TGS sneak peek

BE S T PL AY ER S

No. 2 PLAYER

T

BY TODD D. BURLAGE

o see and hear Raghib Ismail deliver one of his motivational speeches in recent years, it’s impossible to believe that during his time as a Notre Dame player four decades ago, public speaking or any endeavor that made him the marquee attraction was borderline terrifying, including football.

Always reticent and often anxious, the iconic “Rocket” Ismail didn’t necessarily enjoy all the attention that came with being the most electrifying player in Notre Dame history. But as Ismail was putting together his College Football Hall of Fame

THE ROCKET

MAN

Raghib Ismail used his blazing speed to excel as a runner, receiver and kick returner career, he was left with no choice but to embrace the hype, as best he could.

In a “Strong and True” video feature on FightingIrish.com, the do-it-all Notre Dame rusher, receiver and return man shared how he was able cope with the endless hype and attention that forever rained down on this two-time Irish All-American.

“The blessing was that when I could go up to the locker room, and I looked at our team,” he said, “whether it was the coaches, whether it was the equipment guys, whether it was the trainers, it would bring great comfort to me and the anxiety would go away.”

Ismail became the first Irish player to surpass 1,000 yards rushing (1,015), receiving (1,565) and on returns (1,607) in a career.

The legend of Rocket Ismail was forever rooted in his elite speed.

Ismail often posted sub-4.30 times in the 40-yard dash and became an All-American track star at Notre Dame when he ran a 6.07 in the 55-meter run, the 10th-fastest time in world history at the time. In 1991, Ismail finished second in the event at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Ismail’s blinding speed caught the attention of Irish head coach Lou Holtz, who was able to lure this star recruit to Notre Dame from Meyers High School in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., in 1988.

PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

“You ain’t going to be sitting on the sideline if I have anything to do with it,” Holtz conveyed to Ismail during at least one recruiting chat.

As a rookie Irish wideout in 1988, Ismail played an integral part in Notre Dame’s national championship season when he averaged a stunning 27.6 yards on his 12 receptions and scored 2 touchdowns. As a return man during that freshman year, he led the nation with 36.1 yards per kickoff return and scored 2 more touchdowns.

The definition of a triple-threat player, Ismail piled up 1,013 scrimmage

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tention, former Notre Dame sports information director Roger Valdiserri explained in a story on FightingIrish.com that Ismail became such an iconic figure and a crowd favorite, hundreds of adoring fans would line up outside the football facility after practice each day just catch a glimpse of the “Rocket Man.” “You would look outside the locker room door and there would be almost 1,000 people waiting for Rocket to come out,” Valdiserri recalled. “If he would’ve walked out that door, he would’ve been absolutely mauled.”

Fandom and obsession became so overwhelming, the 5-foot-11 Ismail would sometimes be snuck out of the practice facility in a laundry cart.

“And he could fit in it!” Valdiserri said with a laugh.

For statistical reference, Ismail’s 5 career kickoff returns for touchdowns — two during a 24-19 victory for the topranked Irish over No. 2 Michigan in 1989 — remain a Notre Dame career record, as does his 22.0 yards per reception.

Ismail piled up 4,187 all-purpose yards during his three seasons at Notre Dame, the sixth-best mark in program history.

He is one of just Notre Dame players (Theo Riddick is the other) to accumulate more than 1,000 career yards in three categories: rushing (1,015), receiving (1,565) and on returns (1,607).

Maybe most remarkably, Ismail’s 17 career touchdowns averaged 61.7 yards.

BEYOND NOTRE DAME

yards as a sophomore in 1989 (478 rushing, 535 receiving) and scored 3 times on kick returns to earn first-team AllAmerica honors.

And as a junior in 1990, Ismail earned unanimous All-America recognition and finished second in the Heisman Trophy race when he tallied 1,236 total yards (537 rushing, 699 receiving) and scored 6 touchdowns — 5 from scrimmage and 1 on a kickoff return.

But as the production mounted, so did the hype and the self-induced pressure that came with it.

As one example of the smothering at-

As the most exciting and marketable player in college football, Ismail was provided a unique and lucrative opportunity after his junior year at Notre Dame. Everyone wanted a piece of the star player, including the power trio of

ROCKET ISMAIL’S LONGEST PLAYS AT NOTRE DAME Kickoff return — 94 yards, TD, vs. Miami, Oct. 20, 1990 Punt Return — 56 yards, TD, vs. Air Force, Oct. 14, 1989 Reception — 67 yards, TD, vs. Penn State, Nov. 19, 1988 Rush — 76 yards, TD, vs. Pitt, Oct. 27, 1990

Los Angeles Kings NHL owner Bruce McNall, actor John Candy, and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.

