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Sunday, May 3, 2026
The Observer

Sports






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Notre Dame heads into first Big Ten season with experience, questions

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Notre Dame heads into a new season with high hopes after catching fire late last season en route to the Frozen Four  — a run that ultimately ended at the hands of eventual champion Denver. The program has been impressive as of late, appearing in the Frozen Four three times in the past 10 seasons. Aiming to build upon this success, the Irish join the Big Ten this year for a new challenge, as the conference has four other teams ranked in the top 25 according to major preseason polls. As of now, the Irish rank No. 8, primed for a successful season amongst a competitive field. Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson is certainly aware of the nature of this new challenge and is prepared to face it head on.