Print Edition for The Observer for Wednesday, September 3, 2025 by The Observer

THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING NOTRE DAME, SAINT MARY’S AND HOLY CROSS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2025 | VOL. LX,

Notre Dame falls short in back-and-forth opener

Noah Cahill Sports Editor

Like in 2024, Notre Dame opened their season in a hostile environment against a ranked opponent. This time around, it was a trip to Hard Rock Stadium to face No. 10 Miami, renewing the ‘Catholics vs. Convicts’ rivalry for the first time since their visit in 2017. Unlike the game eight years ago, which was a 41-8 domination of the Irish, tonight’s contest was a back-and-forth affair decided in the final minutes.

After winning the toss, Miami elected to defer, leaving sophomore quarterback CJ Carr and the Irish offense up first. To the surprise of many, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s opening script began with five straight passes, a series of short throws and simple run-pass reads. The first-time starter looked comfortable out of the gate, completing all five attempts, albeit only for a

Notre Dame student takes on ‘American Ninja Warrior’

By Isabella Ponciroli News Writer

Austin Baron is climbing to a whole new level in his quest to promote activism to alleviate global hunger. The sophomore at Notre Dame is using his love for “American Ninja Warrior,” and the grand stage it affords on national television, as a platform to promote his nonprofit, Knot

NEWS | PAGE 2

Belonging at SMC

The newly-renamed Division of Belonging continues to provide resources to first-gen students.

Perfect. The business creates dog toys to support community food packing events and raises awareness for people who face hunger around the world.

Barron has competed on two seasons of American Ninja Warrior: in 2023 for season 15 and this year for the competition’s 17th season. According to Barron, his passion for the show was

OPINION | PAGE 5

WNBA: Up their pay

Columnist Zora Rodgers explains why the WNBA should be more fair and increase wages.

sparked when he went rock climbing on a cliff over the Atlantic Ocean. Later, his brother learned about the show from a friend, and they started watching the show together. After going to a gym with courses similar to the show for his little brother’s birthday, he started taking classes to learn to conquer the show’s iconic obstacles and became part of their community.

“I really fell in love with the Ninja Warrior community because everyone’s so supportive of each other.” Baron said. “The first season I competed, on the first night of competition, it was the qualifying episode, and it was my seventeenth birthday. Some of the competitors that I grew up watching sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me, and that was really cool.”

When asked about the head-to-head finals format, a new addition to the show, Baron

see “Ninja” on page 2

SCENE | PAGE 7

‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Singer-songwriter The Weeknd tried his hand at acting. Maybe leave that to the actors, Abel.

single first down.

“It was creating some easy throws, some easy decisions,” head coach Marcus Freeman said about the play call after the game.

Junior running back Jeremiyah Love finally saw his first touch on the ensuing play, but after a mere one-yard gain and a pair of incompletions to follow, the Irish punted it away.

It was transfer quarterback Carson Beck’s turn. The former Georgia Bulldog connected on a few passes, but was unable to generate much more during his first drive for the Hurricanes. After a pair of first downs, sophomore edge rusher Boubacar Traore came up with a big stop on thirdand-short to put the ball back in Carr’s hands.

The next three Notre Dame drives: fumble, three-and-out, three-and-out.

see “Miami” on page 8

Majorprojectsconstruction continue

By Megan Cornell Associate News Editor

With students returning to campus last week, they may have since spotted a little more dust in the air or heard the sound of power tools ringing across quads. There are multiple major construction projects underway, including a remodel of the Main

Circle entrance, a new addition to the Mendoza College of Business and two new residence halls on South Quad.

Construction of the Main Circle entrance began at the end of last school year and is expected to be completed in a few weeks. Originally announced in 2022, the

see “Construction” on page 4

Vielhauer previews plans for term

By David Murphy Associate News Editor

With the beginning of the fall semester and the 20252026 academic year, the Vielhauer administration is poised to hit the ground running. Following an eventful first week of classes, Notre Dame student body president Jerry Vielhauer, along

SPORTS | PAGE 10

ND WSOC preview

The Irish will travel to East Lansing for a high-profile showdown with the Spartans.

with his vice president Sonia Lumley and chief of staff Ethan Chiang, outlined their plans for the upcoming year, pledging to continue their focus on transparency, student advocacy and community belonging.

“Yeah, all of those things are definitely still priorities

see “Vielhauer” on page 4

SPORTS | PAGE 12

Today’s Staff

News Zack Pohlman

Sophie Hanawalt

Berhan Hagezom

Graphics

Meg Hammond

Photo Declan Lee

SMC Division of Belonging provides resources

By Berhan Hagezom

Saint Mary’s News Editor

While the name “Hidden Syllabus” may seem to indicate a top-secret, lengthy search, it is not meant to force students on a scavenger hunt to find information. The syllabus is one resource that the Division of Belonging provides to underrepresented and first-generation students to help them navigate their entry into college. Together with the Student Emergency Fund, the syllabus provides comprehensive information on available departments and services, and it serves students during unforeseen circumstances.

Senior Mish Yepez shared that she developed the syllabus the summer prior to her junior year, remembering the confusion she felt as a freshman and learning about the resources on her own. She wanted the syllabus to become a guide for freshman students, enhancing their overall experiences.

“I’ve always had a love for helping others, especially firstgeneration students, because I’m also first-generation and I kind of wish I had that resource when I was coming to college,” Yepez said. ”I remember now I wanted to be able to give back to the people who have given me all the resources that I needed when I first started out with college.”

As an intern at the Division

Ninja

Continued from page 1

said he was excited for the new style of friendly competition between ninjas.

“It’s definitely fun to watch, like having a bracket for March Madness.” Baron explained. ”I always love filling out a bracket and the idea that you can do that with Ninja Warrior is a really good idea. It makes it really exciting for viewers.”

He said the head-to-head finals matchups make you really focus on your speed, something that Baron notes he is still working on.

of Belonging for the past two summers, she was able to pursue this initiative under Christin Kloski, the director of the Office for Student Empowerment. Kloski wanted the guide to reflect student life at Saint Mary’s and how they should approach the college campus.

“Every time that someone interns with her, she wants to make a project for first-generation students. So that summer, she wanted to create a hidden syllabus,” Yepez said.

While professors have plenty of experience organizing syllabi, it was a new experience for Yepez. She began by focusing on what first-generation and underrepresented students needed to hear and then later incorporating her own experiences as a student with personal humor. She mentioned going to different resources and departments including the Office of Multicultural and International Student Services and the Office of Student Success.

The document is arranged into eight sections: academics, finances, student health and wellbeing, first-generation limited income community, equipment and technology, internships, student support offices and Saint Mary’s College traditions, each one further broken down into subsections.

Kloski said that the target audience for tlhe syllabus changed over time.

“[We] really targeted our first-generation students in the

rooting for him, but especially those living in his dorm, Graham Family Hall. Before he left for the competition, his dormmates filmed a video of them cheering him on, which was eventually played on the screens around the course during his run.

Dylan Burke, a junior in Graham Family Hall, said he enjoyed his experience watching Baron compete from the sidelines.

beginning, when we generated it with our intern,” Kloski said. ”We then really understood that every student needed it. There are things on there that are typical questions that come up for students, anything from advising to health and counseling to just general acronyms or terminology on campus.”

Regarding the section dedicated to first-generation limited income students, Yepez said it “is such an important aspect because it spreads awareness that these students are not alone and that there are resources for them, because I know it can be scary to ask for help.”

She reflected that staff and faculty have also been grateful for the existence of the document, as it has given them an insight on student life that they may not have been familiar with prior. She said she hopes that the syllabus can reach more students in the coming weeks, especially those taking intro classes at the College.

The Student Emergency Fund allows students to be given a onetime grant to cover for a situation with insufficient funding, including for technology items, emergency travel, books and materials, insurance, school supplies, scrubs and nurse wear, winter clothing, medical-related costs, status processing for immigration and testing and more. Recently, it has covered glasses repairs and prescription coverage due to new requests from students.

eat. And so I decided to fundraise so that I could pack more meals and feed more people,” Baron said.

The fund is open to any in-person students at the College regardless of economic background. Prior to applying for the grant, Kloski advises students to take advantage of all the financial opportunities available to them. She also discussed the process for what happens following an application.

“We encourage students to utilize all of their resources through financial aid, so all of their financial aid award money and all of their student loans so that [it] can suffice for whatever emergencies that come up. Any additional applications come into our office, we review it with our committee and then we make our decisions based on those applications that come in,” Kloski said.

