Are Notre Dame fans happier than ever? What our survey says about the state of the Irish

New York Times

26-06-2025

The longest season in Notre Dame football history fueled the biggest Notre Dame fan survey turnout in the six years of this summer experiment at The Athletic.
More than 2,600 of you made your voices heard about the state of Irish football, both what happened last season as Notre Dame advanced to the national championship game and what's coming next. Thanks to everyone who participated in our annual checkup of the Fighting Irish fan base. It's no shock that you're thrilled with Marcus Freeman. But the numbers behind that enthusiasm might surprise you.
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From recruiting optimism to athletic director support to scheduling ambition, fans are feeling themselves entering the fourth year of Freeman. And for good reason. Thanks for participating in record numbers.
After Freeman's first year, just 13.1 percent thought Notre Dame football was in 'excellent' shape entering Sam Hartman's volatile season as the starting quarterback. That 'excellent' figure more than tripled last summer to 44.2 percent. Now it's basically doubled again with the overwhelming majority loving the state of Notre Dame football.
And why not? A run to the national championship game can do wonders for fan sentiment. Since the start of this survey six years ago, it's never been higher than right now.
No surprise, you like what you've seen from Freeman through three seasons. The past two surveys indicated that three-quarters of you thought Freeman was 'good' as head coach. And last year, more people thought Freeman was 'average' than saw him as 'excellent' Now Freeman, fresh off the national championship game, with two major bowl wins at his back and a new contract, enjoys sky-high approval.
There might be some lingering reservations about Northern Illinois, Marshall, Stanford, etc., but that seems to be fading away.
Interesting, last season's wins over Penn State, Georgia and Indiana haven't changed much of the expectations for what defines success for Notre Dame. Winning just one CFP game was the majority choice last season (55.6 percent) with winning multiple games the runner-up (24 percent). Some have shifted to expecting to see multiple CFP wins, but more people would be satisfied with just making the CFP this season than last year (17.8 percent).
For how much feels like it's changed around Notre Dame in the past year, expectations for success are relatively flat.
Maybe it's a schedule issue. Or the fact Notre Dame lost a lot from last year's roster. But you were more bullish on Notre Dame's regular season last summer when 64.6 percent of you picked 11-1 and 8.9 percent thought the Irish would go undefeated. You're still bullish on this year's squad, just a couple ticks down from a year ago. But this is new territory from the end of the Brian Kelly era and the beginning of Freeman's run.
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Back when Freeman took the job, almost twice as many Notre Dame fans thought the Irish would go 9-3 than 11-1. Middling bowl games are a thing of the past for this program.
Hard to argue running back, which boasts a Heisman Trophy candidate in Jeremiyah Love and arguably the best RB2 in college football in Jadarian Price. The big mover is the offensive line, which was last year's weakest position (according to the survey) and is now the second strength. Only three other positions got at least 1 percent of the vote, despite cornerback, linebacker and defensive line all looking like they're CFP-level good. Cornerback was your choice a year ago as the team's biggest strength.
No surprise that wide receiver leads the way, although quarterback was a solid second choice. Last season, the offensive line got exactly half the vote as the weakest position, which proved inaccurate in hindsight. Two years ago, safety got called out as a weak point, then Xavier Watts became national defensive player of the year. Seven position groups got at least 1 percent of the vote. Defensive line seems in much better shape than the survey might indicate.
Freeman said the quarterback competition won't enter camp with a bias of who could/should win it. That's fine. You have your preference.
Five assistants got at least 2 percent of the vote, with Mickens and Denbrock dominating. They split up the voting that Al Golden vacated, with new defensive coordinator Chris Ash getting 0.9 percent. It's hard to argue with any of the top five vote-getters, even if the distribution might surprise.
Fifty-one players got votes. Twenty-one got double-digit support.
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But there was one runaway winner.
Carr got a whopping 724 votes, almost matching the total of the three players who followed him: tight end Eli Raridon (242 votes), defensive lineman Bryce Young (229 votes) and receiver Jaden Greathouse (224 votes). The only other player who hit triple figures was linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who got 145 votes.
To put the support for Carr in perspective, last year's winner was Love with just 249 votes. And to the 52 people who chose Love as the breakout player for this season, no, he doesn't qualify.
Defensive end Boubacar Traore (85 votes) and Virginia transfer receiver Malachi Fields (84 votes) were also popular picks. Of the four freshmen who got votes, receiver Elijah Burress led with nine. Receiver Leo Scheidler was the only walk-on to get a vote with just one.
Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bryant Young — the father of Bryce Young — accidentally got eight votes.
This question has been part of every Notre Dame fan survey. And it's been a sea change of sentiment. Entering Kelly's final two seasons, less than 30 percent of fans believed the Irish could recruit well enough to win a national championship. Now that figure is 93.6 percent, a peak of Irish fan confidence that the program can bring in enough talent to win it all.
