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.
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Episodes
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Notre Dame at ACC spring meetings. Why the Irish are in favor of a 24-team Playoff and more!
2w ago00:45:05Tap 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.
Transcribe →A Tribute to Lou Holtz: Notre Dame Coach’s Former Players Share Their Favorite Memories
Mar 1301:13:56Tap to summarizeFormer Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz passed away on March 4 at the age of 89. In this special edition of The Independent, former Holtz players Jeff Kilburg, Chris Zorich, Steve Roddy and Cornelius Southall share their favorite memories of their coach, from winning the national championship to random acts of kindness that reverberate with his former players till this day. 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 basketball talk with Jordan Cornette, plus projecting Jeremiyah Love’s NFL destination
Mar 1200:36:03Tap to summarizeMarch is here and that means NBC’s Jordan Cornette, Notre Dame’s all-time leader in blocks, joins The Independent to preview conference tournament week, look at where things have gone wrong for Fighting Irish men’s basketball and much more. Plus, Brian Kelly is in the news again, and Jeremiyah Love’s draft fate may have taken a turn after Week 1 of NFL free agency. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transcribe →Recapping Notre Dame at the Combine, Previewing the Fighting Irish in the NFL Draft and more
Mar 500:48:23Tap to summarizeMatt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are back for more Notre Dame news, nuggets and conversation. Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love showed out at the NFL Scouting Combine. Where will he and fellow Fighting Irish backfield mate Jadarian Price get drafted? Plus, what does the projected first round tell us about Marcus Freeman's squad's opponents, both past and future? The fellas talk all that and more as we are officially in spring ball month in South Bend. 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's QBs beyond CJ Carr. Plus: Does ND hoops = Wisconsin football?
Feb 2700:44:24Tap to summarizeMatt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are back for another episode of The Independent. The guys talk the latest on Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame squad, look at the QB situation beyond CJ Carr and wonder if Wisconsin's football team is offering a template for how the Fighting Irish men's basketball team can get back on track? 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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