Notre Dame’s off-field momentum keeps stacking up, and the latest proof came with the unveiling of the Jack and Kathy Shields Family Hall. Paired with the existing Guglielmino Athletics Complex, the new facility is designed, according to the school, to meet the needs of the University’s top athletics programs. Notre Dame said the space will help with team building and personal growth, sharpen physical conditioning and technical ability, and give the College of Science and Notre Dame Research a chance to work with Athletics on human performance, sports science, medicine and nutrition.
That kind of investment fits neatly with the larger picture around Notre Dame right now. The Athletic’s annual valuation report placed the Irish third among Power 4 schools at $2.1 billion.
Even more striking, that figure is up from $1.85 billion last year. For a program often told it should be in a conference, Notre Dame is making a very strong case that independence is working just fine.
There’s also some early buzz attached to former Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, who has opened his rookie year by turning heads in training camp. Coaches and teammates have noticed, and the praise has spilled beyond the building.
As Lee Vowell of 12th Man Rising put it, “He is only going to keep Seattle good, too. Through a week of training camp, Price has shown he can catch the ball out of the backfield, but has made enough of Seattle's elite defense look silly to imply that when the real games begin, Price is going to be a star.
He is explosive with power, a combination of a healthy Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson, possibly.”
The wider football calendar is also dealing with its own mess after Friday’s Colorado court ruling. There had been chatter that the Transfer Portal might swing open again and send players moving all over the country, but the clarification narrowed things down.
The judge said players in the class of 2022 who have not used five years of eligibility can only use that fifth year in certain circumstances. That explanation has helped prevent an even bigger burst of chaos as fall camps approach.
The NCAA’s response, shared by Pete Thamel, spelled it out this way: "in other words, they must be within five years of when they first enrolled at any college or turned 19, whichever occurred earlier. All other NCAA eligibility rules, including rules…"
Elsewhere, Packers right tackle Zach Tom announced a personal change on Sunday: he has changed his name. The 27-year-old will now go by Zach Bako-Bewele, a tribute to his Nigerian ancestry. Bako comes from his paternal grandmother’s last name, while Bewele is his paternal grandfather’s last name.
In New Orleans, Saints wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk has been placed on the reserve/retired list after making a surprising decision to step away less than a week into training camp. Saints coach Kellen Moore said Polk had been excused from the last two practices for personal reasons. The Saints got Polk and a 2028 seventh-round pick from the Patriots last September in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
And former Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon is making his own noise. Once viewed as the Patriots’ third tight end, injuries and strong play have pushed him up to TE2, and he’s seeing plenty of snaps as a result.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Just Changed How Indiana's Future Schedule Will Be Judged
Indianas future nonconference slate took another hit when its planned home-and-home series with Notre Dame for 2030-31 was canceled, removing one of the more recognizable games from the Hoosiers schedule. The change comes as Notre Dame moved to renew its rivalry with USC in a four-game series, keeping one of college footballs marquee matchups on the calendar and leaving Indiana to keep reshaping its own future dates.
For Indiana, the timing only sharpens the conversation around how its schedules will be judged going forward. The Hoosiers currently do not have any Power Four non-conference opponents lined up, a detail that has already drawn criticism about the strength of their future slates. Losing Notre Dame adds another layer to that scrutiny, especially with so much attention now on how programs position themselves for selection committees and public perception alike. [Read more 🡒]
Lincoln Riley Just Added Real Heat To Notre Dame-USC Again
Lincoln Riley has put fresh attention back on one of college footballs most stubborn rivalries by revisiting the Notre Dame-USC scheduling issue. The USC coach pointed to the reality of the Trojans conference calendar as part of the reason the matchup has landed where it has, while also taking aim at Notre Dames choices along the way. It is the kind of public back-and-forth that keeps a long-running series from going stale, even when the games themselves are still years away.
For Notre Dame, the timing matters because the rivalry is officially set to restart in 2030, with the games scheduled early in the season. That only raises the stakes around every comment and countercomment between the two sides, especially when the conversation shifts from tradition to logistics. Rileys latest remarks do not change the calendar, but they do remind both fan bases that the tension around this series is already back in full view. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Is Still Waiting On The Indiana Matchup Fans Wanted
Indiana footballs future non-conference slate has been drawing attention, and not in the way Notre Dame fans had hoped. Under Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers have mapped out a schedule through 2029 that stays away from any Power Four opponent outside the Big Ten, a sharp turn from the kind of game that can make an autumn calendar feel a little bigger.
Indiana had previously had games with Virginia and Louisville on the books before moving on to lighter opponents, and Cignetti has described the approach as SEC-style in its emphasis on conference play. For Notre Dame, though, the matchup people keep circling is still a ways off, with the first series between the programs now slated for 2030-31. [Read more 🡒]