She said she hopes that students feel comfortable applying for the fund and using the office as a way to assist them, especially if the fund can be applicable to their situation. Yepez looks forward to seeing the impact that the syllabus has on students and for them to feel more included and acclimated to campus life.

For freshman students, Yepez recommends students “fill up those spaces because you belong here. College won’t always be linear, it’s going to have its ups and downs and that’s okay. That is also part of the college experience.”

Contact Berhan Hagezom at bhagezom01@saintmarys.edu

that I love to do and using it to do good in the world,” Baron said.

Sports Henry Lytle

Ben Hicks

Scene

Peter Mikulski

Opinion

Redmond Bernhold

Corrections

The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at editor@ ndsmcobserver.com so we can correct our error.

As a full-time student majoring in business analytics, Baron squeezes training time around his schoolwork. He frequents the rock climbing wall in Duncan Student Center along with lifting, running and practicing on a couple balance obstacles he brought from home. During the summer, he trains at “American Ninja Warrior” gyms near his home in Ashburn, Virginia. The gyms are an hour to two hours away from his house, making training a substantial commitment.

Throughout the competition, Baron had the whole Notre Dame community

“Watching Austin compete on ANW together with the guys in Graham was really fun. Everyone was getting hype for him, and it was really cool to know that he’d have us cheering him on when it came time to compete. I know everyone here was supporting him all season long,” Burke wrote in a statement to The Observer.

Throughout the competition, Baron raised awareness for world hunger, calling himself the “Knot Perfect Ninja,” a name that alludes to the knotted dog toys he makes and emphasizes the imperfections of a world where people do not have enough food to eat. His mission began when he was only 12 years old after attending meal packing events at his local parish.

“I learned that a billion people went to bed hungry each night, and I was very moved that the meals I was packing with my own hands would be the only food that someone else had to

Around the same time that his family got a dog, his local library collected dog toys, inspiring Baron to donate to shelters. As a thank you to those that donate, Baron gives out hand-knotted dog toys. He learned to make the simple rope toys on YouTube using a square knot. He started out by using the dog toys to fundraise at local events.

“The first event, it was a rainy day. I was hoping to raise a lot of donations, but it did not go as I expected,” Baron said. “But, I kept going to more events, and then, I realized that I could continuously fundraise by keeping buckets of dog toys at local businesses.”

When he was 16, Baron officially started his nonprofit, Knot Perfect. While Baron still currently has a few buckets of dog toys at local businesses back home, his main platform is a cashless donation website, something that he started during the COVID-19 pandemic when it became more difficult for people to make donations in-person.

“I love making dog toys, and I love dogs. It’s taking something I love to do and using it to help other people. And that is also what I’m doing with Ninja Warrior. It is taking something

Baron emphasizes that all his proceeds from this summer go to local meal packing events and encourages others to get involved and attend meal packing events, which ended up being his own inspiration to get involved in the fight to end world hunger.

“What I really love about these meal packing events is that youth as young as five years old come and pack meals,“ Baron said. “And when I was younger, it really instilled in me a desire to want to help other people, and I want to give other youth that same opportunity.“

Nathan Ward, a sophomore in Graham Family Hall, said he is proud of what he has seen of Baron’s work with Knot Perfect.

“Austin is one of the most humble and hard-working people I know, and amidst his great success on the ninja warrior course, he is very quick to acknowledge the timing and providence of God in getting him to where he is today,” Ward wrote in a statement to The Observer. “I know that Austin cares deeply about his nonprofit and spends much of his free time, especially during his summers, making sure it can continue to succeed and help even more people.”

Contact Isabella Ponciroli at iponciro@nd.edu

Construction

Continued from page 1

project is part of the University’s celebration of 50 years of undergraduate women at Notre Dame.

“The plaza is a great way to honor the contributions of women over the years to Notre Dame,” University architect Dan Cook said.

Cook, who is also vice president for facilities design and operations, took over Doug Marsh’s position as architect this past June. Marsh had previously worked for the University for 30 years.

The redesign includes landscaping the interior of the circle with flowers and shrubs, as well as adding a bench for visitors to view the Our Lady statue, which will be moved to a slightly different location.

“The goal was to create a ceremonial entrance to campus, where Mary is in a more noticeable position as a statue. There’s so many people that come and go from Main Circle that we wanted to create a memory for them,” Cook said. ”[The entrance] feels like a front door.”

In keeping with the mission to honor women’s contributions to the University, the project was designed by Melissa DelVeccio, a 1994 graduate of the University’s architecture program and partner at the architectural firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Cook hopes that her work will create a space where students can gather.

“There’s going to be a place to

Vielhauer

Continued from page 1

for us,” Vielhauer said. “I would definitely emphasize the continuation of the transparency. Things have changed as we’ve all come back, with the dining halls and Grab and Go, so I want to make sure every voice of the student body is heard.”

Lumley echoed Vielhauer’s sentiments, noting their ongoing efforts to establish monthly meetings with the Notre Dame Diversity Council and reach out to specific communities across campus. Lumley described this work as essential to ensuring that a variety of groups are appropriately represented at Notre Dame. Students with allergies and food-related intolerances were also included — an important group, given the administration’s focus on campus dining improvements.

“Going back to nutrition, we have the allergy kitchen now, which is amazing,” Lumley said. “We know specific students on campus really, really appreciate this.”

While the Department of Campus Nutrition is a relatively new body within student government, it has been very active since its establishment — especially regarding improvements in food

congregate, and the goal was to have a place where the community could engage and people could sit,” Cook said.

The official blessing and grand opening for the plaza is set for Sept. 19. Students are anticipating the completion of the project both for the added plaza space and the opening of the walkway through it, which has been closed since construction began in the spring.

Sophomore Andrew Kammerzell lives in Alumni Hall next to Main Circle, but said the construction has not been a major issue for him.

“Main Circle construction is a bit of an annoyance currently, but Notre Dame is extremely walkable, so I can just take another path,“ Kammerzell wrote in a statement to The Observer.

To Kammerzell, the additional construction is worth the

quality and allergy safety. Its director, Julianna Marchese, who herself suffers from an autoimmune disease that limits her dietary choices, highlighted the work done on this front.

“Campus Dining has launched Olive Kitchen. It’s an allergy-free kitchen [focused] on eliminating crosscontamination. We have those clear labels, and they are updating them every single day,” Marchese said. “My tip as someone who navigates the dining halls all the time is to ask questions to the workers there. We serve them and they serve us … so if you have any questions, talk to them.”

Marchese expressed gratitude for student government, describing them as “so supportive of this new department.” Chiang conveyed similar thoughts, describing the administration’s cooperation with various departments on a broader scale, recognizing them for their work on events such as Flick on the Field and the Wellness Expo.

“All our departments have been prepping and preparing over the summer in anticipation of the school year,” Chiang said. “Our work with departments has gone really well, and we have a lot of exciting events coming up. But at a more policy level, our departments of Campus Nutrition

annoyance because it will eventually benefit campus.

“If things stayed the same, campus wouldn’t have a chance to improve,“ he wrote.

Along with the Main Circle construction, a major addition to the Mendoza College of Business is underway. The addition is on the north side of the building and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026.

“It’s going to create another entryway to the building from the north side. Instead of having to go around to the sides or the other end of the building, it will be more convenient for students entering from that part of campus,” Cook said.

The first floor of the addition will house classrooms primarily meant for teaching foundational business courses to large sections. A new undergraduate student lounge will

and University Policy have also been working to engage with the administration on these initiatives.”

Among the initiatives undertaken by the Vielhauer administration were the addition of new equipment to the Rockne Memorial and Smith Center, as well as the installation of new laundry machines in several dorms across campus. Regarding the latter, Vielhauer noted the vital role of student feedback in convincing the Notre Dame administration to take action.

“I think some of the survey data used through the student life forms really helped move the needle with the laundry, showing the administration the numbers,” Vielhauer said. “That really helped the change happen. Using that has been really beneficial for working with Residential Life. We look forward to sending out even more surveys on a larger scale.”

Vielhauer explained that using this more comprehensive survey data, they could continue expanding upon these previous achievements with new goals. These include better-managed lines at the dining halls and improvements to Grab and Go around campus, a project that the administration is particularly proud and passionate about.

“[It’s] something that seemed like a pipe dream

Mendoza basement,“ Quinn said.