The plan for the conglomerate was to buy the Toronto Argonauts franchise of the Canadian Football League and make Ismail its cornerstone player piece in the hopes of someday moving the team into the NFL. To keep its target player from going to the NFL as a first-round draft pick, the ownership group agreed to pay Ismail $4 million a year and also provide him with some franchise ownership.

Ismail accepted.

“If I was going to help out my family, this is how it was going to be,” he said.

“I wasn’t an amateur anymore. It was a wild ride.”

Indeed it was.

Ismail lasted only two seasons in Toronto where he won a Grey Cup championship and earned Grey Cup MVP honors in 1991 before the Argonauts’ financial problems and personal unhappiness brought him back to the states, onto the Los Angeles Raiders in 1993, and even back to Notre Dame to finish his degree.

“Coming back to campus centered me back in my world,” said Ismail, who completed his degree in 1994, three years after leaving Notre Dame for the CFL. “When I came back here it was peace. Those years were key in helping me stay grounded.”

Ismail enjoyed a nine-year NFL career with the Raiders, Panthers and Cowboys. He and his wife, Melani, settled in the Dallas area where Raghib became a motivational speaker and raised four children. And Ismail never wavers in his belief that life is good because of the great path Notre Dame provided.

“Notre Dame protected me, the environment, the people,” Ismail shared.

“My teammates cared about me. And when they saw at times that I was overwhelmed by the notoriety, and that I was feeling inundated almost like it was smothering me, they made sure to alleviate as much as they could.

“I was protected when I came here.

And I thank God that it was like that because if it wasn’t, I’m sure my life after Notre Dame would’ve been much worse.” ■

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RUN NING B AC K S

Love ranks third all time in Notre Dame history with 42 total touchdowns, 40 of which came in his sophomore and junior seasons.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MILLER

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RUN NING B AC K S

H

BY TYLER HORKA

ow do you say goodbye to perhaps the most talented running back from a program that’s been blessed to have a plethora of talented running backs in its proud history?

With a celebration of finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting and being selected third overall in the NFL Draft a few months later.

Jeremiyah Love didn’t win the most coveted individual award in college football, and he was not the No. 1 overall pick in his draft class. But he did do a whole lot else representing the Fighting Irish, and he left South Bend as one of the most decorated, productive and prolific players in Notre Dame history.

He left South Bend, that is, bittersweetly

No. 1

his knack for getting into the end zone by simply playing in tandem with Love. The two fed off each other, and Love has that kind of energy every teammate wants to soak in and attempt to emit themselves.

You know the old saying, “I want to be like Mike,” which equates to emulating the great Michael Jordan on a basketball court? There are thousands of people from all age groups who want to be like Love.

Price is one of them.

“One thing I learned from him is it is football at the end of the day, so you can go out there and play freely, play as a kid,” Price said. “You see how he goes out there and does the moves and just plays proud and lets his talent take over.

“I’ve learned to do that over my time here and not be so stressed and tense

Jeremiyah Love 2023-25

and with a heavy but full heart. He did all he could do for Notre Dame football for three full seasons. His head coach, Marcus Freeman, always speaks of an uncertain future. There was some certainty in Love’s departure from Notre Dame, though; he’d part ways with difficulty but great reverence for where his feet were and he would be one of the highest-drafted skill position players in the ensuing draft.

“It’s sad,” he said after becoming the first Irish player to win the Doak Walker Award as college football’s most outstanding running back. “I love Notre Dame so much, and I’m going to miss the times I got to put that helmet on and go out there and play with my brothers.”

Love appeared in 41 games over the course of three seasons at Notre Dame.

He rushed for 2,882 yards on 6.7 yards per carry. He scored 42 total touchdowns, which ranks third in Irish history behind fellow running backs Allen Pinkett (53) and Autry Denson (47). Most impressively, only two of those scores came in his freshman season. There have only been three players to score 40 total touchdowns in Notre Dame history, and Love arrived at that mark in two seasons. He got there sharing time with a fellow first-round draft pick running back, too, Jadarian Price.

