Over the next three weeks, Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross fall sports will enter full swing. Here’s a look at what to expect from each team heading into their 2024 seasons.
Notre Dame football
For the first time, a 12-team College Football Playoff awaits the end of Notre Dame’s season, and the Irish have their eyes on it. Under third-year head coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame looks to level up from a 10-3 season that showed early promise but stalled out in the middle weeks. From 2023’s Sun Bowl championship squad, the Irish return numerous key pieces from a defense that ranked among the nation’s best. Impact players like graduate defensive lineman Howard Cross III, junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison and graduate safety Xavier Watts should give the Irish a chance in every game.
The primary question marks loom on the other side of the ball. For the third time in four seasons, Notre Dame has turned to the transfer portal for its quarterback. The new signal-caller, senior Riley Leonard, showed first-round NFL draft potential in 2022 but has spent a concerning portion of the past year on the shelf. His health, along with Notre Dame’s ability to restock its offensive line — now hampered by a season-ending pectoral injury to sophomore left tackle Charles Jagusah — will determine the team’s ceiling.
Notre Dame opens with a primetime game at Texas A&M on the final day of August. Ranked seventh in the preseason AP Top 25, the Irish are currently tagged as underdogs against the 20th-rated Aggies.
Women’s soccer
Notre Dame: The 15th-ranked Irish look to build on a 2023 campaign that brought them to the NCAA Tournament’s second round. They are off to a 1-1-0 start with a 2-1 home loss to Michigan State on Aug. 15 and a 6-0 road romping of Samford on Aug. 18. Out of the gate, freshmen have combined for 16 of Notre Dame’s 21 points. First-year midfielder and forward Izzy Engle netted a hat trick at Samford, while midfielder Grace Restovich has a goal and two assists in two games.
Saint Mary’s: After playing two exhibition matches, the Belles will open their regular season at Providence Christian on Aug. 30 in Pasadena, California. Saint Mary’s comes off an 8-8-1 record in 2023, marking a drastic improvement from 0-13-3 in 2022. With continued improvement under third-year head coach Farkhod Kurbonov, the Belles could make their first Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament trip.
Holy Cross: A year removed from their first losing season since 2018, the Saints are 1-1 with a pair of 1-0 results in the new year. Holy Cross opened with a home loss to Bethel on Aug. 17 before turning around with a win at Rochester Christian on Aug. 20. Freshman goalkeeper Madeleine Agee pitched her first career clean sheet in her second game after making six saves in her debut. The Saints’ young season continues with a home tilt against the University of Northwestern Ohio this Saturday.
Men’s soccer
Notre Dame: Only national champion Clemson could thwart the march of last year’s Irish, who qualified for a third College Cup in program history. But the man most responsible for the run, goalkeeper Bryan Dowd, is now a professional. Offsetting his loss are significant returns in the midfield and back line, where key seniors Bryce Boneau (midfielder) and Josh Ramsey (defender) figure to lead the way. Up front, 10-goal scorer Matthew Roou also returns as a senior forward. No. 2 Notre Dame’s schedule features seven top-25 opponents, including No. 1 Clemson (Sept. 27).
Holy Cross: Also coming off their first losing season since 2018, the Holy Cross men’s soccer team has split its initial two games of the 2024 season. Holy Cross fell by a 3-1 count at Bethel on Aug. 17 before turning that score around in a 3-1 victory at Rochester Christian on Aug. 20. Senior Juan Perez, a fourth-year Saint, is off to a splendid start with three goals, including a brace in Tuesday’s win. The Saints now have a week off before returning to action at Marian on Aug. 28.
Volleyball
Notre Dame: Seeking their first winning season under Salima Rockwell, the Irish showed signs of improvement en route to an 11-15 record in 2023. They started fast, reaching marks of 8-2 and 10-5 before losses piled up during the final month. This year, Notre Dame has the tools for more sustained success. Its top two 2023 scorers, senior All-ACC selection Sydney Palazzolo and sophomore Ava Lange, each return in the outside hitter room. So does its anchor, graduate student libero Hattie Monson. Notre Dame’s regular season begins Aug. 31 with the Catholic Challenge in Santa Clara, California.
Saint Mary’s: Year 10 with Denise Van De Walle at the helm begins on Aug. 30 with four games in Sandusky, Ohio. The Belles went 6-14 a season ago and seek double-digit wins for the first time since 2019. The MIAA preseason rankings projected a ninth-place finish from them in 2024.
Cross country
Notre Dame: Both Irish teams claimed top-15 finishes in the NCAA Championships just over nine months ago. In fact, with the women’s fourth-place result, Notre Dame claimed its best national finish since 2004. The new season begins with the Crusader Invite on Aug. 30 in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Saint Mary’s: Heading into their 19th season under Jackie Bauters, the Belles look to build on an impressive 2023 campaign. A year ago, Saint Mary’s notched a 16th-place effort in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, good for its best regional result since 2015. The Belles will also get underway on Aug. 30 at the Comet Open in Charlotte, Michigan.
Golf
Notre Dame: Last season brought hefty success on both fronts of Notre Dame golf. Both the men’s and women’s teams qualified for the NCAA Championships, with the men’s advancement marking the program’s first since 1989. Sophomore Jacob Modleski, Notre Dame’s top male golfer at the ACC Championships, returns for his second season. The women’s team has a larger hole to fill with the departure of NCAA East Lansing Regional champion Lauren Beaudreau.
Saint Mary’s: In an unexpected first season with longtime Notre Dame head coach Susan Holt, the Belles made waves in 2023. Finishing 16th at the NCAA Championship and second in the MIAA Spring Finale, the Belles totaled five first-place finishes. Their 2024 season begins on Aug. 31 at the two-day Lynn Schweizer Invitational in Granville, Ohio.
Holy Cross: Both the men’s and women’s teams will tee off on their 2024 campaigns on Sept. 9. The Holy Cross men will open at the Point O’woods Men’s Collegiate, while the women will begin with the Battle at Blackthorn.
