notre dame football facility tour

University of Notre Dame

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Notre Dame is one of the most visited sites in Indiana. Our visitors range from prospective students to conference or event attendees, to people who have just always wanted to visit. We’re happy to accommodate them all.

Admissions Tour

Tours for prospective students are usually in conjunction with an information session appointment. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions schedules these requests.

Schedule an admissions visit  

General Tour

The Eck Visitors Center’s free public tour offers a historical and social overview of life at Notre Dame. Most tours will include visits to the Grotto, Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Main Building (the Golden Dome), and the Hesburgh Library (“Touchdown Jesus”). Tours of Notre Dame Stadium are scheduled separately.

Guided public tours are available at various times throughout the year. Groups of 10 or more must arrange for a private tour. Tours are limited to the first 25 people who register within 30 minutes of the tour in person at the Eck Visitors Center. Advance reservations and telephone reservations are not accepted.

Tour dates and times  

Notre Dame Stadium Tour

Tours of “The House that Rockne Built” feature the opportunity to take photos on the field as well as in front of the famed “Play Like a Champion Today” sign.

Notre Dame Stadium tour information  

Visitor parking is available at the following locations:

• Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore (one-hour parking)
• Morris Inn (for guests of the hotel or its restaurants)
• Legends of Notre Dame (for customers only)
• Visitor Lot (paid parking)
• Joyce and Compton Lots (paid parking)

Please visit map.nd.edu and select the Visitor Parking overlay to view these areas on a map. Note: There are different guidelines and designations for parking during home football games and other athletics events.

University of Notre Dame

Campus Tour

Irish Athletic Center

Indoor space for three varsity athletics programs which provides greater access to the Loftus Sports Center for other varsity programs, recreational and club sports, campus events and community activities.

University of Notre Dame

Experience Notre Dame

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• Stadium & Parking

Stadium & Parking

Welcome to Notre Dame Stadium. See the links below for stadium information. For information on the clear bag policy, stadium concessions, accessibility, and guest services, visit  Football Gameday: information .

Medical Services

• Sustainability

For directional assistance on event day, please download and use the Waze app for turn-by-turn directions. Only Waze is recommended. The University of Notre Dame works with Waze to program traffic patterns into navigation.

Douglas Road Project: Douglas Road reopened to east-west traffic from Twyckenham Drive through the Ironwood Road intersection on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. The north-south lanes on Ironwood Road, however, have not reopened at that intersection as road construction crews widen the corridor with turning lanes and upgrade traffic lights. Visit Football gameday for more.

To Notre Dame Stadium:

From Indiana Toll Road Use Exit 77 (South Bend/Notre Dame). Turn left (north) onto SR 933/Bus. 31. Go north to the third traffic light (Cleveland Road) and turn right (east). At the first traffic light (Juniper Road) turn right to go south on Juniper Road. Public parking is just past the bridge. Please follow directions of traffic control personnel as you approach the campus area.

From Indianapolis Follow U.S. 31 North. That becomes SR 933/Bus. 31 just south of South Bend. Proceed through South Bend and continue north. DO NOT turn on Angela Boulevard, but proceed north (past Notre Dame and the toll road entrance) and to Cleveland Road, and then turn right (east). At the first traffic light (Juniper Road) turn right to go south on Juniper Road. Public parking is just past the bridge. Please follow directions of traffic control personnel as you approach the campus area.

From South Bend International Airport Turn left out of the airport entrance onto Lincoln Way West. Once in downtown South Bend, turn left on Michigan Street (Indiana 933). Continue to Angela Boulevard, the second stoplight north of the St. Joseph River. Turn right on Angela Boulevard. Turn left on Notre Dame Avenue.

From O’Hare Airport Take Route 190 east out of O’Hare to Route 90 east (Kennedy Expressway) toward downtown Chicago. This merges with Route 94 south (Dan Ryan Expressway). Take the Skyway exit off the Dan Ryan and remain on Route 90 to the Indiana Toll Road, which eventually merges with Route 80. Use Exit 77 (South Bend/Notre Dame).

Note An alternative route: Take Route 190 east out of O’Hare to Interstate 294 south (Tri-State Tollway) and follow the signs for 80/294 and then Interstate 80-90 (Indiana Toll Road). Use Exit 77 (South Bend/Notre Dame).

For parking information, visit Football gameday: getting around .

In Case of Emergency

If you see something, say something!