Price scored 27 total touchdowns in his college career on far fewer touches than Love. But in a way, he sharpened

about what I need to do to succeed. Just go out there and play.”

ONE OF THOSE GUYS

You saw the hurdles, too many to count.

You saw the touchdowns, which you need nine hands to count. That’s if you were watching the games and only the games.

Watch everything else, and you saw a kid from St. Louis with a unique upbringing who just so happened to tap into innate athleticism and transform into the best running back in the nation.

There is so much more to Love’s story than football. In fact, he’d be the first to tell you he didn’t even like football growing up. Hardly watched it. Only played it because he was good at it, eventually. He was more of a quiet child.

Stuck to himself. Read comic books. Did nerdy things soon-to-be superstars his age weren’t concerning themselves with. Was a family-first kind of fella.

Not a football-first one.

To this day, before every game he plays in, Love comes out of the tunnel and goes straight to the first row of the stands to find his dad, Jason. The two can share in an embrace, a pep talk and a showering of positivity from father to son.

“He was just real shy and soft-spoken,” Jason told Blue & Gold Illustrated ahead of the 2025 season. “He was an introvert. That’s why I had to encourage

him before the games, so he could get his confidence up.”

Once the confidence came, so did a future in football the Love family couldn’t have ever imagined. How could they have? Love hardly got the ball for his Pee Wee team. He was not assertive enough to demand it more. It was too farfetched to imagine he’d be the best player with the ball in his hands for a powerhouse collegiate program like Notre Dame someday.

Alas, that’s what he ultimately became, and Freeman won’t ever forget that for three of the first four years of his tenure as head coach in South Bend, he oversaw a record-breaking tailback who will go down as not just the best running back in Fighting Irish history but as one of the best players, period.

There was the game-winning touchdown at Texas A&M in the 2024 season opener. There was the fact that he scored at least once in the first 13 games of that season, including a 98-yard sprint versus Indiana down the sideline at Notre Dame Stadium to kick off the College Football Playoff. There was the most immaculate 2-yard touchdown you’ll ever see against Penn State in the Orange Bowl. He had a career-high 228 rushing yards in the rain versus USC in 2025. He had 3 touchdowns and 171 yards on just 8 carries against Syracuse a month later.

Love did it all. Players like him do not come around all the time, and you’ve got to appreciate them while you’ve got them. Freeman certainly did.

“He could be a slot receiver, he could be a cornerback, he could be a safety, punt returner, kick returner,” Freeman said. “He’s just one of those guys with a unique skill set that would have been successful at any position he played. He has such rare balance, speed, physicality, explosiveness; all those terms that the NFL teams are looking for. He has elite skill sets in all those areas. He just happened to be a running back.”

The appreciation goes beyond who Love is as a football player — as a running back. Freeman appreciated and will always appreciate who Love is as a person, too. It’s impossible to do anything else for those who truly know him.

“I’m just so proud of him,” Freeman said. “The football player he’s developed into but more importantly the man he’s become.” ■

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RUN NING B AC K S

BY THE NUMBERS

BEST UNITS

Listed in chronological order 1977 — Vagas Ferguson, Jerome Heavens, Dave Mitchell 1988 — Tony Brooks, Rodney Culver, Mark Green 1991 — Jerome Bettis, Tony Brooks, Rodney Culver 1992 — Jerome Bettis, Lee Becton Reggie Brooks, Ray Zellars 2024-25 — Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Aneyas Williams

BY STEVE DOWNEY

2

Running backs have eclipsed 4,000 career yards rushing for the Fighting Irish, with both doing so within in the past 50 years: Allen Pinkett (4,131) from 1982-85 and Autry Denson (4,318) from 1995-98.

Four other Irish ball carriers compiled at least 3,000 career rushing yards from 1976 to 2025, and an additional 11 produced at least 2,000.

7

MAJOR AWARD WINNERS Jeremiyah Love — Doak Walker Award (2025)

ALL-AMERICANS

Vagas Ferguson — first team, 1979 Allen Pinkett — first, 1983; first, 1985 Jerome Bettis — second, 1991 Reggie Brooks — second, 1992 Autry Denson — second, 1998 Kyren Williams — second, 2021 Audric Estimé — second, 2023 Jeremiyah Love — first, 2025* * Unanimous

TOP FIVE CAREER LEADERS From 1976-2025

RUSHING YARDS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Autry Denson (1995-98) Allen Pinkett (1982-85) Vagas Ferguson (1976-79) Darius Walker (2004-06) Josh Adams (2015-17)

1.

