Podcast
The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast
Hosted by The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast · EN
The Independent is the essential listen for fans of Fighting Irish football. Pete Sampson of the Athletic and Matt Fortuna of The Inside Zone are back to take you inside the Notre Dame program. With a combined 35 years + of experience on the ND beat, this twice weekly podcast has you covered for everything blue and gold.
28episodes
Episodes
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Brian Kelly joins the show to talk Notre Dame exit, Irish legacy, Marcus Freeman and more!
6d ago00:40:00Tap to summarizeFormer 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.
Transcribe →Notre Dame Fan Survey Recap: Why You Are So High on Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish in 2026
3w ago00:56:34Tap to summarizeIt'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.
Transcribe →Notre Dame is No. 1 in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings with Adam Rittenberg
3w ago00:32:22Tap to summarizeIt’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.
Transcribe →How much does Notre Dame's roster cost? Plus, Leonard Moore on CFB27 cover and more
Jun 400:51:04Tap to summarizeWe'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.
Transcribe →Notre Dame at ACC spring meetings. Why the Irish are in favor of a 24-team Playoff and more!
May 1500:45:05Tap to summarizeMatt 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.
Transcribe →Notre Dame Blue-Gold spring game recap, takeaways and more
Apr 2600:53:32Tap to summarizeThe Notre Dame spring game was a thriller, with Irish kicker Spencer Porath hitting a field goal on the last play to give the Blue team a 41-40 win over the Gold team. Of course, the takeaways came far beyond the kicking game for Marcus Freeman's fifth Fighting Irish squad, and Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to recap the spring season. How close is this team to being a national title contender? (It already is.) How close is CJ Carr to being a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate? (Very close.) More than 45,000 folks packed the stadium for a beautiful South Bend Saturday, as excitement is high around this year's team. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →CJ Carr stars in Notre Dame Jersey Scrimmage, Blue-Gold Spring Game Preview, NFL Draft talk and more
Apr 2200:45:08Tap to summarizeNotre Dame held its annual spring jersey scrimmage this past Saturday, and CJ Carr stole the show. Just how good can Marcus Freeman's squad be in 2025? We'll find out more in this Saturday's Blue-Gold spring game in South Bend, which Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson preview as well. Plus, how high will Jeremiyah Love and other Fighting Irish players go in this week's NFL Draft? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →Notre Dame players in THE BEAST + more NFL Draft talk, spring ball updates and more
Apr 900:39:42Tap to summarizeNotre Dame's Blue-Gold spring game is just two weeks away. So, too, is the NFL Draft. There is lots to talk about with Marcus Freeman's squad as Fighting Irish players past and present look to make statements this month. Join Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson for another spirited discussion about all things Irish, 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.
Transcribe →Marcus Freeman updates Notre Dame midway through spring ball and much more
Apr 100:49:23Tap to summarizeNotre Dame is halfway home during spring football, culminating in the April 25 Blue-Gold spring game. Marcus Freeman updated the media Wednesday on where things stand with his program, from CJ Carr's leadership to the new additions to Chris Ash's defensive staff. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to talk all that and much 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.
Transcribe →Notre Dame Opens Spring Football, Pro Day Reactions and much more
Mar 2600:42:12Tap to summarizeFootball is back (kind of). Notre Dame is amid its first week of spring football, as Marcus Freeman's fifth Fighting Irish squad heads into 2026 with a chip on its shoulder. Jeremiyah Love and other former Irish stars showed their stuff at Pro Day this week as well. Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to talk about all of that and much more on another exciting 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.
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