• While on campus guests are encouraged to call 574-631-5555 for the most efficient response time.
• That number directly connects to Notre Dame Dispatch Center for safety and security, fire, or medical emergencies.
• Text IRISH <space> and the issue and location to 69050 (available on gamedays).
• If something raises your concern for any reason, please call or text to let us know and our staff will look into the situation.
• Upon entering Notre Dame Stadium with a game ticket, guests may visit any of the four first aid rooms for medical services.
• In the event of an emergency, notify a uniformed law enforcement officer or University personnel as soon as possible!

The University of Notre Dame and our public safety officials are prepared to respond to emergency situations that may arise on gameday.

In the Event of any Evacuations or Emergencies

• In the event of an emergency situation, guests will be directed via the public address system.
• Please follow the directions of University personnel and uniformed law enforcement officers.
• Jordan Hall of Science
• Hesburgh Library
• Joyce Center
• Mendoza College of Business
• DeBartolo Hall
• O’Shaughnessy Hall
• Fitzpatrick Hall
• Cushing Hall
• Decio Faculty Hall

Public Safety Information

Outside Section 28, between Gates D and E (west side)

Pre- and Post-Game

If you require medical services prior to kickoff, after the game, or anytime while visiting Notre Dame’s campus, please call or text on gameday. While on campus, guests are encouraged to call 574-631-5555 for the most efficient response time. This number directly connects to Notre Dame Dispatch Center for safety and security, fire, or medical emergencies.

After Gates Open

Upon entering Notre Dame Stadium, ticketed guests may visit any of the four first aid rooms for medical services.

Lower Concourse

• Near Section 11, between Gates A and B (east side)
• Near Section 26, between Gates D and E (west side)

Upper Concourse

• Outside Section 109/110 (east side)
• Outside Section 128/129 (west side)

In the event of a medical emergency, please notify the nearest University personnel or uniformed law enforcement officer.

Water Fountains

Water fountains are located in both the upper and lower concourses at Notre Dame Stadium.

Nursing Mothers

Before gates open, the Lactation Room on the fifth floor of Hesburgh Library is available for use. See a security monitor on the first floor for access to the space. After gates open, Duncan W211 and Corbett E469 will be available as private areas to nurse or pump. Please see an usher for access to these spaces. Baby changing stations are available in every restroom in Notre Dame Stadium, except men’s room #1209 near section 13/14. Please note: The University of Notre Dame is unable to store pumps or breast milk during the game. First aid rooms are happy to provide guests with ice for their personal storage of milk.

Guest Assistance Texting

Text IRISH <space> the issue and location to 69050

Available only on gameday

Safe in the Seat

The University of Notre Dame is committed to the safety and security of everyone attending Notre Dame football games, especially our youngest Fighting Irish fans. Safe in the Seat is a program devised to reunite children or others who may be vulnerable if separated from their friends or family. Guest Services provides wristbands that can be customized with the person’s name, contact information, and phone number.

• Upon entrance to the stadium, parents/guardians can obtain a Safe in the Seat wristband from one of five Guest Services booths located on the lower concourse at Gates A, B, C, D, and E, and upper concourse near sections 106/107, 113/114, 124/125, and 131/132.
• Parents/guardians will be asked to complete the fields on the wristbands.
• In the event of a separation, stadium personnel will use the information provided on the wristbands to make contact with the parent/guardian.

The University of Notre Dame strives to be a leader in sustainable operations, education, and research, and a role model for responsible citizenship. Notre Dame recognizes its responsibility to conserve the natural environment while promoting long-term economic and social justice for all members of society and works to foster a pervasive focus on the connection between environmental stewardship and the Common Good.

Learn more about how you can be a part of Notre Dame’s efforts to #BeGreen .

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Notre dame football - ground breaks on state of the art facility, share this article.

Long overdue, Notre Dame is getting with the times of modern college football and upgrading where the football team calls home during each week.

Headed by a group of former Notre Dame football players, a very generous set of donations have officially paved the way for an upgrade in football facilities.

Ground was broken on the new complex on Saturday. It is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026. Below is the release the University of Notre Dame Athletic Department distributed on Saturday morning.

A group of former University of Notre Dame football student-athletes led by linebacker Jack Shields will provide generous support for a new Fighting Irish football facility — one that, combined with the existing  Guglielmino Athletics Complex  (“Gug”), will accommodate the current and future needs of the University’s athletics programs.

The new Jack and Kathy Shields Family Hall will foster team building and personal growth, improve physical conditioning and technical ability, and enable  Notre Dame Research  to partner with  Athletics  in the study of human performance, sports science, medicine and nutrition.