2.

3.

4.

Allen Pinkett (1982-85) Autry Denson (1995-98) Jeremiyah Love (2023-25) Vagas Ferguson (1976-79) Anthony Johnson (1986-89)

RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS

4,318 4,131 3,472 3,249 3,198

49 43 36 32 32

YARDS PER CARRY

(Minimum 150 attempts) 1. Reggie Brooks (1989-92) 2. Jeremiyah Love (2023-25) 3. Josh Adams (2015-17) 4. Dexter Williams (2015-18) 5. Audric Estimé (2021-23)

7.62 6.66 6.65 6.37 6.22

Consecutive 100-yard rushing games — a school record — for Lee Becton in 1993.

It started with a 142-yard effort versus Pittsburgh, followed by 122 yards at BYU, a careerhigh 177 against Southern Cal, 124 versus Navy, 122 against No. 1 Florida State, 122 versus Boston College and 138 against Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. The Irish won six of those contests, with the lone exception being the BC game.

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Notre Dame running backs have produced all 23 1,000-yard seasons in school history between 1976 to 2025.

Al Hunter was the first achieve the feat with 1,058 yards in 1976, and he has been joined in the 1,000-yard club by Vagas Ferguson (twice, 197879), Allen Pinkett (three times, 1983-85), Reggie Brooks (1992), Lee Becton (1993), Autry Denson (three times, 1996-98), Ryan Grant (2002), Julius Jones (2003), Darius Walker (twice, 2005-06), Cierre Wood (2011), Josh Adams (2017), Kyren Williams (twice, 2020-21), Audric Estimé (2023) and Jeremiyah Love (twice, 2024-25).

21

Touchdowns (18 rushing, 3 receiving) for Jeremiyah Love during the 2025 season, surpassing the previous record of 20

by Jerome Bettis in 1991.

22

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98

Yards is the longest touchdown run in Notre Dame history, and it has happened twice. Josh Adams did it first against Wake Forest as a freshman in 2015, and Jeremiyah Love matched it in the College Football Playoff against Indiana in 2024.

A year later, Love became the first player in program history with two 90-yard rushing touchdowns in a career, bringing one 94 yards to the house at Boston College. Only two other Irish ball carriers have had 90-yard scoring runs: Dexter Williams scored from 97 yards out at Virginia Tech in 2018 and Chris Tyree went 94 yards versus Syracuse in 2020.

119

Career receptions for Armando Allen from 2007-10 are the most ever by a Notre Dame running back. His 833 career receiving yards are the most by a back from 1976-2025 and the second-most all time (Bob Gladieux compiled 947 receiving yards on 72 catches from 1966-68.

DARIUS WALKER is the only other Irish running back with triple-digit receptions, hauling in 109 passes for 816 yards from 2004-06.

DARIUS WALKER

Games with 100 or more rushing yards for Autry Denson (1995-98), the most ever by an Irish player. The only ball carrier with more than 20 is Allen Pinkett with 21

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from 1982-85. Pinkett holds the single-season record with nine during the 1983 campaign.

262

Rushing yards on 24 carries for Julius Jones against Pittsburgh in 2003. That is a school record for the most by an Irish back in a single game. Jones also holds the school record for most 200-yard rushing games, having also ran for 221 against Navy and 218 versus Stanford during his career.

The only other Irish backs with multiple 200-yard games are Vagas Ferguson Jim Stone, Reggie Brooks and Josh Adams with two apiece.

1,437

Rushing yards for Vagas Ferguson in 1979, the most ever by a Fighting Irish running back in a single season.

PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

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RUN NING B AC K S

LOU SOMOGYI’S PERSPECTIVE “Despite some of the team travails, Allen Pinkett was Notre Dame’s version of The Energizer Bunny. He just kept going and going and going … and became the all-time rushing leader at the school until Autry Denson surpassed him in 1998.”

Julius Jones, a second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2004, was one of 25 Fighting Irish running backs selected in the NFL Draft since 1976.

PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

NFL DRAFT PICKS Year

Player

Round

Pick

Team

1977^

Al Hunter

4

1

Seattle Seahawks

1979

Jerome Heavens

9

230

Chicago Bears

1980

Vagas Ferguson

1

25

New England Patriots

1981

Jim Stone

9

223

Seattle Seahawks

1983

Larry Moriarty

5

114

Houston Oilers

1984

Greg Bell

1

26

Buffalo Bills

1986

Allen Pinkett

3

61

Houston Oilers

1989

Mark Green

5

130

Chicago Bears

1990

Anthony Johnson

2

36

Indianapolis Colts

1991

Ricky Watters

2

45

San Francisco 49ers

1992

Rodney Culver

4

85

Indianapolis Colts

1992

Tony Brooks

4

92

Philadelphia Eagles

1993

Jerome Bettis

1

10

Los Angeles Rams

1993

Reggie Brooks

2

45

Washington Redskins

1995

Ray Zellars

2

44

New Orleans Saints

1997

Marc Edwards

2

55

San Francisco 49ers

1999

Autry Denson

7

233

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2004

JULIUS JONES

2

43

Dallas Cowboys

2013

Theo Riddick

6

199

Detroit Lions

2016

C.J. Prosise

3

90

Seattle Seahawks

2019

Dexter Williams

6

194

Green Bay Packers

2022

Kyren Williams

5

164

Los Angeles Rams

2024

Audric Estimé

5

147

Denver Broncos

2026

Jeremiyah Love

1

3

Arizona Cardinals

2026

Jadarian Price

1

32

Seattle Seahawks

^ The first-ever NFL supplemental draft

“At Notre Dame, Jerome Bettis averaged a whopping 5.7 yards per carry at fullback while rushing for 1,912 yards — not including his 6.4 yards per carry in three bowls, highlighted by 150 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 39-28 upset of No. 3 Florida in the 1992 Sugar Bowl.

Bettis also snared 32 passes for a 13.4 average during his career, and tallied 33 touchdowns overall. Because he was never a first-team AllAmerican, ‘The Bus’ will not be eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame … but he was as feared as anyone running between the tackles.”

“No student-athlete ever enrolled at Notre Dame with a cockier attitude than Ricky Watters, who publicly declared his freshman-year goal was to rush for 1,500 yards. It didn’t quite happen, as he finished with 373 — although he did score an 18-yard run at Michigan in a 26-7 win in the opener.

“The next year, when Notre Dame won the 1988 national title, he was shifted to flanker, and paced the team in receiving with 15 for 286 yards, and also opened the scoring against Michigan with an 88-yard punt return.

He moved to tailback for good as a junior and finished his career with 1,814 yards rushing, 5.6 yards per carry and 21 touchdowns. His 41 career catches averaged 14.9 yards (2 touchdowns), and he also returned three punts for scores.

“He never did make All-America and regularly found himself in Lou Holtz’s proverbial doghouse. Nevertheless, Watters and Chris Zorich — who arrived with him the same year — brought an attitude and swagger to Notre Dame football seldom seen.”

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YEAR BY YEAR

BY TODD BURLAGE

1976

1977

Head Coach: Dan Devine (2nd season) Captains: DE Willie Fry and RB Mark McLane Final Record: 9-3 Final Ranking: No. 12 Associated Press; No. 12 Coaches Postseason Result: Won the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. (20-9 vs. No. 20 Penn State)

Head Coach: Dan Devine (3rd season) Captains: DE Ross Browner, RB Terry Eurick, DE Willie Fry and RB Steve Orsini Final Record: 11-1 Final Ranking: No. 1 AP; No. 1 Coaches Postseason Result: Won the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas (38-10 vs. No. 1 Texas)

SEASON SNAPSHOT • OVERVIEW: Ranked No. 11 in the preseason, the youthful Irish held cautious optimism before the second year under head coach Dan Devine began. Elite talent was in place with All-Americans Ross Browner at defensive end and Ken MacAfee at tight end returning. But around them were many unproven project players with Devine still trying to put his stamp on the program.

• MILESTONES: Led by running back Tony Dorsett — the 1976 Heisman Trophy winner — No. 9 Pittsburgh beat the Irish 31-10 in the season opener. But the Irish responded with a six-game winning streak — three by shutout — to get the season back on track. … A 23-14 upset loss to Georgia Tech snapped the Irish winning streak. But Notre Dame rebounded with victories over No. 10 Alabama, Miami (Fla.) and No. 20 Penn State in the 1976 Gator Bowl over its last four games to set the tone for the magical 1977 campaign.

• IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS: With three defensive All-Americans — Browner, defensive back Luther Bradley and defensive end Willie Fry — Notre Dame held its opponents to only 12 total points during its six-game winning streak and held highpowered Alabama to only 18 points and Penn State to just 9, setting the tone for one of the greatest defensive eras in program history.