“We are excited to continue to expand our research this coming year with the construction of team conference rooms, space for equipment to enhance our studies such as virtual reality headsets and eyetracking glasses, and new monitors and technology to help facilitate research.”

Simultaneously, construction continues on two new residence halls. Coyle Hall will replace Fisher Hall as a male residence hall and is expected to be completed at the end of summer 2026. The former residents of Fisher Hall are living in Zahm Hall until their new home is completed.

surround the classroom space, creating a practical space for students to gather before or after class.

“Students will have access to their professors, there will be some professors with offices on the second floor and Ph.D. students who might be their TAs. There will be spaces for them to congregate,” Cook said.

In addition to the expansion, the construction team completed a state-of-the art trading floor that functions as a study space along with a space for the Mendoza Behavioral Lab, a dedicated research facility in the basement, over the summer. Many of the research studies conducted at the lab are run by students, such as junior research assistant Olivia Quinn.

“The Mendoza Behavioral Research Lab was previously run in various classrooms in the

last year when we started brainstorming, and to see it already coming into fruition as we come back to school is really incredible, even though, like I said, it is a work in progress,” Vielhauer said. “It is something that I am personally really excited to work on, as someone who is a personal trainer and is very cognizant about health and wellness.”

Beyond expanding the Grab and Go services, Vielhauer’s administration is implementing several other initiatives to enhance student life. These include improved meal plans and flex points adjusted for inflation, as well as the promotion of first-year participation in FUEL, applications for which close on Sept. 14 just before midnight. The program allows incoming freshmen to serve in an

Therese Mary Grojean Hall, a new women’s hall, will be completed around the same time and will also welcome its first class of residents next fall. Both residence halls were designed to reflect the unique historical architecture of the other dorms on South Quad, while still boasting modern amenities and large rooms.

“The goal is to complement South Quad and create spaces that respond to the history and character in a meaningful way,“ Cook said. “Even though it looks like an older kind of building, [the new halls] will have all the same things that people expect in a dorm: accessibility, laundry, gym, common spaces, a kitchen and a chapel.”

Contact Megan Cornell at mcornell@nd.edu

executive department and provides valuable experience in Student Government.

Lumley also emphasized their shared desire to improve the all-important religious experience of students on campus, offering extra opportunities for students to explore their faith and build community.

“Something that I’m looking forward to is the organization of outdoor masses more often,” Lumley said. “I think it’s going to be huge and just amazing, especially since, for our administration, we want to keep our Catholic identity and push it forward. As we come to the first week, we’re having more conversations, and we hope to see it happen this semester.”

Contact David Murphy at dmurph23@nd.edu

MEGAN CORNELL | The Observer

Construction on the Mendoza College of Business, which is expected to be finished next fall, will bring new classroom space and an undergraduate lounge to the building. A new trading floor has already opened.

The truth of adjusting for abroad

By Abby Hernan Columnist

From submitting my study abroad application to stepping off a red-eye flight, I have been full of anticipation and excitement for my semester in London. However, the first couple of weeks were not what I thought they would be. Maybe it was due to the lack of sleep on the flight or the awful conversion rate of dollars to pounds, but I had a hard time adjusting to a new city.

I began to learn something about studying abroad that no one talks about. Study abroad does not have to be the best time of your life, or even a good one, but there is something about throwing yourself out of your comfort zone that teaches you things about yourself that you could not learn anywhere else.

People always told me stories of studying abroad — about these amazing trips and experiences, and how they wish they could go back. However, when I finally got there, I felt myself craving the comfort South Bend brings me. My whole life there felt simple and easy; I knew what to expect and when to expect it. The vast differences between London and South Bend were thrown at me the second I bought my first meal. The average cost of living in London ranges between $3,500 and $4,500 per month, while the estimated average monthly cost in South Bend is almost half as much ($2,200 to $2,500). My regular eating and budgeting habits needed to completely shift, more than they ever had before.

I am not the only one to

feel these differences. In 2023, a survey conducted by the Institute of International Education (IIE) found that more than 40% of students reported experiencing culture shock within the first few months of studying abroad. Managing this shock and finding my new routine was slowly starting to take a toll on me. However, as I tried to navigate through this, I began to learn new things about myself.

When I woke up at 6:30 a.m. to load onto a bus to Cambridge for another orientation activity that felt as futile as the rest, I still carried this feeling I had. In the King’s College chapel, I sat on the wooden pew and gazed at the stained glass. I watched as the sun wafted through the panes of blue and red. The top of the glass depicted a crowd of people being crucified, while the bottom depicted a king, both with people surrounding them. In that moment, I imagined myself as one of the people in the crowd watching the crucifixion or watching the king. And in that moment, I realized that I was just someone in the crowd watching something either horrific or something powerful. I was not a part of the “few” that many philosophers talk about, but instead, I was part of the “many.” Study abroad was not about feeling extraordinary, but about learning to exist as part of something bigger than myself.

I took comfort in the fact that I was a part of what everyone else was. While I acknowledge that everyone is a unique person with different nuances and complexities, we

are not all living that different of lives. My discomfort brought me closer to people than I had been before. We were not just some Instagram post with location tags and emojis, but we were navigating a completely new life together. It is not revolutionary to find comfort in other people and to understand that you are not the only one feeling a certain way. However, I have always felt

that no one could completely understand the complexity of my feelings without having had the same experiences as I. But when I got to London, I saw people with all different lives from mine, who felt the exact same way as I did. Recognizing this and using the comfort of other people, I have begun to see study abroad for what it is — not a

lustrous highlight reel, but a way of teaching you to be okay even when you feel the world around you getting larger, more complicated and more difficult.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Contact Abby Hernan at ahernan@nd.edu

The women of the ‘W’ deserve better

By Zora Rodgers Columnist, “The Quiet Part Out Loud”

We all remember when Iowa icon Caitlin Clark got robbed (by a Nike shoe deal). The number one pick overall in the 2024 WNBA draft signed an eight-year, $28 million deal with Nike that includes a signature shoe, various apparel and her own distinct logo. Signed in April 2024, this deal made history as the most lucrative women’s shoe deal in basketball history. The race to sign Caitlin Clark was no easy feat, with companies getting shin splints trying to meet the demands of Clark’s agents. Clark talked to Puma, Under Armour and Adidas alongside Nike. However, their offers could not compete with the applied pressure by her agents, requiring at least $3 million per year following

her 49-point game and breaking of the NCAA all-time scoring record on Feb. 15. Puma dropped out after hearing a figure that large. Adidas couldn’t overcome that hurdle either, falling short by promising just $6 million over the course of four years. The most competitive bid was from Under Armour: four years, $16 million for a shoe deal. But Nike emerged victorious, with an eight-year, $28 million deal. That’s about $72 million short of Victor Wembanyama’s deal, the first pick overall in the 2023 NBA draft. This shoe deal was significant in part because it reignited the embers of the age-old argument that the women of the WNBA deserve higher wages. Clark’s current contract is a four-year,

$338,056 deal, allowing her to make a little over $78,000 per year. Whenever this is stated, it is quickly refuted by the contention that, since broadcast revenue is lower for the WNBA in comparison to the NBA, the pay disparity is justified.

During the 2025 WNBA All-Star game, each player donned matching black tshirts during warm-ups with the words “Pay Us What You Owe Us” printed in white lettering. This statement caused quite a stir, garnering attention from numerous news outlets and catching the eyes of more than 16,000 people in the arena, as well as over 2 million viewers watching from their television screens. Their main demand is just that: the women of the WNBA want league leaders

to cough up some more cash for their salaries. They are not demanding the same wages as the NBA; however, they are asking for a larger share of revenue, identical to the model of the males.

The NBA receives a clean 49% to 51% of the League’s income, while the WNBA receives just 9.3%, the lowest revenue share across major sports leagues in the U.S.

Another valid rebuttal to this argument is that the WNBA economic model is unsustainable, given that it operates at a financial deficit each year. It was reported by the New York Post that the WNBA lost $40 million in 2024, despite selling out arenas and experiencing a significant jump in merchandise sales, viewership and attendance. However, the league just signed an

extremely lucrative 11year, $2.2 billion deal with Amazon Prime Video, ESPN and NBCUniversal. It is also expanding teams to Toronto, Philadelphia, Portland, Cleveland and Detroit over the course of the next five years. In 2024, despite their massive loss, they made $710 million in revenue, and are projected to grow to $1 billion in revenue in 2025, according to an ESPN report. Players have chosen to opt out of their collective bargaining agreement and are trying to negotiate a new one before it expires on Oct. 31, 2025. Currently, WNBA salaries ranges between $66,079 and $249,244, while the NBA salary swings between $1.29 million and a staggering $50 million. see “WNBA” page 6

ABBY HERNAN | The Observer

Stained glass windows adorn King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The left window displays a crucifixion along with a crowd on top and a king’s court beneath.