This is the first year for the recruiting interest question and the audience at The Athletic probably doesn't hang on official visits like it does at 247Sports or Rivals. But with the increasing pace of decommitments, the acceleration of the recruiting calendar, the existence of the transfer portal and the fact Notre Dame football doesn't seem to need a five-star prospect to save the program based on last season … a more casual approach to recruiting for the fan base feels about right. There's still a good chunk of you thirsting for official visit updates and news on new offers, but the hunch is that section of the fan base isn't what it was 10 years ago. And maybe that's healthy for everybody.
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NBC's coverage of Notre Dame football is basically fine, but it has room for improvement. That's the takeaway from your grading of the network that's broadcast the Irish home games since 1991. It's also the network that's helping to bankroll Notre Dame's independence after the 2023 contract extension.
Though the NBC deal doesn't feel as unique as it once did thanks to the proliferation of conference networks and broadcasting options, it does give Notre Dame certainty about its home broadcast and kickoff times, which probably makes it the envy of most fan bases around the country. The only other program that seems to get its home games in a standard slot is Ohio State with Big Noon Saturday … and that's hardly popular with Buckeye fans.
Given your choice, Notre Dame's broadcast team on NBC would be Mike Tirico and Brady Quinn. And it's not particularly close, although you feel more partial to one of the all-time great play-by-play announcers than to one of the all-time great Notre Dame quarterbacks. More than half of the responses included Tirico, meaning 1,000 votes. Quinn, who works for Fox, finished just under 500 votes.
Other big vote-getters included Greg McElroy (100 votes) and the actual play-by-play voice of Notre Dame on NBC, Dan Hicks (60 votes). Notre Dame alumnus and ESPN announcer Mike Monaco got 22 votes. Former analyst Mike Mayock got 145 votes. Jason Garrett got more than 100 mentions, but most of those included a plea to change NBC's analyst. Former Notre Dame radio voice Paul Burmeister popped up 44 times. Two votes went to Tony Roberts and Tom Pagna, for the old school crowd. Two votes went to Keith Jackson and John Madden for a Hall of Fame booth in the sky.
Positive, great, fine, good and solid were the most common one-word answers. Many of you see Bevacqua as a fan of Notre Dame football in the same way that you are, which is part of the appeal. Many of you also understand the assignment for Bevacqua, which is to keep building on what Jack Swarbrick accomplished in his 16 years in charge.
'I've been impressed. Swarbrick did so much for the university it felt that the transition would have some obvious speed bumps, but Bevacqua has exceeded my expectations. His foresight to lock in Clemson as a potential replacement for USC is a prime example and I feel his continued support (financial and otherwise) for Marcus Freeman has been a key factor.' — John M.
'We're in good hands! He honestly knows his way around media rights with his background at NBC, and I feel like he's maintained that 'seat at the table' that Swarbrick did such a great job of securing during his tenure.' — Mackin B.
'He understands football is the most important thing for Notre Dame sports.' — Ben H.
Bummed, cowards, disappointed, hate it, shame and sad were the most common descriptors, with a few four-letter answers directed at Lincoln Riley that we can't print here. While there were some who didn't care if the series went away and liked the idea of replacing USC with an SEC program or even Michigan, that was a minority opinion. For many fans, the USC series has helped mark time, whether that's a more veteran fan who grew up with the Green Jersey Game, Anthony Davis and Eric Penick's 85-yard touchdown run or the more modern fan who came of age with Reggie Bush, Brady Quinn and Manti Te'o. To make this series more history than present hurts.
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'Notre Dame-USC IS college football. As a '19 grad and a son of two Notre Dame alums who grew up a fan, there was a period of time growing up where I thought Notre Dame would never beat USC. The Bush Push game was devastating for 8-year-old me, the tease of the 2009 game was hard to stomach and the first night game in forever in '11 was just awful. Now as a 28-year old, USC hasn't won in South Bend since before I had my driver's permit. I've had the privilege of enjoying the 2017 and 2023 demolitions of the Trojans in South Bend, as well as the Playoff clincher in the Coliseum in '18. To walk away from this series would be truly heartbreaking.' — Luke S.
'It looks like a series started by Rockne will be the next victim in the ill-conceived mission to make college football more like the NFL. It's a fundamental blow against what makes college football special — tradition, pageantry, and intimacy. I am glad it's USC's fault though.' — Ryan M.
'Can we play the 'Chicken Dance'?' — Danny P.
The people have spoken, although Riley probably didn't vote.
Notre Dame should play USC every year, continuing the longest running intersectional rivalry in college football. Notre Dame wants it to continue. Plenty of people around USC do too. It's just that the Trojans' head coach seems lukewarm on a tradition that dates back to Rockne.
Interestingly, you see Michigan and Navy as equally important to future schedules, although parts of the Notre Dame fan base have had a love-hate relationship with both for different reasons. You're also on board with the Clemson series, that 12-year deal that will anchor schedules for the Irish and Tigers starting in 2027.
There's also evidence that the old Big Ten rivalries are more popular with the fan base than some might believe. More people voted for Michigan State than Miami as an annual opponent. More people voted for Boston College and Purdue than voted for Florida State.