STATISTICAL LEADERS & HONORS • Passing: QB Joe Montana (1,604 yards, 11 TD) • Rushing: RB Jerome Heavens (994 yards, 6 TD) • Receiving: TE Ken MacAfee (54 catches, 797 yards, 6 TD) • Tackles: LB Bob Golic (146) • Interceptions: DB Luther Bradley and DB Ted Burgmeier (6) • Award Winners: DE Ross Browner (Maxwell Award, Lombardi Award) and MacAfee (Walter Camp Player of the Year) • All-Americans: Bradley, Browner*, Burgmeier, DE Willie Fry, Golic, OG Ernie Hughes and MacAfee* * Unanimous selection

“

SEASON SNAPSHOT • OVERVIEW: The 1977 season was a historic campaign that saw Notre Dame claim its 10th consensus national championship.

After an early upset loss to Ole Miss, the Irish won 10 straight games, culminating in a dominant 28-point upset of No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl to leapfrog from No. 5 to the top of the polls.

• MILESTONES: Quarterback Joe Montana cemented his legend as the “Comeback Kid” by leading dramatic fourth-quarter comebacks against Purdue (down 17 points) and Clemson. … The “impenetrable” defense, led by Hall of Famer Ross Browner and All-American Bob Golic, limited opponents to just 11.7 points per game. … The Irish became one of only six teams in AP poll history to finish No. 1 after never holding the top spot during the regular season.

• IMPORTANT HAPPENINGS: In a surprise move, head coach Dan Devine had his team switch into green jerseys just before kickoff against No. 5 Southern Cal, sparking a 49-19 rout in “The Green Jersey Game.” The season saw a critical shift at quarterback with Montana taking over the starting role after injuries to Rusty Lisch and Gary Forystek.

We earned it on the field. We played No. 1, and we beat them. At this point, I do not think there is anybody that could beat our football team.”

Irish coach Dan Devine after beating No. 1 Texas to claim the 1977 national championship

STATISTICAL LEADERS & HONORS • Passing: QB Rick Slager (1,281 yards, 11 TD) • Rushing: RB Al Hunter (1,058 yards, 12 TD) • Receiving: TE Ken MacAfee (34 catches, 483 yards, 3 TD) • Tackles: LB Steve Heimkreiter (118) • Interceptions: DB Joe Restic (4) • Award Winners: DE Ross Browner (Outland Trophy) • All-Americans: DB Luther Bradley, Browner*, DE Willie Fry and MacAfee * Unanimous selection

On Oct. 22, 1977, Joe Montana and No. 11 Notre Dame shocked No. 5 Southern Cal by switching into green jerseys right before kickoff, sparking a legendary 49-19 victory in the “Green Jersey Game.”

PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS

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BEST FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS Campus Crossroads, a massive 846,000-square-foot complex of buildings surrounding Notre Dame Stadium, improved the game experience for players and fans, and added space for several academic programs and a student center.

PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND

I

BY JACK SOBLE

nnovation, almost by definition, gets better over time.

That’s certainly true for Notre Dame’s football facilities, because each of Blue & Gold Illustrated’s top five facility improvements of the past 50 years occurred during the past 30.

That includes the Jack and Kathy Shields Family Hall, which opened in July 2026.

Here’s the full list, starting with the transformation of Notre Dame Stadium.

NO. 1 CAMPUS CROSSROADS

The late, great Lou Somogyi wrote in 2017 that Notre Dame football was “at a crossroads” after a 4-8 2016 season.

With the benefit of hindsight, we now know the Irish chose the right path.

Brian Kelly was retained and given a chance to fix what ailed his program after a disastrous campaign derailed any momentum that his run to the national title game in 2012 had built. Say what you will about Kelly, but there’s no denying that he did. Since that decision,

BUILDING THE FUTURE Notre Dame has transformed its campus and football facilities over the past three decades Notre Dame has failed to win singledigit games only once.

That came in Marcus Freeman’s first season at the helm in South Bend, and Freeman eventually took the Irish to heights even Kelly didn’t believe they could reach.

Somogyi’s point, though, was that the “crossroads” state of the program was fitting. In August 2017, the Irish unveiled Campus Crossroads, a transformation of Notre Dame Stadium.

After three years of construction, the House That Rockne Built was no lon-

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