Fighting Irish looking forward to BYU trip
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Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman enjoys playing the weekly chess match each fall.
He likes it even more when the Fighting Irish are playing on the road.
Make no mistake, Freeman loves playing beneath Touchdown Jesus, inside a stadium dripping with history and occupied by a sea of blue, gold and green-clad fans roaring in South Bend. It's just that when he takes Notre Dame on the road, it's a different kind of challenge.
"Let's go play against the best on their home field, in their environment, where's it's us against everybody," the usually low-key Freeman said Monday. "I kind of like it there. Obviously, I love playing at home, but there's something about going on the road when it's us against everybody and it makes you say, 'OK, we've got to do this together,' and I love it."
That next opportunity comes Saturday when the second-ranked Irish (6-0) put a 16-game winning streak on the line as they visit No. 8 BYU (5-0) in one of two top-10 matchups this weekend. The other has unbeaten No. 5 Indiana hosting No. 4 Ohio State in a rematch of last year's Big Ten championship game.
All four teams have hopes of making the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
But for the Irish, who opted out of playing a bowl game last season after being snubbed by the CFP selection committee, this is their first -- and perhaps best -- opportunity to prove they're capable of winning their first national championship since 1988.
It's also the toughest matchup of the season so far for BYU.
So the Irish and Freeman, now in his fifth full season as Notre Dame's coach, know what to expect. The crowd will be loud and wild because when Notre Dame travels, it's always someone else's biggest game.
"Like this is what Notre Dame football does," Freeman said. "We go into different places, and it's a big game and that's what we expect. That's why we're here. That's why we choose to come to Notre Dame. We love this. I love it, they love it, like this is exactly why we're at Notre Dame."
This trip will be somewhat unusual for these Irish players and coaches. The teams last met in 2022 in Las Vegas, with Notre Dame winning 28-20. But this one is in Provo, Utah, a city that sits 4,551 feet above sea level and where the Irish have only played twice -- winning 45-20 in 1993 and losing 20-17 in 2004.
Pitt kickoff set
PITTSBURGH -- The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Monday that the Pitt football team will kick off its game in Miami on Oct. 24 at noon on national television.
The game will be televised on either ABC or ESPN, which will be determined at a later date.
In their most recent trip to Florida, the Panthers beat the Hurricanes, 42-16, in 2022. Pitt is 5-1. Miami is 5-0 and ranked third in the country this week.
Huskies QB hurting
SEATTLE -- Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. seems unlikely to return this week from a rib injury he suffered during the Huskies' loss to Iowa. Head coach Jedd Fisch officially described Williams' status as day to day but said that he didn't practice Monday, with Elijah Brown taking all the reps with the starting offense. The Huskies are set to fly to Indiana on Thursday for their Friday night game against Purdue.
JMU on the move
IRVING, Texas -- James Madison is leaving the Sun Belt Conference for the American Conference in 2028.
James Madison's board of directors voted unanimously Monday to make the move no later than July 1, 2028.
The Dukes will compete in the American Conference in 17 of the 18 sports the school sponsors, with women's field hockey remaining in the Mid-American Conference.
"The American Conference is a destination, and James Madison University represents everything we value and strengthens our membership," American Commissioner Tim Pernetti said in a statement. "The Dukes have rapidly built a nationally recognized brand through a culture of innovation, investment, bold leadership and competitive success. JMU's trajectory aligns with who we are and where we are going."
JMU transitioned from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision in 2022 and its football team became a full FBS member after a two-year transition period. The Dukes won the Sun Belt championship and earned the Group of Five berth into the 12-team College Football Playoff last season, losing to Oregon 51-34 in their first playoff game.
Curt Cignetti led JMU to a 19-4 record over two seasons before leaving for Indiana, where he took the Hoosiers to their first national championship a year ago.
The Dukes are 6-0 this season under former Florida coach Billy Napier.
The addition of James Madison will give the American Conference, with such teams as Memphis, South Florida, Temple, Army and Navy, 14 full members in football. The Sun Belt currently has 14 football-playing members.
"With James Madison's recent announcement of its planned departure, the conference leadership will examine and evaluate all opportunities as it continues its work to ensure the sustained rise of the Sun Belt Conference -- the premier FBS non-autonomy conference in the country," the Sun Belt said in a statement.