Fighting Irish Today

Notre Dame made history Thursday night with a 27-24 victory over Penn State in the Orange Bowl, securing its first national championship game appearance since 2012. The Fighting Irish are now in pursuit of their first national title in nearly 40 years.

However, after the game, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman was asked by ESPN reporter Molly McGrath how his achievement as the first Black head coach to reach a title game tied into the significance of the win.

Freeman, who has faced similar questions throughout the lead-up to the game, deftly refocused the conversation on his team’s collective effort and the milestone they had just reached.

“I’ve said this before, I don’t ever want to take attention away from the team,” Freeman responded. “It is an honor, and I hope all coaches—minorities, Black, Asian, White, it doesn’t matter—continue to get opportunities to lead young men like this.”

“But this ain’t about me,” he added. “This is about us. We’re going to celebrate what we’ve done because it’s something special.”

While Freeman’s remarks were widely praised, some social media users criticized the question itself. Among them was NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his support for the coach’s handling of the situation.

“Terrible question, but great response by Notre Dame head coach,” Favre wrote. “Sports should bring people together, not separate.”

Freeman has consistently downplayed the personal focus on his race, stressing that his success is a result of teamwork and collective effort. He echoed similar sentiments earlier this week after Notre Dame’s Sugar Bowl victory against Georgia, where he said, “You’re grateful to be a part of this opportunity, but you don’t want to take away from how we got to this point—talking about your team and everyone who put in the work.”

He also highlighted the contributions of those who came before him: “This isn’t about me. This isn’t about one person. It takes a team, a program, and a lot of people committing to something bigger than themselves to get here.”

Freeman acknowledged that his position is opening doors for future generations of coaches but emphasized that focusing too much on one individual detracts from the collective achievement.

Now, with the national championship game set for January 20, Notre Dame is waiting to find out who their opponent will be. The Cotton Bowl Classic, featuring Ohio State and Texas, will determine the other team to join Notre Dame in the title game.