Additional contributors to the facility include Pat and Jana Eilers, Dave and Clare Butler and other substantial donors who wish to remain anonymous. Pat Eilers is a former Notre Dame safety. Dave Butler played linebacker for the Irish. 

Also recognized for their generous leadership and support are Pat Kramer, a former Notre Dame defensive lineman, and Tom Carter, a former Irish cornerback. Kramer and Carter are close friends of the Shieldses. 

Together, these five former Notre Dame student-athletes are giving back to a program that has transformed their lives, wanting to extend that same opportunity to future generations.

The new facility will be located along Courtney Lane on the east side of campus and is set to open in the fall of 2026, allowing for future renovation of the Gug to advance the performance of student-athletes across Notre Dame’s 26 varsity sports.

The project will support as many as 150 construction jobs, contributing millions in wages and taxes to the local economy. It will support a number of permanent jobs in Athletics and other areas after construction.

“The Shields family’s remarkable gift, together with the support of many others, will enable us to greatly enhance our ability to support student-athletes physically, mentally, socially and academically,” Notre Dame President  Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C. , said. “Notre Dame has long been committed to both athletic success and care for the well-being of our student-athletes, and this new facility will help us to excel on the field while we advance the study of sports science, nutrition and medicine on campus, with benefits for athletes everywhere.”

“I could not be more humbled by the gifts from Jack and Kathy Shields and others, which will ensure our student-athletes and staff have the tools to be successful on the field, in the classroom and in life,” said  Pete Bevacqua , vice president and the James E. Rohr Director of Athletics. “This building will be yet another testament to the support of our football program, solidifying that we have the top gameday facility (Notre Dame Stadium), a best-in-class indoor facility (Irish Athletics Center) and now a brand-new operations center (Jack and Kathy Shields Family Hall). Furthermore, this undertaking allows us to continue our effort to be the most advanced sports performance unit in college athletics with an addition of over 80,000 square feet dedicated to the success of our student-athletes through the renovation of the Gug.

“The idea of former student-athletes investing in the future of Notre Dame football is a strong sign of the vitality of the program.”

At 150,000 square feet, the new facility will offer a nearly 50 percent increase in space over the Gug, which opened in 2005.

The facility will include an advanced training room; a stand-alone sports medicine facility; an equipment facility with body scanning and fabrication technology; a new and expanded locker room; meeting rooms, including a two-level, all-team auditorium and an augmented reality walkthrough room; media innovation spaces, including recording studios and photo studios; academic support spaces; and a new player nutrition area designed to foster community between teams and model healthy eating.

Jack and Kathy Shields reside in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and Tampa, Florida. They are the parents of four children: John, William, Madeline and Fallon, a 2006 Notre Dame graduate.

Jack Shields earned his bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame in 1983 and his law degree from Catholic University in 1986. He was the CEO of Shields Health Solutions, a specialty pharmacy accelerator, until 2021, when the company was acquired by Walgreens. Before that, he was president of Shields MRI, the largest outpatient imaging provider in New England. He is currently the founder and chair of Shields Health Innovations.

In addition to serving on the  For Good  cabinet, Jack Shields is on the Advisory Council for the Student-Athlete. He and Kathy are Friends of Ted & Ned, and they belong to the  Badin Guild . They also have a family foundation that supports nonprofits in Massachusetts and Florida, including the Brockton Boys and Girls Clubs and BC High.

In 2019, the Shieldses provided initial funding for Project LAND (Life After Notre Dame), which, in addition to the University’s own  4 For Forever  program, provides student-athletes with the tools and resources needed to succeed at Notre Dame and beyond. Carter is CEO and president of Project LAND. Eilers is a founding board member.

“Shields Hall is more than just a football facility,” Jack Shields said. “Kathy and I wanted to provide a center that will provide resources for our players’ minds, bodies and spirits during their time at Notre Dame and beyond. We want to ensure our team can play like champions today and live like champions for the rest of their lives.”

Pat and Jana Eilers reside in Winnetka, Illinois. They are the parents of four children: Elizabeth, a 2015 Notre Dame graduate; Katherine, a 2017 Notre Dame graduate and former Fighting Irish lacrosse player; Clare, a 2020 Notre Dame graduate; and Patrick, a current Notre Dame junior and member of the Fighting Irish lacrosse team. Pat and Jana Eilers are members of the Badin Guild. Pat is a member of the Wall Street Leadership Committee, For Good cabinet and the Advisory Council for the Student-Athlete.