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Among the write-in votes, Penn State topped the list. Maybe you grew up on this series in the 1980s. Or maybe you just want more of James Franklin.
Notre Dame (and NBC) basically has this in line with fan sentiment. Most of Notre Dame's big home games kick off in prime time, i.e. Georgia, USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M. And then there's the oddball night games that sometimes pop up on the schedule like North Carolina, Stanford and Navy. You like those a lot less but don't hate them. As much as a prime-time kickoff makes for a difficult work night for the media, there's no doubt it adds energy to marquee matchups. But they don't make middling opponents feel any bigger.
You like the Big Ten's mathematically challenged proposal even less than going back to the old four-team format. Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti probably isn't reading this survey, but when your conference's plan is less popular than the format most agreed had outlived its utility, that's a problem.
You also like things basically as they are right now. I agree. Straight seeding, which will be implemented this fall, solves the issue of the bracket not making sense to the casual fan. The 12-team field keeps some jeopardy in the regular season, which Alabama found out last season. If the CFP is going to stick with the expanded field, you like things as they are. Of course, if Notre Dame wasn't coming off a run to the national title game, maybe you wouldn't.
College football feels like it's peaking in terms of modern popularity while also coming dangerously close to toppling under the weight of NIL, transfer portal activity and bad governance. Fortunately, Saturdays still feel bulletproof in terms of fan interest. It's everything else that has some on edge. That unease was reflected in the voting.
You produced nearly 50,000 words to answer this question. So many plays stood out, from Jeremiyah Love to Mitch Jeter. For an entire generation of Notre Dame fans, last season was the greatest of their lives. And the shine of playing for a national title doesn't seem to be wearing off.
Here are several of my favorite answers.
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'The joy of Xavier Watts staring down the USC sideline on his pick six.' — Spencer L.
'Jeremiyah Love's 98-yard touchdown against Indiana set the tone in the stadium for one of the best home game experiences I have had at Notre Dame.' — Jim M.
'Love's touchdown versus Penn State. Absolute art. Brought a tear to my eye when shown in slow motion. I heard an Italian opera as it happened.' — John S.
'The feeling of validation that occurred after the Georgia and Penn State games. For 30 years, Notre Dame success constantly had caveats. There was nothing to undermine that success this year. It was the first time I felt like the college football world believed Notre Dame belonged among the upper echelon of teams that can truly compete for national championships.' — Harrison A.
'Love darting into the end zone against Texas A&M — and the euphoria that followed. The mess of fist-pumps, and high-fives, and hugs, and bourbons that were thrown around in our basement that night. …
'The crushing despair that came seven days later. Sitting on my patio in the dwindling sunlight, numb. Not being able to eat or sleep that night. Or the next. Thinking the program — despite much better and more likable leadership — was going to forever be stuck in football purgatory. That neither I — nor my kids — would ever experience something like 1988 — or even 1989 or 1993 — again. …
'Running around campus early on the morning of the Indiana game — with my feet crunching and sliding over freshly packed snow; Christmas carols playing over the stadium speakers; and the first tailgaters pouring peppermint Schnapps into their coffees — full of a hope and optimism that I hadn't felt since the early '90s, when I was a 10-year-old boy. …
'My 13-year old daughter watching every moment of every game all season. And proudly wearing her ND gear to her (Penn State territory) school all of January.' — Adam F.
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'I met Brady Quinn in the restroom while down in Miami at the Orange Bowl. We took a picture together outside of the bathroom. A second later, Greathouse scored his long touchdown catch. Brady and I high-fived each other, and I told him that he and I should pee together more often.' — Shay M.
'It isn't one memory, but one player: Riley Leonard. Just him seemingly always putting the team on his back and doing everything in his power to carry the team to victory.' — Steven S.
'Last season was incredibly bittersweet. My dad, an ND grad, passed away shortly after the Stanford game. He's the reason I went to ND and was an ND fan my entire life. He had his season tickets passed onto him from his dad, also an ND grad, and the only specific provision he left for us was to keep money specifically allocated to making sure we kept the season tickets still in our family after he passed. They go back to the '50s/'60s. I was lucky enough to go to the IU game and the national championship game. I'll never forget these games but it still makes me sad I didn't get to experience the games with him or give him a call talking about the games after. So my memory will be how lucky I was to share a common passion with him.' — Will D.
'The middle 8 (aka middle 54 seconds) of the Georgia game was truly euphoric. Probably the most fun I've had at a Notre Dame game in my life as a 35-year old.' — Colin C.
'My wife and I had our second son on Dec. 27, 2024, with some unexpected complications. We ended up watching the Georgia game from East Tennessee Children's Hospital. Where ironically the pediatrician was a Georgia alumna. It was enlightening that during truly exhausting and anxiety riddled minutes, hours and days, Notre Dame found its place as a sort of relief. Which is always what should be. It's a way my father and I shared something, what I hope to share with my sons. Whether we are commiserating, or celebrating, or actively rooting against LSU, for no particular reason … Its place is always one of relief from more serious endeavors that manifest in every person's daily life. ' — Jacob H.