Continued from page 5

Another issue is the lack of transparency between the players of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) and league leadership during contract negotiations. “There is nothing that we know when it comes to how much money the league is making,” WNBPA president and Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike told Forbes. It should not have to be that WNBA players must compete in leagues of their own to avoid going overseas to be compensated fairly. Napheesa Collier, a five-time WNBA All-Star and Minnesota Lynx forward, founded “Unrivaled,” a 3-on-3 professional basketball league alongside New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart. Collier and Stewart’s league offers a competitive average salary of $220,000, nearing the WNBA maximum base salary. The new league serves as

an alternative to competing overseas, a move players used to have to resort to during the offseason as a way of supplementing their income. Backed by brand partnerships from Under Armour and Miller Lite and prestigious investors such as Stephen Curry, Michael Phelps, Coco Gauff and many more, the league presents a unique financial model that impressively almost broke even, generating over $27 million in revenue in 2025.

Salaries haven’t yet changed to reflect the new anticipatory $2.2 billion deal, team expansions, historic viewership, attendance and merchandise sales. Angel Reese, former LSU superstar and current Chicago Sky forward, made an estimated $1.3 million in name, image and likeness (NIL) deals while playing for LSU — proving that collegiate women’s basketball can be more lucrative for players than the WNBA.

So what’s the solution? While doing research for this article, I

found that just about everyone who is advocating or arguing against the “Pay Us What You Owe Us” movement will share their opinions and the figures, but not an actual answer.

My conclusion is this: The NBA owns about half of the WNBA and is responsible for allotting money between the two leagues. Since the leagues are objectively integrated, according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, I propose that the NBA do more to allocate funds to the WNBA. That means less money spent on bling like championship rings that are only worn occasionally and Tiffany & Co. trophies made to be wielded around “Simba-style” during the championship parade and then banished behind a glass display for the rest of their days. The Larry O’Brien finals trophy was estimated to cost around $13,500. Championship rings range anywhere between $30,000-$50,000 per ring and, if made with even more

exquisite materials, can retail for up to $150,000 per ring.

With 15-1 players on each NBA team and rings awarded to each player, prominent faculty member, coaching staff, and more, there is no limit to the number of championship rings that are allowed to be distributed. For the sake of this piece, let’s say 30 championship rings are made and distributed, costing $50,000 per ring. That’s $1.5 million spent on rings alone, along with an added $13,000 on the Larry O’Brien finals trophy. With up to 144 players in the WNBA, that means that each player could receive over $10,000 more in their salaries.

That’s more equitable way of looking at it, or one could increase the salaries of only the top 20 players in the league, given that not even players in the NBA experience concomitant salary bumps. With that, players would receive an additional $75,000 per person, per season.

It’s probably not as much

as they’re demanding, but it’s definitely an improvement. The NBA could instead create a sterling silver trophy like the Super Bowl’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is estimated at a mere $2,000 instead. That, along with championship rings made of less expensive materials would begin to allow for better WNBA wages. Players like Clark and Collier should not have to be competing in “unrivaled” leagues of their own to seek the wages they are warranted, nor should they have to deal with being constantly robbed (by shoe deals and WNBA contracts). It will be interesting to see what kind of deal comes from the collective bargaining agreement. The women of the “W” deserve better.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Contact Zora Rodgers at zrodgers@nd.edu

Fall 2025 Notre Dame predictions

By Allison Abplanalp Columnist, “Under Further Scrutiny”

Domer dollars launch BNPL model

Your favorite short-term financing model, which makes those guilty pleasure purchases feel cheaper in the moment, could soon help you pay for that late-night Taco Bell run in four separate interest-free installments. Domer dollars have long been lacking budget flexibility and financial inclusivity that lets students splurge at the bookstore and then convince their senile grandparents that they still owe them birthday money before their first installment payments become due. Tornado ravages and destroys The 87, forcing students to live in Stepan Center

As a resident of The 87, I have major doubts about the structural integrity of the building. Thus, I am vulnerable to even the mildest natural disasters. In the case of a mild storm, I have a stash of popsicle sticks and coffee filters which I can use to make a more durable structure than The 87. But there is only one building in South Bend that could withstand an EF5 Tornado: the Stepan Center. With a wide base, solid foundation, and a ceiling seemingly reinforced with duct tape, there is not a power known to mortals that could destroy the structure. So for all my 87 neighbors, you can sleep easy knowing that no matter what Mother Nature throws at us, we will still have a place to take calculus exams, host SUB concerts and sleep. Smash Burger money

laundering scheme exposed

For those new to campus, before Street Fare started serving up cultured dining options in LaFun, a Smash Burger operated in the very spot. But upon Smash Burger’s closing, few mourned the loss. Smash Burger’s strange operating hours ensured it was always closed when I was craving a burger. How a restaurant like that operated while closing around 3 p.m. daily can only be explained by the fact that it was a front for a money laundering scheme. It’s unclear who was behind this money laundering scheme, but I have a feeling this will slowly become apparent as the semester unfolds.

South Dining renovation fosters existentialism, sending students into deep introspection

Change is part of life, but few of us expected it would come to the South Dining Hall. The renovations bring the promise of modern facilities while retaining the historic charm, but come at the cost of the beloved South Dining Hall (SDH) where we spent hours waiting in line for Indian night. These days, the pre-renovation LaFortune Student Center is a distant memory, and Fisher and Pangborn Halls are basically fever dreams. It’s as if they never existed. When we die, the same will happen to us. The SDH renovation is a reminder that eventually, we will all be forgotten. Thus, introspection will plague students this semester.

ND priest launches cryptocurrency Some entrepreneurial Notre Dame priest may soon

join the likes of Donald Trump, Shakira, Jason Derulo, Soulja Boy, and any other celebrity looking to make a quick buck off their fame. The Catholic Church has no official stance on cryptocurrency, leaving the door wide open for a Catholic figure to capitalize on the untapped potential. Buy early and buy in volume; the value’s only going up. Observer exposé leads to the shuttering of the Glynn Family Honors Program

I don’t know what they’re hiding, but leave it to the stealthy and nosey writers at The Observer to uncover whatever those honors students are up to. Student life at Notre Dame has been too docile for too long now. This can only mean that something big is brewing under the surface. So make sure to tune into The Observer for the shocking details and

stay for the other inspired pieces by your classmates. Final class of science business majors forms a secret society

The science business majors are some of the finest scholars Notre Dame has to offer, but it won’t be long before they’re extinct. However, they will not leave without establishing a dynasty. The successors will move in silence, under the guise of engineering majors with a minor in engineering corporate practice. If you see any suspicious gatherings of those too awkward to be finance majors but with enough social skills that they couldn’t simply be engineers, you can rest assured that the legacy of the science business major lives on. Rector forced to resign after running naked mile on God Quad

A midlife crisis and a few

too many drinks at the rector social might just lead to the residents of Walsh and Sorin being scarred for life. The stresses of being a rector at Notre Dame are already enough to break a man. Add in fears of aging and mortality, lack of fulfillment, desire for change, questioning of their self-identity, regret and a little bit of alcohol, and soon enough, the clothes are off and they’re dashing across God Quad like J eremiyah Love after he’s broken through the defense. Unfortunately, Mother Mary is always watching from atop the dome.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Contact Allison Abplanalp at aabplana@nd.edu

GRAY NOCJAR | The Observer

South Dining Hall is currently undergoing major renovations in the kitchen and basement. Fewer students have visited in recent days, opting for North Dining Hall instead.

Koontz novel delivers humor and scares

By Harry Penne Scene Copy Editor

Do you enjoy a suspenseful thriller novel told through humorous narration with messages of triumphant good and friendship? Well, if so, may I suggest your next read: “Going Home in the Dark,” the 2025 novel by bestselling thriller and horror novelist Dean Koontz.