Dave and Clare Butler reside in Rye, New York.They are Notre Dame parents and have four children, Caroline, class of 2021; Margo; Emma, class of 2023 and Liam, class of 2027. In addition to being a member of the For Good cabinet, Dave Butler serves on the Advisory Council for the Student-Athlete and the Wall Street Leadership Committee.

Tom Carter is a former All-American. He was the 17th overall pick in the 1993 NFL draft and played nine seasons for the Redskins, Bears and Bengals. He holds a master’s degree in business from Indiana University and a doctorate in business from Jacksonville University. Before joining Project LAND, he was director of player affairs for the NFL Players Association for 15 years.

Pat Kramer resides in Duxbury, Massachusetts, with his wife, Mary. They have three children: Dane, Aaron and Grant. Pat Kramer graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in finance. He is an account executive for Alera Group, an employee benefits company with local, national and international clients.

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BIG MOVE: Notre Dame to Launch Major Football Facility Upgrade

The University of Notre Dame is entering an era of significant change and growth, marked by the arrival of a new athletic director, the pending introduction of a new president this summer, and Marcus Freeman embarking on his third full season as the football team’s head coach. In a bid to match the aspirations and momentum of this transitional phase, Notre Dame is planning to elevate its football program with the construction of a new, state-of-the-art football facility.

According to an exclusive report by Footballscoop, the esteemed university is poised to break ground on the new football building sometime following the conclusion of the current academic semester. The project, which boasts a nine-figure budget, underscores Notre Dame’s commitment to fostering an elite football program. The university is expected to officially unveil the plans for this ambitious facility ahead of Saturday’s Blue Gold Game, signaling a significant upgrade for the football program’s infrastructure.

Discussions surrounding the development of this state-of-the-art facility have included a wide array of stakeholders from the Notre Dame community, emphasizing the inclusive approach the university is taking in its stride towards the future. Both former and current Notre Dame officials and athletes have been involved in the planning stages, underscoring the importance of the project to the fabric of the university’s storied athletic tradition.

This development represents a thrilling chapter for Notre Dame’s football program and its fans, as the institution invests in a future that remains faithful to its heritage while also striving for excellence and innovation. A new cutting-edge facility is expected to significantly bolster Notre Dame’s efforts to recruit top-tier talent and enhance the overall competitiveness of its football program. With high hopes pinned on its impact, the Notre Dame community eagerly anticipates the role this facility will play in ultimately guiding the Fighting Irish to their next national championship victory.

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What Notre Dame taught Gerad Parker as he builds a football program of his own at Troy

TROY, Ala. — The walk from Gerad Parker’s office above the north end zone of Veterans Memorial Stadium to the office of his boss a floor below barely takes three minutes, depending on the pace of Troy’s new head coach.

While giving a tour of his program earlier this spring, though, it takes longer. Parker stops to make introductions for offensive line coach Caleb Carbine and director of player personnel Caleb Davis, both imports from his two years at Notre Dame. The first-time head coach stops at a photo montage in the hallway that’s supposed to show Troy’s staff. He’s made 27 hires since relocating to south central Alabama, in one of the smallest towns home to an FBS football program at 17,774 people. But just three photos hang in mid-March, less than a week before spring practice.

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Down the stairwell, Parker spots some signage from previous head coach and long-time friend Jon Sumrall, who left for Tulane in December. Parker wants “Battle Ready” everywhere he can fit it — stairwells, weight rooms, auditoriums. It’s a rallying cry, how Troy sometimes breaks huddles. It’s also a way to fill space, not just in the physical plant of Troy’s facility, but in the connective gaps as Parker adopts a roster on its third head coach in four years.

Parker can’t be everywhere all the time. His messages can be.

On his desk, Parker has a stock phrase from Notre Dame repurposed in Troy colors, with “The truth, the work, the results” on a notepad, the T in truth redesigned with Troy’s Power T logo. That pad is next to an old Notre Dame practice plan, a cheat sheet as Parker sets his first spring workouts. Troy won’t be a facsimile of how Parker’s last boss ran his program, but there will be echoes of Marcus Freeman in the Sun Belt this fall. Same for James Franklin, Neal Brown and David Cutcliffe, three of Parker’s other former bosses.

“Notre Dame made me see the world of football through a lens of it all matters. Greatness matters,” Parker said. “If you surround yourself with how it looks, I think it all matters. That’s the piece I take away from Notre Dame, the expectations of greatness.”

Gerad Parker's time under David Cutcliffe at Duke is helping him at Notre Dame

Parker experienced flashes of that in South Bend, first as tight ends coach for Tommy Rees, then as offensive coordinator after an awkward hiring process when Rees departed for Alabama. The highs were high, blowing out Clemson and USC at home. The lows were harder to process, collapsing at Louisville and laboring at Clemson as the passing game busted with Sam Hartman .

