaral led all batters, going 3-for-4 from the plate. The trio accounted for eight of the Irish’s 12 hits.
“Kenna has been such a great pitcher for us all season. I felt like she gutted it out today, had some really good moments and kept us in it. We just couldn’t slam the door,” said UNC first-year head coach Megan Smith Lyon. “And, that unfortunate mistake defensively; Skyler’s probably our best defensive player. I know she’s disappointed, but she’s a heck of a second baseman. It just didn’t fall our way today.”
Carolina wanted to continue its season, especially for the program’s veterans, but Smith Lyon feels like there’s plenty to build on for the future.
The Tar Heels showed composure in tough spots for the first two-thirds of the contest. They got into an early jam, putting runners on the corners in the first, before forcing routine putouts to end the inning. Lexi Godwin worked back from an 0-2 count in the second frame to draw an RBI walk and give UNC its first run.
Dark contributed two perfect innings in the circle, while freshman Nikki Harris threw 1 1/3 innings and recorded three strikeouts. Smith Lyon called Harris’ outing a bright spot in the loss.
“She had some tough luck during the season and missed quite a bit,” Smith Lyon said. “That was wonderful to see; that we’ve got some young players hungry and ready to get out there and compete.”
The loss, though disappointing, ended a season the Tar Heels can take pride in. Smith Lyon, who played for the Heels from 1996-99, led the team to its first winning season since 2019.
Catcher Autumn Owen and shortstop Abby Settlemyre earned All-ACC second team honors. Outfielder Sanaa Thompson earned a spot on the All-ACC freshman team.
Entering the game, Carolina led the league in batting average (.349) and catcher Isabela Emerling ranked in the national Top 50 for home runs (14). Multiple players had career-best seasons. Smith Lyon said it’s meaningful to see players have their best year, even if the season ended sooner than they hoped.
UNC plans to carry its growth into the offseason and return stronger next spring.
“I’m a Tar Heel and I love the University of North Carolina, so do they,” Smith Lyon said. “Being on this journey with them, knowing that I have been exactly where they are — that I love this place as much as or more than they do — we’re gonna work on this together and fight through this together.”
The South Jersey Native Is One of the Top NCAA Players in the Country.
Nope, this isn’t a review of the 2004 Western film Hildalgo starring Viggo Mortenson.
This is another Hildalgo who is an equally good sharp-shooter.
South Jersey’s Hannah Hildalgo is already a star.
The Notre Dame Freshman and South Jersey basketball star is making positive news on and off the court.
This week, she made national news by completing a deal with NIL Aloft South Bend. The NIL does currently have a policy that allows NCAA student-athletes to profit from a personal brand affiliation beginning in 2021.
Perhaps the best part of the deal is that Aloft South Bend will work with Hannah on her personal and professional growth.
She’s already a star in both areas.
This week, Hannah Hildalgo was named as one of three freshman finalists in field of ten total for the 2024 Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year as she leads the ACC with 23.3 points per game and is also a finalist for the Dawn Staley Award.
Last but not least, she led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a 55–51 win in the 2024 ACC Women’s Title last week.
In High School in Haddonfield, NJ, at Paul VI High School, Hannah was a 15x Player of the Game.
In late March, Hannah will be trying to become an NCAA Tournament Champion.
When it comes to Hannah Hildalgo, both on and off of the Hardwood —
The decorated French general in charge of the ambitious, big-budget restoration of fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Jean-Louis Georgelin, has died. He was 74.
President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute Saturday to one of France’s “greatest soldiers, greatest servants,” who “stone by stone, was restoring the wounded beauty” of Notre Dame. Before being pulled from retirement to oversee the cathedral reconstruction, Georgelin previously served as chief of France’s military general staff, overseeing operations in Afghanistan, the Balkans and beyond.
Citing the regional prosecutor, local news reports said Georgelin died while hiking in the Pyrenees, likely in an accident. The mountain rescue service in the Ariege region said a body was found Friday near the village of Bordes-Uchentein.
Jean-Louis Georgelin, a former French general who was placed in charge of the restoration of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, waits for the delivery by barge of the timber truss to the cathedral. July 11, 2023.
STEFANO RELLANDINI/AFP via Getty Images
Macron said in a statement that Georgelin died in the mountains, reflecting “a life always turned toward the summits.” The statement did not provide details.
