football

Marcus Freeman has been officially named the new head coach of the University of Notre Dame’s football team. Freeman was hired by Notre Dame in January 2021 as a defensive coordinator.

The news comes after former head coach Brian Kelly unexpectedly left the team for a head coaching job at LSU earlier this week.

The Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Idaho Vandals 56-14 in Bloomington Saturday night.

IU improved to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play in what was the first game played in front of fans since 2019.  No fans were allowed last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw two touchdowns and ran for another.  Indiana also scored on two punt returns for touchdowns.

"Our student section is unbelievable, they were there an hour before kickoff, loud and I just want to thank them," said Head Coach Tom Allen.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indianapolis high school is naming a new scholarship fund in honor of alum Chris Beaty, a former Indiana University football player and businessman who was slain in downtown Indianapolis last May during unrest following the death of George Floyd. Cathedral High School announced last week that $100,000 donated to the school from a GoFundMe campaign will go toward the new Chris Beaty ’00 Endowed Memorial Tuition Fund.

NEW (Mar. 1):

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Former Notre Dame and NFL player Louis Nix III has died after being missing for several days, but many questions linger about the circumstances of his death. Nix's mother Stephanie Wingfield told multiple news outlets in Jacksonville, Florida, that authorities said her son died but haven't been able to tell her how. Family members say his car was pulled out of a pond near his home on Saturday. In December 2020, he was shot in an armed robbery. Nix had received high praise during his time with the Fighting Irish. He was then drafted by the Houston Texans in 2014 but struggled to make an impact in the NFL due to injuries.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame's football program is on NCAA probation until next January. The school admitted to recruiting violations in 2019 in which a now-former assistant had an impermissible in-person meeting with one prospect and sent impermissible text messages to another. The NCAA  announced the negotiated resolution after it was reviewed by the Division I Committee on Infractions. Official recruiting visits will be reduced from 56 to 55 to this year and there will be cuts in number of days prospects can make unofficial campus visits.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Notre Dame has lost another playoff semifinal in Texas, falling 31-14 to No. 1 Alabama in the relocated Rose Bowl. It was a better showing for the Irish than their blowout loss to Clemson in the semifinals two years ago. But the fourth-ranked Irish still lost in a playoff or New Year's Six bowl for the seventh straight time since 2000. Notre Dame was a three-touchdown underdog and fell behind quickly 14-0. But the defense improved, and Ian Book had the Irish moving with a chance to get within a touchdown in the second half before throwing an interception.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — The College Football Playoff semifinal in Texas will be allowed to call itself the Rose Bowl Game, but Pasadena officials don’t want the New Year’s game relocated in the future. Pasadena officials agreed to allow the Tournament of Roses to move the game to Arlington, Texas, on New Year’s Day. No. 1 Alabama will play fourth-ranked Notre Dame in the first CFP semifinal at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas. The Tournament of Rose will pay the city $2 million to help Pasadena with its expenses and lost revenue as a result of the game being relocated.

Friday night's rescheduled football game between No. 7 Indiana and Purdue has been canceled because of concerns over COVID-19. It's the second time in two weeks the annual contest for the Old Oaken Bucket was scrapped. It is the first time it won't be played since a two-year hiatus in 1918 and 1919.  Approximately 125 games since late August have been postponed or canceled.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan has canceled its annual rivalry game at Ohio State because of the COVID-19 outbreak within the Wolverines football program. Michigan says the decision was made after discussions with medical professionals, athletic department staff, athletic trainers and doctors. The Buckeyes played through what coach Ryan Day called a mini outbreak on Saturday in a 52-12 win at Michigan State after he was relegated to watching the game from home. Day is among the coaches and players in the program that tested positive for the coronavirus.

NEW (Dec. 9):

Indiana and Purdue have canceled Saturday’s football game because of an increase in COVID-19 cases at each school.

It’s the first time since 1919 that the annual in-state rivalry will not be played.

Both teams canceled practices Tuesday, pausing all team activities. On Wednesday, Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson and Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski mutually agreed to cancel the game.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Ian Book threw three touchdown passes and ran for two scores in his final home game at Notre Dame, leading the second-ranked Fighting Irish to a 45-21 victory against Syracuse. The fifth-year senior led the Irish to a victory as a starter for the 30th time, the most ever for a Notre Dame quarterback. The Irish ran their winning streak to 16 games, best in the country, and their home winning streak to 24. Next up is the Dec. 19 ACC championship game against Clemson in Charlotte, North Carolina.

