The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast

Former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly joins The Independent for this extended exclusive interview. Matt and Pete talk to the Irish’s all-time winningest coach about his Irish exit, the affection he still has for Notre Dame, why things didn’t work out at LSU, what could have been and much more. Kelly praises Marcus Freeman and the current staff for all that they have accomplished, and he talks about what life has been like these past few months without a team to coach after 35 years of running programs. Plus, will he get back into coaching? Kelly talks all that and more on the latest episode of The Independent!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's Fan Survey Time! Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to discuss the feedback Pete received from his annual Notre Dame Fan Survey on The Athletic. You are all incredibly high on the Fighting Irish in 2026, and rightfully so. With Marcus Freeman entering Year 5 and CJ Carr listed as a preseason Heisman contender, what's not to like about this squad? The fellas discuss that and more on the latest episode of The Independent.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s been a good offseason for Notre Dame, and the vibes continue to be high as the Fighting Irish are ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s future power rankings. Adam Rittenberg, the author of the rankings, joins Matt and Pete to discuss why he loves the Irish, and what Marcus Freeman has done to position the program for so much success.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're less than 100 days from the start of the Notre Dame football season, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to catch you up on all of the Fighting Irish's offseason moves. How much does Marcus Freeman's 2026 roster cost? What did you make of Pete Bevacqua's testimony on Capitol Hill? Plus, Leonard Moore lands on the cover of EA Sports' College Football 27.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are back to talk all things Notre Dame. Pete has been in Amelia Island, Fla., all week for ACC spring meetings, where he met with Fighting Irish AD Pete Bevacqua to talk about potential College Football Playoff expansion and more. Where do things stand with the Irish and the ACC? Plus, NBC announced kick times for all of Marcus Freeman's squad's home games this fall. The guys will talk about all of that on the latest episode of The Independent.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.