Notre Dame Football News and Notes for August 16, 2024

Thursday was a busy day with Notre Dame football and Notre Dame athletics as a whole

Notre Dame offensive line coach Joe Rudolph, second from right, talks to offensive lineman Aamil Wagner (59) during a Notre Dame football practice at Irish Athletic Center on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK

Thursday turned out to be an extremely busy day for the Notre Dame athletic department and it went a whole lot deeper than just a change on the offensive line.

Usually, we do five things to know each morning regarding Notre Dame football and athletics but today brings a bit more than that as there is a lot to recap so you get a little added bonus as we're now just 15 days until Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M.

7. Notre Dame Football Odds and Ends

Some pretty solid content has been put up in recent days that we don't want to miss promoting a bit here on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sports Illustrated.

A few pieces that are worth your time to check out:
How Marcus Freeman can become a top 10 college football coach
Reasons for Concern with Riley Leonard at Notre Dame
ESPN FPI predicts every Notre Dame game of 2024

6. Notre Dame Hockey Heads to Wrigley Field

The Irish are headed to the 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙮 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 ☘️#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/JauR1RY6KP

— Notre Dame Hockey (@NDHockey) August 15, 2024

Notre Dame hockey is headed to iconic Wrigley Field this January for a Big Ten battle against Penn State. Usually this would be amongst the biggest news on a given day on Notre Dame's campus but with everything else going it very easily could have been missed. The Big Ten making Notre Dame a part of the special Winter Classic type event was a no-brainer for all involved.

5. No. 15 Women's Soccer Team Fall in Season Opener

"May we direct your attention to the 20-yard line..."

The Notre Dame women's soccer team opened the 2024 season at home Thursday night as it took on No. 13 Michigan State. The Spartans started both halves very quickly in what wound up being a 2-1 defeat of the Fighting Irish.

4. Manti Te'o Makes NFL Network's Good Morning Football Debut

Legendary Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o is joining NFL Network where he'll contribute as an analyst. Te'o joined the popular Good Morning Football show on Thursday shared a slew of stories including his incredibly awkward first interaction with real-life Rudy and how he's adjusting to life as a fantasy football general manager.

3. Notre Dame Football's 2024 Green Jersey Date

Sep 23, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Sam Hartman (10) throws the ball against Ohio State Buckeyes during the fourth quarter of their game at Notre Dame Stadium. / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame will bust out the green jerseys again in 2024. Thursday the football program announced the annual "Irish Wear Green" game will take place when Louisville comes to South Bend on September 28. Mason Plummer took a look at the green jerseys and why it matters - that is beyond making money for Under Armour.

2. Notre Dame's True Freshman Starting Left Tackle?

Notre Dame football is just over two weeks from the season opener at Texas A&M but the offensive line still very much remains a question - not just in how productive it will be but in who the actual bodies on it will be. Thursday saw a switch most didn't expect as true freshman Anthonie Knapp was running with the first team at left tackle. I took a look at Knapp on Thursday as well as some notable true freshman that have made an impact on Notre Dame's offensive line in the last couple decades.

1. Notre Dame Gambling Scandal Shuts Down Men's Swimming Program

There will not be a Notre Dame men's swimming team in operation this year as the program has been shut down for at least one year according to athletic director Pete Bevacqua. Bevacqua released a statement on Thursday about the investigation into the program that found a gambling ring and "a deeply embedded team culture dismissive of Notre Dame’s standards".