No. 2 Notre Dame wrapped up a spot in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game by virtue of the league shuffling its schedule Tuesday to create an open date for the Fighting Irish and No. 4 Clemson before their likely rematch on Dec. 19. The ACC announced Notre Dame's game against Wake Forest, which was rescheduled for Dec. 12 after being postponed in late September, will not be played. The first-place Irish host Syracuse on Saturday to complete their regular season. Clemson's postponed game at Florida State will also not be made up.

COLUMBIA. S.C. (AP) — Lou Holtz has tested positive for the coronavirus. The 83-year-old former college football coach confirmed the test Thursday to Columbia TV station WOLO. Holtz led Notre Dame to the 1988 national title in a Hall of Fame career. He has worked for ESPN and campaigned for President Donald Trump. Holtz is set to receiver the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump.

BOSTON (AP) — Ian Book passed for three touchdowns and ran for another and No. 2 Notre Dame overcame an early deficit to roll to a 45-31 victory over Boston College. The Fighting Irish's eighth straight win in the series between the FBS's only Catholic institutions gave coach Brian Kelly his 100th career victory at the school, tying him with Lou Holtz for second all-time. He is now just five behind coach Knute Rockne. A week after upsetting Clemson, Notre Dame racked up a season high 561 total yards led by Book, who finished 20 of 27 for 283 yards.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Paul Hornung, the dazzling "Golden Boy" of the Green Bay Packers whose singular ability as a runner, receiver, quarterback and kicker helped turn the team into an NFL dynasty, has died. He was 84. Hornung won the Heisman Trophy at Notre Dame, then headed to the Packers. He was the NFL MVP in 1961 and played on four championship teams. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

BOSTON (AP) — Second-ranked Notre Dame is looking to avoid another historic loss to Boston College as it tries to continue its journey to the College Football Playoff. The two schools will square off Saturday in the 26th edition of college football's Holy War. Boston College has some history of spoiling good seasons for the Irish, who come into the game with a 7-0 mark. The Irish beat Clemson at home in double overtime in their last game. The Eagles are 5-3 and nearly knocked off Clemson two weeks ago.

ATLANTA (AP) — Kyren Williams ran for two touchdowns, Ian Book passed for another score and No. 4 Notre Dame stifled Georgia Tech 31-13. Book completed 18-of-26 for 199 yards in another efficient performance for the 6-0 Fighting Irish. Williams shook off a fumble that Georgia Tech returned 93 yards for a touchdown to score on two short runs. Georgia has lost three in a row to drop to 2-5. Next up for Notre Dame: a showdown against No. 1 Clemson. 

Concord Schools Athletic Dept. Twitter account has posted that the Minutemen will not play in sectionals tonight against South Bend Adams. 

Here is what was posted: 

Purdue University’s head football coach, Jeff Brohm, confirmed his COVID-19 diagnosis Monday, after the results of both a daily antigen test and a PCR test taken Sunday came back positive. 

“It’s unfortunate, and it’s not ideal timing, but that’s the way that the world works today,” Brohm said in a Zoom press briefing Monday. 

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — Purdue says football coach Jeff Brohm has tested positive for the coronavirus. The athletic department says in a statement that Brohm is awaiting a second test to confirm the initial result. The school in Indiana says he is isolating at his home. He is expected to speak with reporters during his regularly scheduled Zoom call Monday morning. The Boilermakers are scheduled to host Iowa in their season opener Saturday.

Big Ten is going to give fall football a shot after all. Less than five weeks after the conference announced it would push football and other fall sports to spring because of the pandemic, the conference changed course. The Big Ten plans to begin its season the weekend of Oct. 24 with an eight-game schedule for each team. The Big Ten says its Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted unanimously to restart sports. Back in August, the conference voted to postpone fall sports. 

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — The Associated Press and other news organizations and publishers have no digital images from Saturday’s Notre Dame home game against Duke because of the school’s COVID-19 restrictions. Notre Dame did not allow independent photojournalists on the field or in the stands to photograph its opening game. The school used three photographers it employs to shoot images that will be uploaded to the Atlantic Coast Conference’s website.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Bar and restaurant owners in South Bend are exploring ways to attract more customers after the University of Notre Dame limited attendance at Irish football games to help combat the spread of the coronavirus. The school’s decision to limit attendance to 20% of stadium capacity and ban campus tailgating sent bars, restaurants and venues scrambling to come up with ways to make up some of the potential revenue shortfall.

Goshen Community School officials have announced that two upcoming varsity games for the football team will be canceled after a player tested positive for COVID-19. The game this coming Friday against Mishawaka and the game Sept. 11 against Northwood will not be played.