Still, Notre Dame finished with its second-best marks ever in scoring offense and yards per play. Yet Parker was dragged for how the Irish failed in those big spots, even as the receivers room was more triage unit than bona fide position group. It all put Parker in the curious position of being a head coaching candidate for other schools while being criticized in the job he had. He got off social media at midseason because he could sense the drag.

“I was aware enough to feel and know how you’re perceived. At my core, I care what people think. In a good and bad way. So that bothered me,” Parker said. “You want people to appreciate the job you do. Especially if the job you did was good. But we didn’t get appreciation for the job you did. That’s the price you pay for being a coordinator. I get it. But that bothered me. It ain’t just work.”

Parker came out the other side to land one of the best Group of 5 jobs, at a program that went 23-5 the past two seasons with two conference titles. Sumrall turned that into a promotion. Neal Brown went 31-8 his final three seasons before moving up to West Virginia. And to underscore the expectations here, Chip Lindsey got three seasons, posted three losing records, then got fired.

Troy expects to win big. Its facilities are best in class around the Sun Belt. It recruits at the top of the league. Of this year’s six NFL Draft picks from the Sun Belt, Troy produced two of them. Football matters here. The Power T banners hanging outside apartment buildings along Montgomery Street on the drive into campus back that up.

“I always said if you leave a job like Notre Dame, you go for a place where you can win. And a place that fits you,” Parker said. “At least I knew that.”

As Parker drives his pickup to lunch at The Corner on the town square, that fit feels clear.

Troy athletic director Brent Jones started to prepare around midseason. As much as Troy had invested in Sumrall, boosting its assistant salary pool and even spending more on team travel, the winning turned heads. Mississippi State , Duke and Texas A&M felt like interested parties. Then on Dec. 8, Tulane became Sumrall’s next job. He replaced Willie Fritz, who’d moved up to Houston in the Big 12.

Two days later, Parker was on a Zoom call with Jones.

“This is a blue collar job that you’re going to be on the windshield driving,” Jones said. “You’re gonna roll up your sleeves here. It’s gritty. Our fan base is amazing, but they expect you to be around, to be connected in this town.

“The best candidates are challenged before they become a head coach. Gerad was on our radar halfway through the year.”

On Dec. 14, Parker landed in Dallas for his first in-person interview. On Dec. 17, he was in Montgomery, Ala., for the final round. There were a dozen calls in between those meetings as Jones weighed not just Parker’s two years at Notre Dame, but his interim stint at Purdue, including how it ended . He asked how Parker recruited Florida talent to Marshall. Parker had a little bit of everything, including connections to Sumrall and Brown via Kentucky.

Troy named Parker its next head coach a day after that meeting in Montgomery. And a day after that, Parker met his new team for the first time in that auditorium he passed on the way to Jones’ office. Parker had been preparing for that meeting for nearly a decade, keeping notes on his phone, adding during family vacations, making a plan in case he ever got this shot.

The introduction did not go as planned. This was not Freeman bursting out of the Notre Dame locker room to rapturous applause. A roster that had just won back-to-back Sun Belt titles was still processing its last head coach teaching them a business lesson. There was no collective embrace.

“Not good,” Parker remembers, exhaling as he does. “That’s how it feels. The more you develop relationships the less lonely it feels. But initially …”

“I was in the room, too,” Jones said. “His recollection of that meeting differs greatly from mine, I’ll say that. When he walked into that room, he already loved them. He wanted them to love him. But they didn’t know him yet.”

The next day Troy departed for the Birmingham Bowl against Duke. Parker didn’t need a second chance to make a first impression, but he wanted one. After practice, Parker gathered the team and sent everybody else away. Hat turned backward, Parker delivered 15 good minutes on what he wanted to build at Troy and how he wanted to hire, asking the players to trust him and stick around. Troy had already held most of its recruiting class, signed 48 hours after Parker was hired. It needed to keep the majority of its roster, too.

Jones listened from about 25 feet away. When Parker finished, a sophomore starter walked by. “Wow. Holy (expletive), let’s go,” the athletic director remembers him saying.

“That was where he told them who he was,” Jones said. “That’s what really showed me he was the head coach.”

