Notre Dame picked up more than one big result over the weekend, and the women’s basketball program delivered the loudest off-field jolt with a major commitment.
Avery Arije, a 5-star guard and the top player at her position in the 2027 class, announced for Notre Dame on Friday. She’s also ranked No. 13 overall in the cycle, and she arrives with a résumé that already stretches across multiple international stages with Canada.
Arije has been part of the Canadian national team setup since 2023. Her background includes the 2023 and 2025 FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup, where she helped Canada win silver in the latter and earned a spot on the tournament’s All-Star five, plus the 2024 and 2026 FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cups.
“I chose Notre Dame because it felt like the perfect fit,” she said, according to ESPN. “The development is next level.
It’s evident in the players they've produced. I have a chance to get a great degree, and I've felt so much love from the staff at Notre Dame.”
The football team, meanwhile, is shifting its focus to BYU, and the spread has already been set with some movement likely still to come. Notre Dame opened as a 13.5-point favorite earlier this week, before BYU lost star running back L.J. Martin to injury.
Elsewhere in the Notre Dame world, the hockey team opened its season with a clean weekend sweep of Niagara. The Irish won 3-1 on Thursday and followed it with a 4-0 win on Friday.
A much tougher test is next, with Notre Dame heading to No. 8 Western Michigan for a Friday-Saturday series.
There was also movement at the very top of the college football rankings after Texas fell on an Oklahoma last-second field goal. That leaves the No. 1 spot up for grabs, with Georgia now the odds-on favorite after its close win over No.
6 Alabama. Notre Dame should also receive some first-place votes, and a dominant showing against a Top 10 BYU team next week would only strengthen that case.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Now Faces A Bigger BYU Test Than Expected
BYUs first full game without running back LJ Martin still produced a clear statement, as the Cougars handled Iowa State 24-10 and looked every bit like a team ready for another major stage. Bear Bachmeier powered the offense with a strong all-around showing, throwing for 329 yards and two touchdowns while adding 109 rushing yards of his own, a performance that reminded Notre Dame this trip is about more than just slowing down one part of the attack.
The Irish now head toward a game that suddenly feels even bigger than advertised, with BYU showing it can adapt and still keep pressure on a defense in multiple ways. With College Football Playoff implications expected to be in play, Notre Dame is preparing for a test that now comes with a little more confidence attached to the Cougars and a little more urgency attached to the Irish. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Just Landed A Massive Stage For Its Biggest Test Yet
College GameDay is heading to Provo on Oct. 17, giving BYU its first visit from ESPNs signature pregame show since 2009 and setting up a rare national spotlight at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The backdrop only adds to the weight of the matchup, with No. 3 Notre Dame arriving at 6-0 and No. 8 BYU at 5-0, two unbeaten teams meeting in a game that already carries major College Football Playoff implications.
The stage is even bigger because this will be the first time two top-10 teams have met at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and it comes with a primetime kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC. For Notre Dame, it is the kind of road test that can sharpen a season and reshape the national conversation, while BYU gets a chance to prove its start belongs on the same stage as one of the sports premier brands. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Has A Bigger Stanford Concern Than Stanford
Notre Dame heads into the Stanford game with a little more uncertainty on defense than usual, and it starts with Leonard Moore. The defensive back is listed as questionable after taking a concussion in the previous game, while linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa has already been ruled out with a left thumb injury. Even with the depth the Irish have built on that side of the ball, those are the kinds of absences that can change how the defense looks and force the staff to adjust its plan.
The bigger picture for Notre Dame is less about Stanford itself and more about making sure players are not pushed back too quickly. The coaching staff has been careful with injuries all season, and that caution matters here with Moore still in the evaluation window and Viliamu-Asa unavailable. For a defense that has leaned on its depth, the real concern is preserving it for the stretch ahead, not just getting through one Saturday night. [Read more 🡒]