College football fans are buzzing with excitement as the season approaches, and Notre Dame supporters are particularly eager. With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, the Fighting Irish have high hopes of making it this year. As August rolls in and games are set to kick off on the 24th, fans nationwide are gearing up for the new season. This offseason has been a bit more bearable thanks to the release of EA Sports NCAA 25 in July.
This year will bring some new rules that might not sit well with everyone. The addition of a two-minute warning, similar to the NFL, is likely to mean more commercial breaks, adding another pause in the action for TV networks to capitalize on.
On a more positive note, changes like the playoff expansion and conference realignment are reshaping college football. Next year, college football will look quite different with the expansion to 12 playoff teams and shifts in conference affiliations. For instance, California schools will now be part of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Pac-12 has essentially disintegrated. The remaining teams have joined new conferences: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Arizona State are in the Big 12, while Oregon, Oregon State, USC, and UCLA have moved to the Big Ten. Cal and Stanford are now part of the ACC. Additionally, Oklahoma and Texas are joining the SEC, leading to the possibility of the Big Ten and SEC emerging as super conferences.
The expanded playoff means more games and more excitement, though some may still be wary of the change. As college football undergoes these major transformations, this season is set to be one of the most memorable yet.
For Notre Dame, which has struggled to break into the College Football Playoff in recent years, the upcoming season marks the third under head coach Marcus Freeman. The Fighting Irish have had their share of ups and downs; after a rocky start in 2022, finishing 9-4 felt like a win. Last season, a strong beginning led to a 10-3 record, but a narrow loss to Ohio State early in the year dampened spirits.
With the new playoff format, Notre Dame is expected to contend for a spot. Although they won’t have a bye due to the playoff structure favoring conference champions, their focus is on securing a berth and ultimately winning it all. Despite having a promising team, there’s one major obstacle that could make their path to the championship even more difficult.