Thanks so much to Troy Nation for welcoming my family and I to Troy! #BattleReady pic.twitter.com/YiuoiUgWTJ — Gerad Parker (@GeradParker1) December 20, 2023

Troy’s roster mostly held during the tumult of both transfer portal windows, losing a couple of offensive starters to Texas A&M and three contributors to Western Kentucky. But Parker likes how the team stuck together, leaning on the team’s leadership to enhance the connectivity. Again, Parker can’t deliver every message in person. Whether that’s signage around the facility or players recruiting teammates to stay, the head coach needs help.

That spring practice came and went without any major surprises suggests Parker got it. He expects the roster to be close to capacity when preseason camp opens, with recruiting a mix of high school, junior college and transfer portal talent. He’s hired assistants to pull from all three buckets.

“It’s daunting. But it’s daunting for everybody,” Parker said. “We have enough to do in Troy. I’m damn proud to live here. There’s enough to do, but there’s not too much to do. Guys come here to go to school to do football. It’s a cocoon. Some of that is true in South Bend. Guys are in our building. They come over. It’s created this environment that’s just ball.”

The Gerad Parker Era opens at home versus Nevada on Aug. 31.

Then it’s back-to-back road games at Memphis and Iowa.

Parker has seen what it takes to win. He also has a resource if he doesn’t win right away.

There are touches of Marcus Freeman around Parker’s office if you know where to look. There’s a confirmation picture from St. Pius X Church in Granger, where both families attended mass and both sets of kids went to school. There’s a family photo from a joint vacation to Hawaii, but no sign of their couples trip — wives Kandi Parker and Joanna Freeman were close — to Aspen a year earlier.

Parker even has a few jars of candy in the lobby of his office, just like his old boss.

“That’s a steal from Free,” Parker said. “That was a perfect spot to get the canisters out.”

In the same way Freeman didn’t try to be Jim Tressel or Luke Fickell in South Bend, Parker won’t be Freeman, Franklin, Brown or Cutcliffe in Troy. Still, they all helped Parker figure out who he  would  be. Cutcliffe was a master of coaching vocabulary. Franklin nailed branding and recruiting. Brown was the most detailed. Jason Simpson at UT-Martin empowered assistants to make mistakes. Doc Holiday at Marshall had Urban Meyer’s “fire and brimstone” DNA that stuck with Parker.

And Freeman gave Parker a little bit of everything.

“What I definitely learned from Freeman is how he managed the job, which is the media and the job. He grew far more patience than I have, but I’m getting better, because you saw it,” Parker said. “The first thing everybody is looking at is Marcus Freeman, reaction and response. After that Marshall game … what’s happening Sunday? You know what I mean?

“To see him be stressed. Of course be beat up. But just throw himself into, ‘We have to do things better. Here’s how we have to do it better.’ The patience he acted with, helping the staff grow and helping the players instead of flipping the F out, that was the part that was most impressive to me in terms of how he handled the organization.”

Notre Dame mailbag: Examining Marcus Freeman's learning curve

There are little things, too, like how much red zone and two-minute work goes into each spring practice or how workouts start with a competitive period before breaking into individual drills. Parker took a page from Freeman in getting a full year schedule out early, a boost for his assistants who can share it with their families.

As for Notre Dame the place, Parker took away the details, how the campus felt, how the stadium sounded, how relationships endured on the way out.

“I get emotional talking about Notre Dame,” Parker said. “That was a special thing for me, my wife and kids. Truly mean that. Growing up in eastern Kentucky as a Catholic kid in a town with no Catholics, that’s an emotional experience. It still is. If you really dive into that place and you think you’re getting a gold helmet at some elitist school — the players, the staff, there is grit there. You watch how those guys compete in practice, having to call off inside (run) drills for the most part because they would kill each other.

“To have seen the feelings that get created and the sheer wow of walking out of that tunnel that you get spoiled by because you’ve done it so much.”

Maybe Parker will run out of a different tunnel a few seasons from now. Notre Dame has a habit of scheduling former assistant coaches who are leading their own programs. When told that fact, Jones half-joked “don’t think I’m not trying” to get Troy on a future Irish schedule.

That’s all down the road for Parker. He has another few months to make this program his own, from messaging inside the facility to how the roster gets constructed. Every day as a head coach is a first for the 43-yard-old, a fact not lost on the small-town Kentucky kid now getting his big shot.

There will be battles to come.

And because of what’s come before, Parker believes he’ll be ready for them.

(Top photo: Michael Wade / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Pete Sampson is a staff writer for The Athletic on the Notre Dame football beat, a program he’s covered for the past 21 seasons. The former editor and co-founder of Irish Illustrated, Pete has covered six different regimes in South Bend, reporting on the Fighting Irish from the end of the Bob Davie years through the start of the Marcus Freeman era.