Born Aug. 30, 1948, Georgelin attended the prestigious Saint-Cyr military high school before serving in infantry and parachute regiments and in military intelligence. He studied at the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, and went on to become personal military chief to late President Jacques Chirac, and then chief of staff of the French military from 2006-2010.
Soon after the 2019 fire that toppled the spire of Notre Dame and consumed its timber-and-lead roof, Macron named Georgelin to lead the restoration work. Artisans around France are using medieval materials and methods to rebuild the Gothic landmark.
The 300-foot spire is being hoisted atop the cathedral piece by piece this year, a development that Georgelin called “the symbol that we are winning the battle of Notre Dame.”
In July, Georgelin spoke to CBS News outside his team’s workshops in Briey, in eastern France, where workers were holding a dress rehearsal to ensure all the carefully-carved components of the spire shaft fit together.
“It’s a very emotional time, because the reconstruction of the spire is the key time phase of the reconstruction of the cathedral,” Georgelin told CBS News at the time.
The teams reconstructing the spire used the original 19th century plans by architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc. After drawing up 320 different versions for the new spire, they were finally ready to build one.
“It will be exactly the same as it was by Viollet-le-Duc,” Georgelin told CBS News. “But we do that with the means of our time: We use computers… We have probably less genius, but more calculation, more certainty by using computers.”
Macron lamented that “Gen. Georgelin will never see the reopening of Notre Dame with his own eyes,” but added that when it reopens on Dec. 8, 2024, ”he will be present with us.”
Four years after a fire ravaged Notre Dame in Paris, workers are on track to complete the restoration of the cathedral by the end of 2024. Some of that work has focused on repairing the 19th-century spire that towered over Paris for over 150 years. Elaine Cobbe takes us behind the scenes of that repair.
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CU1 and former NFL player and veteran sportscaster Mike Golic will launch the partnership at the Shamrock Series presented by Credit Union 1 and invite local nonprofits in South Bend, Michiana, and Chicagoland to apply for grants.
Press Release –
Oct 8, 2022
SOUTH BEND, Ind., October 8, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– Credit Union 1 (CU1)—a leading financial institution with branches across Illinois, Indiana, and Nevada, and the Official Banking Partner of Notre Dame Athletics—is announcing its partnership with the Golic Family Foundation, a charitable organization started by notable Notre Dame alumnus, former NFL player and veteran sportscaster Mike Golic and his family. Together, CU1 and the Golic Family Foundation plan to offer $100,000 in grants to local nonprofits serving the South Bend community and beyond in 2023.
The partnership builds upon the success of the inaugural Golic Sub-Par Classic at The University of Notre Dame, held in June 2022. Credit Union 1 was the primary sponsor for the event, which benefited The Logan Center, Center for the Homeless, Food Bank of Northern Indiana and the South Bend Animal Resource Center.
“South Bend will always be home to our family thanks to the countless memories and milestones we have celebrated here, and we look forward to giving back to the community that helped shape us all,” says Golic. “Through the Golic Family Foundation, which will expand on the success of the inaugural Sub-Par Classic, we will raise money for causes near to our heart, and we are excited that this partnership with Credit Union 1 will allow us to give back in an even bigger way.”
In addition to the $100,000 of grants that will be distributed, Credit Union 1 also plans to donate $200 to the Golic Family Foundation each time a new member opens a Fighting Irish Program account, allowing members to participate in giving back to the community.
“In our 65-year history, Credit Union 1 has always been committed to supporting families and communities. As we expand into the South Bend community with our new branch located just minutes from the University of Notre Dame campus, we wanted to ensure that our presence went beyond just serving our local members,” says Todd Gunderson, President and CEO of Credit Union 1. “The partnership with the Golic Family Foundation was a natural fit, and we look forward to strengthening our ties with the residents of South Bend and the wonderful nonprofits that serve the community.”
Grants will be distributed throughout 2023, but interested organizations can learn more and submit an application now at creditunion1.org/golic.
About Credit Union 1
Credit Union 1 is celebrating 65 years of helping members reach their financial goals. CU1 is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative serving 85,000 members across 14 branches located in Illinois, Indiana, and Nevada. CU1 also serves members nationwide thanks to a highly rated mobile app, 30,000 surcharge-free ATMs, and 5,000 shared-branch locations. CU1’s mission is to exceed our members’ expectations by delivering innovative financial solutions to help achieve their maximum economic potential. In 2021, CU1 provided $9.9 million in direct financial benefits to members through lower loan rates, high savings rates, and fewer fees than banking institutions.