I went into “Going Home in the Dark” completely in the dark, having no idea what I was getting myself into. The novel tells the story of four longtime friends and social outcasts who call themselves “the amigos.” When one amigo, Ernie Hernishen, suddenly falls into a coma, the other three return to their picturesque childhood hometown of Maple Grove, a place none of them had visited in 15 years. Now grown up, the amigos have found success in artistic fields: Ernie

By Natalie Swiderski Scene Writer

as a songwriter, Bobby Shamrock as an author, Rebecca Crane as an actress and Spencer Truedove as a painter. Something about Maple Grove has changed as well, but the trio isn’t quite able to put their fingers on what. Shortly following their homecoming, the amigos are told that Ernie is dead. Unconvinced, they steal his body from the hospital, hide it and try to uncover the mystery of Ernie’s sudden coma and get to the root of why the town feels off. Piecing together broken knowledge, the ensemble slowly recalls repressed nightmarish and supernatural events from childhood. While this is happening, they begin to have premonitions of a looming threat: a murderous figure who is out to get them. The amigos must race against the clock to save Ernie before they too are overtaken by something sinister lurking beneath the town. The work culminates with a climactic

ending and an insane twist that you won’t see coming.

One of the best aspects of the novel is its distinctive voice. Told through a mix of third person narration and often humorous first person commentary, the work’s voice is frequently sarcastic or tongue-in-cheek, breaking the third wall while making references about the story, literary devices and pop-culture. I think that these interjections are what sells the book’s charm: It doesn’t take itself super seriously. This self-awareness really ups the novel’s fun quality, and allows Koontz to shine as an individual and a storyteller.

Another highlight is Koontz’s ability to write horror scenes. While the novel primarily keeps a fun tone, it is still a horror/thriller and not afraid to be, when appropriate, truly scary. Two moments come to mind. The first is the amigos’ childhood Halloween

encounter with the villainous Wayne Louis Hornfly. Without too many spoilers, the flashback sequence features a tonal shift that sets the intensity and stakes for the rest of the novel. Another standout horror scene, for me, is the Thanksgiving hospital sequence. Once more, without spoiling, Koontz dials the medical horror all the way up. I think that, with the novel’s predominately fun tone, the horror scenes serve as an interesting foil. The characters are shocked by these crazy experiences and so are the readers; this atmospheric whiplash is effective in building tension and suspense. My low for the novel is the character of Britta Hernishen, Ernie’s mother. This isn’t anything about the writing, character quality or development; I just found her personality to be irritating and loathsome. However, that is the character’s purpose as one of the antagonists. I think this speaks

volumes about the effectiveness of Koontz’s strengths and writing style. He can craft a character that elicits such a negative reaction. Overall, I found Dean Koontz’s “Going Home in the Dark” to be an entertaining summertime book and I had lots of fun with it. In addition to having an entertaining plot and heavy suspense, the novel’s message is genuinely up-lifting and pleasant. At the core, it is about the importance of friendship and how nothing can destroy it. This is seen in the unwavering bond between the amigos; when faced with even the most cosmic horrors, they can’t be separated. The novel is easily one of my most memorable reads of 2025, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the horror, thriller and mystery genres.

Contact Harry Penne at hpenne@nd.edu

Hey, Abel, I want my money back

Six dollars. It’s the price of a coffee from Starbucks, a paperback novel or a six pack of Diet Coke. There are many wonderful things that you can get for six dollars, yet I spent my hardearned six dollars renting the newest artistic flop by Abel Tesfaye (AKA The Weeknd), a film entitled “Hurry Up Tomorrow.”

Whether you’ve endured the objectively short, but somehow agonizingly long, 105-minute runtime of this film or merely seen the infamous “Shut the f— up” scene on TikTok, you can certainly agree that Tesfaye has a long way to go in the acting department. A man

with such an interesting backstory and nuanced onstage persona would, in theory, captivate audiences on the silver screen, but his performance falls flat. He acts primarily with his eyes, but the only way in which he uses them is by opening them really wide in moments of conflict. Otherwise, his on-screen movement is mostly limited to the following: pulling the hood of his sweatshirt up and down, sweating profusely and delivering his lines in either a subtle whisper or a full-on yell. There is no in between. There is also something to be said about the plot. Never mind the major plotholes and inconsistencies: How exactly can Jenna Ortega’s character afford a ticket to The Weeknd’s concert

yet have to steal gas from people at the station? The storyline relies too heavily on the atmosphere it creates rather than the story that is told. The film’s director, Trey Edward Shults — probably at the behest of Tesfaye himself — concerns himself too much with trying to evoke the signature A24 style that many films nowadays strive for. The heavy synth soundtrack and color scheme of deep blues, reds and blacks are pleasing visually and audibly, but that is where the viewer’s enjoyment ends. There are only about two major plot points in the entire film, one of them solely taken from a highly publicized 2022 incident in which Tesfaye lost his voice during a concert.

In addition to the empty storyline,

the entire film felt like Tesfaye’s egocentric love letter to his own career.

In one particularly egregious scene, Ortega’s character sings and dances around the shot, explaining to Tesfaye that his songs, especially his more popular and upbeat ones, are actually more complex than people think, further characterizing him as some sort of musical prophet and prodigy. The entire concept of the film — releasing a feature-length fictional drama alongside a new album with the same name — comes across not as the stroke of artistic genius that he intends it to be, but rather as an attempt at further capitalizing upon his adoring and unrelenting fanbase. It also appears as a desperate attempt to bring himself

out of the mainstream and into the culturally dominant concept of the sad and brooding alternative artist his character in the film portrays. How do I know this? He doesn’t even change his name in the movie.

Now, I don’t mean to say that The Weeknd is not an incredibly talented performer and musical genius. He is, but Abel Tesfaye might not be. His recent creative decisions have evidenced this notion — does anyone remember “The Idol?” I wish I didn’t. To that end, and I say this with love, Abel: Perhaps just stick to music. And I want my money back.

Contact Natalie Swiderski at nswider2@nd.edu

HUMOR

Miami

Continued from page 1

Graduate wide reciever transfer Malachi Fields’ first reception in an Irish uniform was quickly followed by a massive hit that pried the ball loose. The Hurricanes, however, despite taking over just outside of the red zone, came up empty-handed after a bad snap thwarted their short field goal attempt.

Their defense would get the ball right back after denying Carr’s third-and-one scramble attempt. This time, Beck and the offense capitalized, putting together an impressive eight-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Freshman wide receiver Malachi Toney terrorized the Irish secondary, hauling in three passes for 52 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown grab on third-and-long. Miami forced another three-andout and got the ball back, looking to extend its lead. However, Beck’s first-down scramble was wiped out by a costly holding penalty, leading to an important stop for Notre Dame.

In desperate need of any form of response, starting with a first down at the very least, the offense put together a drive. Love’s dynamic backfield partner, junior running back Jadarian Price, finally got the Irish going. He ran for 49 yards during the drive, including a 30-yard chunk play that brought his team within a

By Noah Cahill Sports Editor

Notre Dame fans are an infamously impatient group. Unsurprisingly, after their team’s 27-24 loss to No. 10 Miami in the season opener, frustration and disillusionment were the prevailing sentiments. Irish faithful were quick to distribute blame, criticizing the play calling of offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, a man many touted as one of the best in college football only days prior, and questioning why new defensive coordinator Chris Ash’s defense underperformed. These gripes have some merit. Jeremiyah Love did not get enough touches. The defensive line did not get enough pressure, and the offensive line struggled to get push in the run game or protect Carr on critical passing downs. With that said, this Notre Dame team showed enough on Sunday to give reasons for hope. Unlike devastating defeats in past seasons, from Marshall to NIU, this one is anything but an indictment of the program.

Making the trip to a sold-out Hard Rock Stadium to face a top10 opponent in week one was always going to prove a tall task, especially with a first-time starter at the helm. Notre Dame was outplayed and deserved to lose. But like in any close game, a few key plays swung in one team’s favor. Producing the highlight of the game and maybe of the weekend, Hurricane wide receiver CJ Daniels beat Leonard Moore on

few yards of the end zone. That’s when Carr produced a moment of magic. With the ball spotted at the three-yard line, he made his way all the way back to the 29-yard line to evade a Miami pass rusher and eventually find sophomore Micah Gilbert in the end zone. The sophomore’s second career catch, his first coming earlier on that drive, evened the score at 7-7.

