SOUTH BEND, Ind. — In the December darkness, Notre Dame‘s football team exited the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and walked in unison across campus toward its stadium.
The traditional stadium walk took on a new feel for the first College Football Playoff game played on a campus — the December chill combined with chill bumps. Amid the walk, coach Marcus Freeman recalls the lights from the “College GameDay” set piercing the night’s sky, the scene unfolding in front of them.
The crowd swelled and the stadium lights popped in the distance. The moment still sends collective chills through the participants.
“It was wild,” Freeman told ESPN in his office recently. “It was almost like being in a movie as you’re walking to the stadium. I thought that was such a cool moment that I can just vividly remember.”
Nearly four months after beating Indiana in that game and winning two more CFP games before ultimately falling short against Ohio State in the national title game, a new challenge awaits Freeman — building Notre Dame’s 2025 team to deliver a sequel. Freeman faces the vexing riddle of how to take that final step — not just reaching the title game but winning it.
Freeman made clear that the beginning of 2025 comes with a duality: appreciating the accomplishments of 2024 but also closing the door on that star-kissed run.
“Your past experience can create an arrogance that makes you lose the humility you must have to prepare the way you need to,” Freeman said. “And so we’ve almost put 2024 away.”
What’s next at Notre Dame? There’s a quarterback battle, a wave of fresh faces and a new age vibe that Freeman has permeated through the program.
Long viewed as stodgy and defiantly traditional, Notre Dame’s adaptation to the sport’s new era includes an aura as one of the country’s destination programs. As Freeman analyzes how to cross the final Rubicon between national finalist and national champion — much trickier than 60 minutes of football — the calculus starts with a continued talent upgrade. Freeman remains rooted in selling a more holistic vision of the college experience, which includes a premium education. As Freeman attempts to “close the gap with the top programs in terms of talent,” there remains a unique pitch.
“There’s a cool factor that’s important with high school kids,” he said. “Yeah, sure. But at the end of the day, I hope what we continue to sell as…
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