University of Toledo Athletics

W : Matt Bedford (3-6) L : Johnson, Noah (3-2) S : Bennett Flynn (3)

Game Recap: Baseball | 5/11/2024 5:19:00 PM

Middle-Inning Home Runs Doom Rockets in 8-2 Decision at Notre Dame

Toledo unable to take advantage of scoring opportunities in saturday defeat.

• Notre Dame opened the scoring in the fourth with a solo home run. The Irish then scored two more on an RBI single and a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
• Scott Mackiewicz hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
• Notre Dame's three-run home run extended the lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth.
• Toledo put runners on the corners in the sixth thanks to a walk and a throwing error before JP Wagner drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-2.
• A solo home run in the bottom of the inning gave Notre Dame a 7-2 advantage.
• An Irish RBI double in the bottom of the eighth closed the scoring at 8-2.

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Notre Dame Is Closing The Gap In Several Crucial Areas

Bryan driskell | may 8, 2024.

• Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame hasn't won a national title since 1988, but the Irish are going into a period where that could change. Head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff have made strides in several areas as the program looks to get back to the top of the college football field.

Irish Breakdown took a deep dive into the areas where Notre Dame is closing the gap under Freeman, and why the Irish are closer to being a legit title contender than they've been in quite some time. That was the primary topic of discussion in the video below.

Closing the gap isn't just about what is done on the field. The football program needs support from the administration, and the breakdown above begins with a dive into what the leadership at Nore Dame is doing to better support the football program. Notre Dame has raised and spent a lot of money to upgrade the program, and that's the first reason to be optimistic. New apparel and TV deals also have raised the bar for Notre Dame.

That support has allowed Freeman to make very strong coaching hires, and also allowed him to retain important coaches already on the staff. Hiring Mike Denbrock and Mike Brown , and keeping Al Golden and Mike Mickens , are certainly important for Freeman and the Irish program.

Notre Dame is also developing a much better roster, and the next segment of the show dives into those areas. Quarterback recruiting has certainly seen a major upgrade since Freeman was hired as the program's head coach. There is still plenty to prove from a production and play standpoint, but there is no doubt that the talent has upgraded with Riley Leonard from the portal, and landing prep stars like CJ Carr , Deuce Knight and Kenny Minchey .

Mickens has done a lot to upgrade the cornerback position, from both a recruiting and development standpoint. A position that was an issue for much of the previous 20 years is now not only a strength, but Notre Dame has one of the best cornerback rooms in the country. That is crucial to Notre Dame's success. The Irish have also greatly upgraded the depth of talent at linebacker, which is another area where Notre Dame is closing the gap on the top programs.

Of course, Notre Dame is the trend setter at offensive line and tight end, so getting better in those areas is crucial to the Irish program and Freeman closing the gap.

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BRYAN DRISKELL

Bryan Driskell is the publisher of Irish Breakdown and has been covering Notre Dame football for over a decade. A former college football player and coach, Bryan and Irish Breakdown bring a level of expertise and analysis that is unmatched. From providing in depth looks at the Fighting Irish, breaking news stories and honest recruiting analysis, Irish Breakdown has everything Notre Dame football fans want and need. Bryan was previous a football analyst for Blue & Gold Illustrated before launching Irish Breakdown. He coached college football at Duquesne University, Muhlenberg College, Christopher Newport University, Wittenberg University and Defiance College. During his coaching career he was a pass game coordinator, recruiting coordinator, quarterbacks coach, running backs coach and wide receivers coach. Bryan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Salisbury University, where he played quarterback for the Sea Gulls. You can email Bryan at [email protected]. Become a premium Irish Breakdown member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and our premium message board! Click on the link below for more. BECOME A MEMBER Be sure to stay locked into Irish Breakdown all the time! Follow Bryan on Twitter: @CoachD178Like and follow Irish Breakdown on FacebookSubscribe to the Irish Breakdown YouTube channelSubscribe to the Irish Breakdown podcast on iTunes Sign up for the FREE Irish Breakdown daily newsletter

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University of Maryland Athletics

Football 5/10/2024 11:57:00 AM

Locksley Announces the Addition of Notre Dame Transfer Bryce McFerson

Players mentioned.