Last season, Notre Dame was better than any team in the nation at dominating the “middle eight,” outscoring opponents by a difference of 131 points in the final four minutes of the first half and first four minutes of the second. In this game, Miami gave them a taste of their own medicine. Getting the ball back with just over five remaining in the half, Beck and co. pieced together a 10-play, 70-yard scoring drive capped off by the play of the game. Wide receiver CJ Daniels beat star corner Leonard Moore on a double-move before laying out for a one-handed grab in front of an astonished Adon Shuler.

Starting with the ball in the second half, the Miami offensive line continued building its case for being the best unit in the game. Having already corralled the Irish pass rush for 30 minutes, they powered a statement drive that gave the Hurricanes a two-touchdown advantage. The 12-play, 75-yard march spanned 7:37 and included eight run plays. The exclamation mark

was a four-yard end zone dive that required the force of all five linemen pushing running back CharMar Brown across the line.

When the Irish followed that up with a discombobulated three-andout, they looked to be in serious trouble. Smelling the blood in the water, the Miami offense had to think a three-score advantage would put the game to bed early. As they did countless times a season prior, the defense delivered another important stop, and a quick one at that. Aided by a couple of defensive penalties, the Irish drove down and scored to bring the game back within a score. The signature play of the drive was a contested sideline ball that Fields brought down with a defender draped all over him. The catch gave everyone a glimpse of what he was brought in to do for this offense.

Another quick stop put the ball back in Notre Dame’s hands. But on second-and-two, a tip-drill interception completely deflated their momentum. The choice to throw yet another screen pass, a play called several times throughout the game with little success, with Love in the backfield, was a questionable one. It would also prove to be a very costly one, as Miami regained a two-score lead through a 38-yard field goal after the takeaway.

“There’s times where you got to take away the read and say, ‘just hand the ball to your running

FOOTBALL

Cahill:

a double move before laying out for a one-handed touchdown grab right in front of a tentative Adon Shuler. Those are two things you may never see again this season, no less on the same play. A tip-drill interception that was kicked into the air by a Miami defender would prove to be the other defining moment. Beyond those two plays, Miami dominated the middle eight minutes and won the turnover battle 2-0, two areas where Notre Dame didn’t just thrive last season, but were the best in the country. Despite all of this, head coach Marcus Freeman’s team showcased resilience when it seemed they might tap out early.

“It was a top-10 fight,” Freeman said after the game. “Comes down to a three-point game against a hell of a football team. Our guys got a confidence to build off of.”

Of the many reasons for optimism, CJ Carr’s performance is at the top of the list. The sophomore proved to everyone why he deserved the job after a full offseason of drama. The coaching staff made a point to give Carr easy reads early in the game and placed full trust in him to make the right decisions. He looked comfortable getting the ball out on time in the face of pressure from a Miami front that terrorized Notre Dame’s offensive line for much of the contest forcing three sacks and two intentional groundings for Carr. Trailing 21-7 on his first offensive possession in the second half, Carr was let loose to unleash more vertical throws, connecting with Malachi Fields

backs,’” Freeman said when asked about the play call not just for the interception, but throughout the game. In hindsight, a heavier dosage of Love would probably have been a better formula for Notre Dame, but hindsight is 20/20. Notre Dame would not go away, though. Another downfield connection to Fields eventually set up transfer kicker Noah Burnette to convert his first field goal attempt of the season from 39 yards. The defense came up with another timely three-and-out. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Raridon got free for a 65-yard reception that set the Irish offense up deep in Miami territory. As he did for most of the night, Carr showed off his legs, punching in a touchdown after a tough seven-yard run through plenty of contact. His toughness was on full display not just during that play, but as he took punishment throughout the full 60 minutes.

“He’s gonna be a really good quarterback,” Freeman said. “He’s a gamer. He performs when the lights are on … he’s gonna do great things, it’s just the start for him.”

The quick score left Beck and Miami with plenty of time to orchestrate the would-be game-winning drive. A couple of chunk plays and a pass interference call set up kicker Carter Davis with a look from 47 yards that he converted. With just

Do not panic

multiple times downfield. He also displayed his rushing ability, carrying the ball 11 times, many of them designed runs.

After leading his team down the field with under five minutes remaining in the fourth, he punched in the game-tying touchdown after withstanding serious contact. The play nobody will forget, however, was a scramble that took him from the 3-yard line all the way back to the 29-yard line before tossing a no-look pass to a wide-open Micah Gilbert in the corner of the end zone.

“I said throw it away,” Freeman said when asked about his inner dialogue during the play. “Those are plays that CJ Carr can make.”

It is that high-level playmaking ability that makes Carr so tantalizing as a prospect. But with the highs were a fair share of lows as well. None were more costly than the fourth-quarter interception on second-and-2 with Love waiting in the backfield. Carr made the read to pull the ball and throw a screen pass that was tipped airborne and secured by the Miami cornerback, halting Notre Dame’s growing momentum. His ability to respond after that moment is what stood out most, though.

“He came back and drove us down for a field goal, and the next drive after that was a 75-yard touchdown drive,” Freeman said. “He’s a gamer, man. He performs when the lights are on … He’s gonna do great things, it’s just the start for him.”

As much as that mistake can

over a minute and no timeouts remaining, Carr was never really given a chance to tie or win the game. Miami emerged with the 27-24 victory after a hard-fought battle. After the game, Freeman expressed satisfaction with parts of his team’s performance but acknowledged the many improvements that need to be made.

“Our guys got a lot of confidence to build off of,” Freeman said. “We got to build on things we did well and fix with urgency the things we didn’t do well.”

Notre Dame lost this game in the trenches, which is something not many would have expected coming in. The four-man rush was kept at bay for most of the game, and the run game never seemed fully established. That will have to change if this group wishes to reach its full potential. Coach Freeman is hopeful that they can do just that.

“Every goal we have is still ahead of us,” he said.

His statement rings true, especially considering what Carr put on display in his first game at the helm. With that said, the loss raises the stakes of the games that await, with none being bigger than the home opener with Texas A&M in two weeks’ time. Notre Dame will have a bye week to prepare for what may be a season-defining test.

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

be placed on Carr’s bad decision, questions should be asked of the coaching staff, not just on that play, but throughout the game, regarding the lack of touches for Love and his backfield partner, Jadarian Price. The two combined to see only 16 carries for 78 yards, with Price not taking a handoff outside of the second quarter. Carr led the team with 11 carries, while Love only knotted 10. As important as it is to give Carr opportunities to make reads, sometimes the ball needs to be placed in your best player’s hands, and Freeman admitted it.

“There’s times where you got to take away the read and say, ‘just hand the ball to your running backs,’” Freeman said. “We started to say later in the game, stop reading it and hand the ball to J Love.”

It ended up being too little too late.

Beyond play calling, the bigger questions for Notre Dame will need to be answered in the trenches, an area that many expected the Irish to dominate, but were a clear second-best on Sunday. A unit that was placed in the inner circle of Joe Moore Award contenders before the season looked overwhelmed. The late departure of Anthonie Knapp from the game due to cramps did not help matters, and left Guerby Lambert and Sullivan Absher rotating throughout. The Irish also missed the play from projected starting right guard Charles Jagusah, who is recovering from a fractured left humerus.

On the other side of the ball,

Notre Dame’s defensive line rarely got home with their four-man rush, allowing a 28-yard touchdown pass to CJ Daniels the only time they did. Hardly ever dialing up the blitz, Ash’s game plan relied on the production of a highlytouted group of edge rushers. They were unable to provide it.

“You’re not gonna be really successful on defense if you can’t get pressure on the quarterback with four-man rushes,” Freeman said. “My expectation for that unit is to dominate the game … credit to Miami, we weren’t able to do that.”

The immense potential is there for both lines. They will need to reach it for Notre Dame to keep its playoff hopes alive.

Losing by three points on the road to a top-10 opponent should not cause anyone to press the panic button. While the margin for error has gotten tighter, chances of a spot in the postseason remain high for the Irish. Unlike after the losses of years past, Freeman has built a foundation of trust. Improvement was never a guarantee then. It looks far more realistic now.

A lot will come down to week three, coming out of a bye week to face Texas A&M in the first home game of the season. There is reason to believe this Notre Dame team will be up for the challenge. Freeman’s sentiment after the loss rings true.

“Every goal we have is still ahead of us.”

Contact Noah Cahill at ncahill2@nd.edu

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Mary Bailey junior Breen-Phillips Hall

“The Commanders.”

Ben Walsh senior off-campus “The Chiefs.”

In preparation for NFL kickoff this weekend, what team do you think will win the Super Bowl?

