Fall sports at Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s and Holy Cross are in full swing over the next three weeks. Here’s what to expect from each team for the 2024 season.

Notre Dame Football

For the first time, a 12-team College Football Playoff awaits at the end of Notre Dame’s season, and the Irish have their eyes on it. Under three-year head coach Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame is looking to build on a 10-3 season that showed promise early on but faltered in the middle weeks. The Irish return numerous key players from the 2023 Sun Bowl championship squad from a defense that was among the best in the country. Impact players like defensive lineman Howard Cross III, junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison and safety Xavier Watts should give the Irish a chance in every game.

The main question marks loom on the other side of the ball. For the third time in four seasons, Notre Dame has entered the transfer portal for its quarterback. New signal-caller, senior Riley Leonard, showed first-round NFL Draft potential in 2022 but has spent a worrying portion of last year on the bench. His health, as well as Notre Dame’s ability to rebuild its offensive line – currently hampered by a season-ending pectoral injury to the sophomore left tackle – will determine the team’s production potential.

Notre Dame opens with a primetime game at Texas A&M on the last day of August. The Irish, ranked seventh in the preseason AP Top 25, are currently considered underdogs against the 20th-ranked Aggies.

Women’s football

Notre Dame: The 15th-ranked Irish look to build on a 2023 season that took them to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 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 win over Samford on Aug. 18. From the start, the freshmen have combined for 16 of Notre Dame’s 21 points. First-year midfielder and forward Izzy Engle scored a hat trick at Samford, while midfielder Grace Restovich had a goal and two assists in two games.

Saint Mary’s: After two exhibition games, the Belles will open their regular season on August 30 at Providence Christian in Pasadena, California. Saint Mary’s has a record of 8-8-1 in 2023, 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 after their first losing season since 2018, the Saints are 1-1, with two 1-0 results in the new year. Holy Cross opened with a home loss to Bethel on Aug. 17 before turning things around with a win at Rochester Christian on Aug. 20. Junior goalkeeper Madeleine Agee posted her first career clean sheet in her second game after saving six balls in her debut. The Saints’ young season continues this Saturday with a home game against the University of Northwestern Ohio.

Men’s football

Notre Dame: Only national champion Clemson could stop the advance of last year’s Irish, who qualified for the College Cup for the third time in program history. But the man most responsible for the run, goalkeeper Bryan Dowd, is now a pro. His loss will be offset by significant returnees in the midfield and defense, where key seniors Bryce Boneau (midfielder) and Josh Ramsey (defender) will lead the way. On offense, 10-goal scorer Matthew Rouu also returns as a senior forward. No. 2 Notre Dame’s schedule includes seven top-25 opponents, including No. 1 Clemson (Sept. 27).

Holy Cross: The Holy Cross men’s soccer team is also coming off its first losing season since 2018, splitting its first two games of the 2024 season. Holy Cross lost 3-1 at Bethel on Aug. 17 before reversing the result with a 3-1 win at Rochester Christian on Aug. 20. Senior Juan Perez, a fourth-year Saint, is off to a great start with three goals, including a brace in Tuesday’s win. The Saints now have a week off before returning to action on Aug. 28 at Marian.

volleyball

Notre Dame: Looking for 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 8-2 and 10-5 before losses began piling up over the last month. This year, Notre Dame has the tools for more sustained success. The top two scorers in 2023, senior All-ACC selection Sydney Palazzolo and sophomore Ava Lange, both return to the outside attack zone. The same goes for the closer, graduate student libero Hattie Monson. Notre Dame’s regular season begins Aug. 31 with the Catholic Challenge in Santa Clara, Calif.

Saint Mary’s: The 10th year with Denise Van De Walle at the helm begins with four games in Sandusky, Ohio, on Aug. 30. The Belles finished 6-14 last season and are aiming for double-digit wins for the first time since 2019. The MIAA’s preseason rankings projected them to finish ninth in 2024.

Cross country

Notre Dame: Both Irish teams finished in the top 15 at the NCAA Championships just over nine months ago. In fact, Notre Dame’s fourth-place finish on the women’s side was its best national finish since 2004. The new season begins with the Crusader Invite on August 30 in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Saint Mary’s: The Belles enter their 19th season under Jackie Bauters and look to build on an impressive 2023 season. A year ago, Saint Mary’s finished 16th at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, which was their best regional finish since 2015. The Belles will also compete at the Comet Open in Charlotte, Michigan on August 30.

golf

Notre Dame: Last season brought great success on both fronts of Notre Dame golf. Both the men’s and women’s teams qualified for the NCAA Championships, with the men advancing for the first time since 1989. Sophomore Jacob Modleski, Notre Dame’s top male golfer at the ACC Championships, returns for his sophomore season. The women’s team has a larger void to fill with the departure of NCAA East Lansing Regional champion Lauren Beaudreau.

Saint Mary’s: In an unexpected first season under longtime Notre Dame head coach Susan Holt, the 2023 Belles made a splash. With a 16th-place finish at the NCAA Championship and a second-place finish at the MIAA Spring Finals, the Belles earned five total first-place finishes. Their 2024 season begins August 31 at the two-day Lynn Schweizer Invitational in Granville, Ohio.

Holy Cross: Both the men’s and women’s teams will begin their 2024 seasons on September 9. Holy Cross’s men’s team will open at Point O’woods Men’s Collegiate, while the women’s team will begin at the Battle of Blackthorn.