Irish Breakdown

Why Marcus Freeman’s ESPN Presence Is a Huge Win for Notre Dame

ESPN truly can't get enough of Notre Dame, even during the national championship
Nick Shepkowski|
Sep 27, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman during the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Notre Dame won 56-13.
Sep 27, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman during the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Notre Dame won 56-13. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The college football season comes to an official end Monday night when Indiana and Miami battle in the National Championship game in Miami.

Notre Dame's season came to an end back on Thanksgiving weekend as it beat Stanford handidly, but was left out of the College Football Playoff.

Despite that, Notre Dame football will still be well represented in the pregame television coverage for Monday's game, as head coach Marcus Freeman will serve as a guest analyst during College GameDay.

Initially, Anything with ESPN Feels Like Ick

I won't lie. My first thought when I saw this post on Friday was the same of many Notre Dame fans.

Something along the lines of: "Ugh. ESPN. Really?"

After all, ESPN was more to blame for giving the College Football Playoff committee a pass on ranking Alabama ahead of Notre Dame the final two weeks than anyone. They're also to blame for seemingly the rest of the college football world focusing on a Notre Dame vs. Miami debate, instead of focusing on what it should have been, a Notre Dame vs. Alabama debate.

However, as much as my first thought was not a good one, a quick step back allowed for a clear head and a chance to see the positives of this for Notre Dame.

Good Publicity for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame

As much as I'd like to forever tell ESPN to go spit from a Notre Dame perspective, that's not entirely possible. I won't pretend to care about the ever-sacred Pop-Tarts Bowl like many of the self-serving media did this winter, but instead I'll focus on the big picture for Notre Dame.

As was the case when Marcus Freeman first took the head coaching job at Notre Dame, everything is seen as a recruiting opportunity. That's important to remember when Monday night's National Championship game gets going.

Notre Dame hasn't played a football game for over a month-and-a-half now, but who is ESPN deciding to put on before the game?

Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman.

It's hard at times, and I'm as guilty of it as anyone when it comes to ESPN, but the more publicity Notre Dame gets only means good things for the Fighting Irish football program.

Like it or not, nobody else is showing the National Championship game other than ESPN.

Just avoid it entirely and act like it's not happening?

That's fun to say and all, but not exactly helpful.

What does help things for the Irish is Freeman being on the College GameDay set, if even for a short amount of time, before the biggest game of the year that will settle a playoff champion in a postseason his team wasn't even a part of.

How many other coaches and programs can lay claim to that?

That's what I thought, and you can bet it'll be used in even a small capacity to recruits as well.

Published
Nick Shepkowski
NICK SHEPKOWSKI

Managing Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.

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