Daniel Harrison senior off-campus “The Ravens.”

CROSSWORD | WILL SHORTZ

Dylan Powers freshman Stanford Hall

“The Lions.”

Sam Landon sophomore Keenan Hall

“The Jets.”

SOCIAL MEDIA POLL

Have an idea for a poll? Email dstangel@nd.edu

How did the first week of classes go?

A recent poll conducted by The Observer was done via Instagram and recieved a total of 160 responses. The majority of students, totaling 44% with 71 votes, noted that their first week of classes were “good.” An additional 28%, or 44 students, noted that their classes were “okay” during the week. On the optimistic side, 19% of students, with 31 votes, responded that their first-week classes were “amazing.” The smallest portion of student respondees, 9% with 14 votes, noted that their classes were “bad” during the first week.

THE NEXT FIVE DAYS

Want your event included here? Email news@ndsmcobserver.com

Wednesday

“Songs Without Words” solo play by Jennifer Vosters ‘16 Moreau Center for the Arts

7:30 p.m.

Thursday

Belles soccer vs. North Central University Rams

Purcell Athletic Fields

7 p.m.

Friday

Notre Dame women’s volleyball vs. Illinois Purcell Pavilion

6:30 p.m.

Saturday

Zach Bryan concert

Notre Dame Stadium

7 p.m.

Sunday

Notre Dame men’s soccer vs. Indiana Hoosiers Alumni Stadium

7:30 p.m.

PHOTO

MARY TADDONIO | The Observer

Irish women’s soccer travels to Michigan State

By Chris Dailey Sports Writer

Notre Dame women’s soccer will travel to East Lansing on Thursday night for a square off against No. 17 Michigan State. Fresh off an eye-catching 8-0 thrashing of Oakland, a game in which seven different players found the back of the net, the Irish are looking to keep their hot start to the season alive. This time it can mean avenging a 1-2 home loss to the Spartans last season.

Prior to their sumptuous victory against the Golden Grizzlies, the Irish knocked off Cincinnati and Michigan by a combined score of 7-0. Sophomore Izzy Engle scored a brace in each game. Engle also netted a pair of goals in Notre Dame’s season opener against Western Michigan.

Overall, through five games to start the year, the Irish are 4-0-1. Their only blemish came on the road in a hard-fought 2-2 draw against No. 8 Arkansas. Notre Dame has scored 19 goals and only allowed 3 so far. Their remarkable start to the 2025 campaign matches expectations going into the season.

Heading into the year, the Irish were ranked No. 2 in the country — their highest mark since 2011, the year following the team’s last national championship. Meanwhile, Engle and senior captain Leah Klenke were named preseason All-ACC. Engle was also added to the Mac Hermann Trophy watchlist.

If the Irish continue to cruise their way to impressive victories, Engle will likely be at the forefront of their efforts. Her relentless pressing in the attacking third combined with her composure inside the box makes her one of the most unique players in

college soccer. The Spartans will have to keep a watchful eye on the goal-getting Engle if they are to keep the game close.

However, even if the Spartans execute that part of their game-plan to perfection, they will still have to deal with the other potent attacking threats Notre Dame possesses. Fellow sophomore Ellie Hodsden has already notched three goals on the year, while sophomore Anabelle Chukwu is finding her elite form once again as she scored a goal in each of the last two games.

In the middle of the park, the Irish’s grouping of Laney Matriano, Grace Restovich, Charlie Codd and Chayse Ying have won just about every 50/50 ball they’ve had they chance to compete for. The tenacity of that group is the backbone of the Irish’s tactics. Head coach Nate Norman likes to drop his team behind the ball on the defense, and he wisely uses the midfield as a link from the defensive to attacking phases of play.

Notre Dame are up against a Spartans team that are likewise not lacking in the goals department.

Powered by Renee Watson’s two goals and two assists, the Spartans trounced Milwaukee 9-0 en route to their 400th win in program history. Seven of the nine goals were notched in the second-half.

In the previous match, Michigan State took down NC State 3-0. Freshman goalkeeper Noelle Henning produced a strong outing in that fixture. The Canadian senior international, who has a plethora of accolades attached to her name, will pose a strong test to Notre Dame’s star-studded attack.

Overall, Michigan State is 3-1-2 on the year. They are coming off of an uncharacteristic 5-2 loss on the road at Xavier. The Spartans defense were not up to their usual standard, surrendering 19 shots. If Michigan State is to give the Irish a true run for their money, they have to find their footing in the defensive third once again.

The game has all the makings to be highly competitive and will be a great challenge for Notre Dame before they enter the gauntlet that is conference play. The match will be broadcast on the Fox Sports App at 7 p.m. on Sept. 4.

Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu

Saint Mary’s soccer prepares for homestand

By Claire Watson Associate Sports Editor

Saint Mary’s soccer kicked off their season with two wins this past weekend. The Belles beat Franklin College 2-0 and Governors State 3-1 two days later to move to 2-0.

On the road against Franklin, Saint Mary’s jumped out to the first lead of the season thanks to junior defender Brooke Baumann. Baumann scored on a penalty kick only 10:30 into the first half. In the second half, the Belles added another goal as

sophomore defensive player

Isabella Kreydich scored unassisted at the 54:42 mark. This would be the final goal of the game to help Saint Mary’s get the win and improve to 1-0.

Governors State proved to be more of a challenge for the Belles. In their home opener, Saint Mary’s again took an early lead as freshman duo forward Mia Johnson and midfielder Marley Cady worked together to score 25:52 into the first. Kreydich added another goal later in the first, giving the Belles

a 2-0 lead heading into the second half. Governors State tried to make their comeback, knocking a goal to cut the lead 2-1, but senior midfielder Janelle Aiello responded with one more unassisted goal, to bring the final to 3-1.

Now 2-0 on the season, the Belles look to build on a strong opening week with home games against North Central (Minn.) and Bluffton.

North Central (Minn.)

This will be the first time these two teams meet. The North Central Rams come

into this game 1-1 on the season following a 1-0 win to Faith Baptist Bible College.

Bluffton

This past season, the Belles faced off against the Bluffton Beavers but fell in a close 2-1 loss. Even while the Belles held Bluffton scoreless throughout the first half, Bluffton found their way past the defense to drop in two more goals and take the 2-1 win.

This season, Bluffton currently stands 1-1 on the season, with a game against

Wooster next, before their game against Saint Mary’s on Sept. 6. Sophomore Brysan Brewer currently leads the Beavers on the field with a total of two goals scored alongside a total of six shots taken and four shots on goal. The Belles will host both teams this week. The match against the Rams is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m while their match against Bluffton is set for Saturday Sept. 6 at 2 p.m.

Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu

SMC SOCCER

MARIELLA TADDONIO | The Observer

Sophomore midfielder Abby Pinto controls the ball in the midfield during the first half of Notre Dame’s 4-0 victory over Cincinnati at Alumni Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 21. Pinto made her first career start in the Irish win.

Belles volleyball readies for Benedictine twinbill

By Claire Watson Associate Sports Editor

As Saint Mary’s volleyball prepares for a doubleheader against Benedictine, there is no doubt that the Belles will come out ready to fight. The team opened their season with a record of 4-0 at Cedar Point Invitational, wasting no time proving their ability on the court.

Now, the team prepares to face off against Benedictine in Illinois for their first match, with the next being at home.

Last year, the two teams took the court against one another, and Saint Mary’s

took the quick 3-0 sweep.

Then senior outside hitter Cali Allen finished the match with 11 kills, while alongside her, now sophomore outside and middle hitter, Kalli Lewskowski added nine.

Saint Mary’s Showing up to play and make their mark, the Belles swept the floor this past weekend.

Starting with Oberlin, the Belles took no time to take all three sets. Sophomore setter Giuliana Graczyk tallied 16 assists for the match high followed by junior setter Abby Reese who added 15 of her own. Junior middle

hitter Caroline Carens led the Belles in that match with 11 kills while senior outside and middle hitter Delaney Martin tallied seven kills.

Next up was Mt. St. Joseph for the Belles. Quickly taking the first set, the Belles were up 1-0, but Mt. St. Joseph made their comeback to tie the score at one apiece. The Belles took the final two sets to take the win and move to 2-0 on the season.

