God Loves Notre Dame. So Why Do So Many People Hate Them?

Yahoo Sports - Promoted to Notre Dame's head coach on Dec. 3, 2021, Freeman reinstated a team tradition of attending Mass together before each home game. That was before he became a Catholic.

"I remember being a recruit and coming to a Notre Dame football game – I was in high school – and watching the team come out of the basilica for pregame Mass, and I thought that was the coolest thing," Freeman told reporters on Saturday in Atlanta, where the Irish are preparing to face Ohio State University in the College Football Playoff National Championship. "I remember seeing movies about it."

The 39-year-old Ohio State graduate reflected on his first year at Notre Dame, recalling that there was no pregame Mass.

"So, when I was made head coach, it was something that I had talked to the administration about, about when that decision was made to not have pregame Mass and what we had to do to change it … It was … important to me to change that," Freeman said.

Although raised as a Christian, Freeman was not a Catholic when he arrived at the campus in 2021.

Freeman was baptized into the Catholic Church and received his first Holy Communion the following year, according to a Sept. 11, 2022, bulletin at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Granger, Indiana.

The team chaplain, Father Nate Wills, helped prepare Freeman for his Catholic conversion.

"I think being at the University of Notre Dame — it's a place where growing your faith is encouraged," Freeman said.

"It's not only in Catholicism. It's the reality of you having a faith and a belief in something bigger than yourself."

I didn’t grow up a Notre Dame fan. In fact, I barely grew up a college football fan at all—blame it on the Northeast, where college ball is basically nonexistent except for the occasional Boston College highlight reel.

Going to Catholic school, we were indoctrinated  encouraged from a very young age to root for "the good guys". Notre Dame and Holy Cross to name a few. (Shout out Gordie Lockbaum)

I never had anything against Notre Dame. They were neither here nor there. But the most confusing part was why so many people, so far from Indiana, wore Notre Dame gear and acted like South Bend was a suburb of Boston. But my father explained to me early on that growing up, the Irish were one of the only teams you could watch on tv and follow on a weekly basis back in the day. The Irish population in and around Boston and New England only helped, as did, of course, the religious tie-in. 

Then I went to college in Chicago, which is basically “South Bend West.” I discovered the real mania of Notre Dame fandom. It’s like graduates hop right off the South Shore Line and set up shop in Chicago, which they apparently consider an extension campus. And look, it’s not as if we’re getting an influx of dime co-eds from Ol’ Miss. (I’ll be nice and leave it at that.)

Chicago’s crawling with ND alumni, each prouder than the last. You’d think there was a competition for who can mention they went to Notre Dame first. (Reminds me of that old joke: “How do you know if someone went to Notre Dame? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you within five minutes.”) Or just spot their college rings—yes, grown adults wearing chunky school rings like it’s high school homecoming.

But that's fine. School pride is a good thing. 

The campus? It’s nice. Not exactly “gasp and drop your latte” stunning, but nice. The stadium experience? Absolutely worth it. Like Lambeau, Wrigley, or Fenway, Notre Dame Stadium is one of those bucket-list places any sports fan should see in person at least once. 

It's just like Rudy's dad said. It hits you right in the plums the way very few places games are played can do.

The tradition oozes from the bleachers. 

You can practically feel the ghosts of greats past, which is cool—until you remember they haven’t won a major championship in forever.

This is the baffling part. Why do people who didn’t go to Notre Dame or weren’t raised to be Irish fans downright hate them? It’s not like they’re the Patriots or Chiefs, rolling in rings and fresh bandwagoners every year. They’re not Alabama, either- there’s no Saban-like villain here. Notre Dame hasn’t hoisted anything significant in 30 or 40 years, so what gives?

Jealousy? Hardly. 

People hated the Patriots because they won everything. Over and over. But Notre Dame? They’re not exactly swimming in national titles lately. If anything, it’s more puzzling that God (allegedly) has a soft spot for a program that’s been remarkably mediocre at times. 

I think its much more than that. 

Back when Brian Kelly was there, it made total sense. 

The ultimate sleazeball. A used car salesman masquerading as a coach, and "leader of young men", he abandoned a lot of the ideals that the school so proudly professed, and ran the program off track before skipping out for greener pastures in Louisiana, claiming he "needed to be in a place where he could compete for a National Championship" on the way out…

Shane Gillis did not hold back this afternoon on his thoughts on Kelly.

Plus, I think he killed a guy- 

But he's long gone now- busy getting his dick kicked in by better SEC programs every Saturday and rolling out his fake accent all the other days,

But you know what? God works in mysterious ways, because that snake-like exit led Notre Dame to Marcus Freeman- a man so genuinely good, so earnest, so inspiring, you almost expect him to walk on water while calling a defensive play. 

Suddenly, the Irish have a head coach who not only looks the part but lives it. He’s all the ideals Notre Dame claims to stand for, and he’s actually guiding the program forward.

A true leader of men.

A family man who embodies his (newly found) faith. 

And who talks the talk and walks the walk.

And is one of the most refreshing voices in sports.

So then, why the extreme hatred?

Maybe it’s the tradition? Like a well-worn prayer book that the faithful cling to despite the pages being ripped and dog-eared. Maybe it’s the steadfast belief that any year now, the Irish will return to the promised land. Or maybe, just maybe, God simply has a sense of humor. He could be sitting in the celestial nosebleeds, placing bets on a team that hasn’t won big in decades, just to keep us all scratching our heads.

Honestly, in a sports world obsessed with instant gratification, maybe the divine “allegiance” to Notre Dame is less about trophies and more about perseverance. They’re consistently relevant- even when they’re not. 

They’re on TV every week. 

They inspire strong emotions. 

And every few years, they trick us into thinking they might be back. For some higher powers, that cycle of hope might be irresistible.

Maybe it’s their unwavering faith and tradition that’s so appealing to the divine. While other programs rise and fall with the tides of recruitment and coaching changes, Notre Dame stands as a beacon of consistency. It’s as if God appreciates the team’s steadfast commitment to their roots, even when the results on the field don’t always reflect it.

Think about it: in a world obsessed with instant gratification and quick wins, Notre Dame embodies patience and perseverance.

After living in Chicago for more than a decade I somewhat began to understand the hate and disdain, but Marcus Freeman's arrival changed that for me. The guy is impossible not to root for. 

Even Jesus seems to be back on the bandwagon now that the HC is back on his.

Couple all of that with the real-life mascot Shane Gillis and his carrying of the ND torch so proudly, and it's even harder not to like this team. 

p.s. - Gillis' new Under Armor ND commercial is amazing 

As was his trailer for Tires season 2 with JJ.