Bryce McFerson

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Duke University Blue Devils

Men's Lacrosse 5/4/2024 3:34:00 PM

No. 6 Duke to Battle No. 1 Notre Dame for ACC Championship Sunday

• Duke advanced to the ACC title game with a commanding 18-13 win over Syracuse. The Blue Devils shined on both ends of the field with three players scoring at least four goals and the defense holding Syracuse without a goal for 16 minutes in the third and fourth quarters. Patrick Jameison had 12 saves in the victory.
• Duke and Notre Dame are meeting for the 33rd time overall, the sixth time in ACC Tournament action and for the first time in the title contest. The Fighting Irish have won five straight with Duke's last win coming in 2021.
• Notre Dame cruised into the ACC final with an 18-9 victory over No. 4 seed Virginia. Devon McLane led a balanced attack that featured 14 different goal scorers with four goals. Liam Entenmann led the defensive charge with 18 saves.
• The Duke defense has been solid this season, holding teams to just 10.06 goals per game to rank second to Notre Dame. The Blue Devils have held 10 of the 16 opponents to under 30 percent shooting in a game, including six of the past nine. Jameison sports a league-leading .554 save percentage and 9.75 goals against average.
• Following the game, Duke will await its NCAA Tournament seeding. The selection show will air on ESPN2 at 9:30 p.m.
• Duke and Notre Dame meet for the 33rd time overall and for the fifth time in ACC Championship action. Both teams have 16 wins apiece in the series, but the Fighting Irish have won the past five matchups.
• The Blue Devils are 2-2 against the Irish in the ACC Championship and are playing Notre Dame for the first time in the title game.
• Sunday's game will be the seventh time the two teams have played since 2021.
• Sunday's matchup features two of the most talented all-around teams. Both squads average over 15 goals per game while Notre Dame allows 9.58 goals per game and Duke just 10.06.
• Duke's attack is averaging 12.05 points per game while Notre Dame's trio is at 12.17.
• Be head coach John Danowski 's 472nd career win
• Be Danowski's 253rd win at Duke
• Be Duke's eighth ACC Championship and first since 2012

Players Mentioned

#34 Brennan O'Neill

#51 Dyson Williams

#32 Patrick Jameison

#79 Josh Zawada

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2024 UCF Football Season Tickets Sold Out

ORLANDO - For the fourth consecutive season and fifth time since 2019, UCF has sold out its football season tickets. 

Following UCF's inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference, excitement is high for the Knights' second year in the league as today's announcement (May 7) marks the earliest that season tickets have ever sold out.  Since FBC Mortgage Stadium opened in 2007, UCF is 83-26 (.761) over 17 previous seasons playing home games at the stadium.

UCF kicks off the season with a pair of non-conference home games, as New Hampshire heads to Orlando for the season opener Thursday, Aug. 29, followed by a visit from Sam Houston Saturday, Sept. 7

The Knights will have their inaugural meetings against New Hampshire, Sam Houston, TCU, Colorado, Iowa State, Arizona and Utah on the gridiron this season. Five of the Knights’ seven home games are against teams that will visit FBC Mortgage Stadium for the first time and two of UCF’s four out of state road trips are followed by a bye week and the other two have a home game afterwards.

Since the start of the 2017 season, UCF has accumulated 65 wins, the ninth-most wins by an FBS program. The Knights went 13-0 in 2017, 12-1 in 2018, 10-3 in 2019, 6-4 in the Covid-shortened 2020 season, 9-4 in 2021, 9-5 in 2022 and 6-7 last season. The Knights join Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Michigan and Appalachian State as the only programs to win at least 65 games since 2017.

Kickoff times for the first three weeks of the season will be announced this summer. The Big 12 will publish the remainder of the game times on a regular basis throughout the fall, on either a 12- or six-day turnaround from week to week.

Notre Dame football makes final four for 2025 Louisiana running back

A s the 2025 cycles continues to move on, Notre Dame football has been extremely selective with who they will take due to already having 20 commits.

One of those players who the Irish would accept a commitment from is Louisiana running back James Simon. The 5-foot, 11-inch and 200-pound ball carrier narrowed his final list to four schools: Alabama , LSU , Texas A&M and Notre Dame.

Simon is viewed as a 4-star prospect, as he is ranked by the 247Sports Composite Rankings as the No. 200 overall player and 15th ranked player at his position.

If just looking at the current 247Sports Crystal Ball picks , it looks like the Irish will need to make up a good amount of ground to get Simon’s commitment.

https://twitter.com/On3Recruits/status/1787539898452394082

The Irish already have two backs committed in the class, Justin Thurman and Daniel Anderson, but having a pair and a spare is never a back option at the position.

Contact/Follow us  @IrishWi reND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook  to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Notre Dame football makes final four for 2025 Louisiana running back