Hiram was the third match of the season for the now comfortable Saint Mary’s team. The Belles took a quick 3-1 win to move to 3-0 on the season. Freshman outside hitter Shannon Rudge and

defensive specialist Martin together added 10 kills, and Carens led the team with 12 kills. The final match of the tournament featured Saint Mary’s vs. Kenyon. Similarly to the other weekend matches, Saint Mary’s dominated on the court taking the 3-1 win and moving to 4-0 to start off their season. Martin finished with a career high of 16 kills while Carens and Rudge added 15 and 10, respectively.

Benedictine

Benedictine enters the matches currently 1-2 on the season with 0-3 losses

to Wheaton College and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a solo 3-2 win against Monmouth College. Sophia Sommesi leads the court for Benedictine with a total of 41 kills while Emma Cuzas follows with 20. Sommesi also leads the team offensively with a total of 46.5 points on the season.

Game one between the two teams will begin away at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3, before the two return to South Bend on Sept. 9 for the Belles’ home opener at 7 p.m.

Contact Claire Watson at cwatson7@nd.edu

Saints women’s soccer on the road to face Goshen

By Chris Dailey Sports Writer

The Holy Cross women’s soccer team will travel 45 minutes southeast this Wednesday night for an out-of-conference match against Goshen College. 0-3 to start the year, the Saints have shown potential as they work out early-season

growing pains. Holy Cross will have to be on their A-game as they go up against a 1-0-2 Goshen side that started their season with a 2-1 win vs Lawrence Tech before drawing on level terms with perennial CCAC Championship contender Olivet Nazarene as well as Indiana University Northwest.

The Saints, meanwhile, have yet to record a goal this season. The team has lost their last two matches against Northwestern Ohio and Bethel 2-0 after having been defeated by Marian 3-0 in their season opener.

If Holy Cross is to get back on track, they’ll have to rely upon their highly-touted

forward, junior Miriam Iturriaga-Sanchez. The goalscoring machine tucked the ball away 12 times last year, one of the best records in the CCAC. The Saints will need to find a way to feed IturriagaSanchez the ball, especially as they go up against a stingy Goshen defense.

Iturriaga-Sanchez is not

the only high-caliber player that Holy Cross returns from last year. Freshman defender Abigail Fouts and senior midfielder Neyda Macias were named first and second team All-Conference, respectively. Fouts tallied four games from the backline and helped propel Holy Cross to 8 wins in 2024. Macias, on the other hand, showcased her technical ability in the midfield. A superb ball handler, Macias provides a spark of creativity that Holy Cross will surely utilize against Goshen.

Holy Cross will also need some newer names to rise to the occasion as they seek their first win of the year. One of those names is freshman goalkeeper Janiah Juarez. A former star at nearby Penn High School, Juarez picked up the nickname “Ice Cube” for her cool nature in between the posts. Assuming the goalkeeper role from Madeline Agee, a former Gateway student who has since joined the Notre Dame women’s soccer team, Juarez had big shoes to fill. So far, Juarez has lived up to the expectations placed upon her. Juarez has made several big saves through the first three games of the year. The Saints will need her to step up big once again on Wednesday night.

Following the match, Holy Cross will enjoy a nine day rest before their forthcoming match. If there’s one thing that’s for certain, head coach Duma Magagula will have his team to battle hard as they always do.

The livestream for Wednesday’s match can be found on Goshen College’s athletic website, goleafs.net.

Contact Chris Dailey at cdailey2@nd.edu

HCC WOMEN’S SOCCER

Senior midfielder Annabella Alfreda is dragged down

Carr rallies Notre Dame in debut, shows promise

By Tyler Reidy Associate Sports Editor

Sunday’s 27-24 Miami defeat of Notre Dame will be remembered for its final drives, and reasonably so. That’s where the game was most obviously won. The Hurricanes drove to kick a go-ahead field goal, and the Irish could not muster a response with more than a minute on the clock.

For Notre Dame, the sky isn’t falling with a three-point road loss to the No. 10 ranked team in America. Irish fans searching for signs of hope don’t have to look much farther than the game’s decisive point, only toward the final offensive play Notre Dame ran before Miami took over for its winning drive.

On that play, redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr took a 7-yard quarterback draw to the end zone, completing a 14-point Irish comeback and tying the game at 24-24. In one of the toughest starting debut spots imaginable — a primetime top-10 duel between the national runner-up and one of its fiercest rivals –Carr handled himself wonderfully. Having never attempted a college pass before Sunday’s game, Carr completed 19/30 of them at Hard Rock Stadium, totaling 221 pass yards with

two passing touchdowns and a score on the ground.

“He’s gonna be a really good quarterback — everything that I thought he was gonna be,” head coach Marcus Freeman said after Sunday’s game. “His ceiling is so high.”

After a bumpy start during which the Irish did not gain a first down on three of their first four drives, Carr composed an epic play to answer Miami’s opening touchdown.

With less than six minutes to play in the first half, he and the Irish faced a third-andgoal from the Miami 7-yard line. Looking to pass, Carr was quickly flushed from the pocket, retreating some 23 yards behind the line of scrimmage. As Carr backtracked, he mimicked two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, swerving to one side, then back the other. Escaping the pocket left, Carr lost defensive tackle Ahmad Moten and drifted forward, lobbing his first career touchdown pass to freshman wideout Micah Gilbert.

“We had a 3-by-1 set with two ends to the field,” Carr described of the score. “They were playing some sort of middle field open coverage — just really low to squeeze a slant in there. I felt backside pressure, so I just tried to make a guy miss, did it, and Micah

Gilbert made a great catch — great effort to get open in the end zone.”

Miami took over the game’s middle third, opening up a 21-7 lead shortly after halftime and putting the Irish offense in a tough spot. Carr again responded, though, hitting junior wide receiver Jordan Faison for a 1-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to just one score on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Notre Dame’s defense followed with a quick stop, affording the freshman quarterback his first crack at a tying drive in high leverage.

That’s when Carr made his only major mistake of the night. On the drive’s second play, a run-pass option, Carr pulled the ball from junior running back Jeremiyah Love and released a screen pass to Faison. Miami had already swarmed Faison, though, creating an interception that helped the Hurricanes take a 10-point lead.

In hindsight, Carr recognized that on a second-and-2, handing the rock to his AllAmerican running back may have been the superior choice.

“I think I need to continue to get a better feel for what our offense needs in the moment, and a lot of times it’s gonna be Jeremiyah Love,” Carr said.

“On the pick, I should’ve just given him the ball specifically, and [I] cost us a big play. [I’ve] just gotta keep growing.”

Impressively, Carr did not let the late interception derail his performance. On his next drive, he led Notre Dame to a field goal that tightened the score to 24-17. On the one after that, a repeat opportunity to tie the game, he found senior tight end Eli Raridon for a 65-yard completion before channeling Riley Leonard, the rushing touchdown machine who wore Notre Dame’s No. 13 before him, for the tying touchdown.

Carr, who had already taken some severe punishment from Hurricanes defenders for running the football earlier in the quarter, impressively showed no hesitation near the goal line.

“It was something we had a lot of success with last year, and whenever my number’s called to run, that’s what we’ve gotta do to win the game,” Carr said. “I think it helped us tonight.”

In a 17-point fourth quarter, Carr gained plenty of confidence in himself and the offense and hopes that Notre Dame can find that productivity right away next Saturday against Texas A&M. However, he’s still keenly aware that his

record as the starting quarterback begins with a zero, not a one. As any good leader would, Carr pointed the finger at himself after Sunday’s game, expressing his eagerness to address what must be improved.

“We attack it tonight, we attack it tomorrow,” Carr said. “Tonight wasn’t good enough out of me specifically, and we’ve gotta be able to get better. My dad always says the only way to get rid of the loss is with a win.”

And while the freshman’s demeanor at the podium on Sunday would suggest he’ll be alright, Coach Freeman still made it clear that Carr can’t beat himself up over losing his first start. The competitor in him may tempt him to go that route, but the bottom line is that the potential Carr displayed is much, much too high for him to do anything but look forward.

“He’s a gamer, man,” Freeman said of Carr. “He performs when the lights are on, he prepares his tail off, he had answers for questions that myself or Coach [Mike] Denbrock would have and he’s gonna do great things. It’s just the start for him.”

Contact Tyler Reidy at treidy3@nd.edu

KIERA JONES | The Observer

Redshirt freshman quarterback CJ Carr celebrates in the endzone with sophomore offensive lineman Sullivan Absher following his first career touchdown pass. Carr finished with 221 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and one interception in Notre Dame’s 27-24 season opening loss to the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 31.