Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539449
12 SEPT. 20, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME Former Notre Dame quarterback Coley O'Brien died on Aug. 21 from complications of an illness he developed the year prior. He was 78. O'Brien was Notre Dame's fill-in quar- terback for the famed 10-10 tie in the "Game of the Century" versus Michigan State in 1966. He came off the sideline for starter Terry Hanratty, who was injured in the first quarter. In the next game — the only start of his college career — O'Brien threw for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 1966 regular-season finale at South- ern Cal. Notre Dame pummeled the rival Trojans, 51-0. The Irish claimed the pro- gram's eighth national championship in the process, snapping a 17-year drought. Notre Dame compiled a record of 24-5-2 during O'Brien's time as a ros- tered student-athlete. With Hanratty as the team's No. 1 quarterback in that era, O'Brien mostly played halfback. After graduating from Notre Dame Law in 1972, O'Brien enjoyed a decades-long career in politics on Capitol Hill. O'Brien is survived by his wife, Barb; his children, Christin, Conor and Cara; and his grandchildren, Samuel, Brady, Brooke, Peyton, Reid and Paige. — Tyler Horka NOTRE DAME BASKETBALL TO HOST 'IRISH JAM' ON EDDY STREET The first weekend of October won't be all about football in South Bend. Notre Dame is making it about basketball, too. The university announced it will host the first ever "Irish Jam" on Oct. 3, the night before the Irish host the Boise State Broncos at Notre Dame Stadium. It's an event at Eddy Street Commons put on by both basketball programs with intent of getting Irish fans excited about the up- coming hoops season. Think "Midnight Madness" at Rupp Arena in Kentucky or "Tipoff at Toomer's" at Auburn. Eddy Street is a road directly across from Notre Dame's campus that is home to many of the go-to restaurants in town. There will be a court set up on the street itself with fans encouraged to gather around it to take in the festivities. Both Notre Dame basketball coaches, Micah Shrewsberry of the men's team and Niele Ivey of the women's team, will take to the microphone to address the crowd before their rosters are an- nounced as if it was pregame inside Purcell Pavilion. Two captains, elected by fans prior to the event, will draft co- ed teams that will take part in a three- point contest, a skills challenge and a shooting stars challenge. — Tyler Horka ACC RELEASES ITS BASKETBALL SCHEDULES In early September, the ACC unveiled Notre Dame's men's and women's bas- ketball ACC schedules. The men's team is coming off a 15-18 season in which the Irish went 8-12 in conference play, slot- ting in ninth overall in the ACC. Notre Dame is entering the third season of the Micah Shrewsberry era. He holds a record of 28-38 overall and 15-25 in ACC games. The women, meanwhile, are heading into the fifth season of the Niele Ivey tenure. She's 117-38 overall and 65-22 in ACC play. Last year, the Irish went 28-6 and 16-2, respectively, tying for first in regular season league competition. — Tyler Horka 2025-26 NOTRE DAME MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Nov. 3 LIU Brooklyn Nov. 7 Detroit Mercy Nov. 11 Eastern Illinois Nov. 16 at Ohio State Nov. 19 Bellarmine Nov. 24 vs. Kansas+ Nov. 25 vs. Rutgers+ Nov. 26/27 vs. TBD+ Dec. 2 Missouri^ Dec. 5 at TCU Dec. 10 Idaho Dec. 13 Evansville Dec. 21 Purdue Fort Wayne Dec. 30/31 at Stanford* Jan. 2 at California* Jan. 10 Clemson* Jan. 13/14 Miami* Jan. 17 at Virginia Tech* Jan. 20/21 at North Carolina* Jan. 24 Boston College* Jan. 27/28 Virginia* Jan. 31 at Syracuse* Feb. 3/4 at Louisville* Feb. 7 Florida State* Feb. 10/11 at SMU* Feb. 14 Georgia Tech* Feb. 21 at Pittsburgh* Feb. 24/25 Duke* Feb. 28 NC State* March 3/4 Stanford* March 7 at Boston College* + Players Era Championship in Las Vegas; ^ ACC/SEC Challenge; * ACC Game 2025-26 NOTRE DAME WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Nov. 5 Fairleigh Dickinson Nov. 9 Chicago State Nov. 12 Akron Nov. 21 Southern Cal Nov. 24 Central Michigan Dec. 4 at Ole Miss^ Dec. 7 at Florida State* Dec. 11 Morehead State Dec. 14 at James Madison Dec. 21 Bellarmine Dec. 29 Pittsburgh* Jan. 1 at Georgia Tech* Jan. 4 at Duke* Jan. 8 Boston College* Jan. 11 North Carolina* Jan. 15 Louisville* Jan. 19 at Connecticut Jan. 22 Miami* Jan. 25 Clemson* Jan. 29 at California* Feb. 1 at Stanford* Feb. 5 Virginia Tech* Feb. 8 at Virginia* Feb. 15 NC State* Feb. 19 at Wake Forest* Feb. 22 at SMU* Feb. 26 Syracuse* March 1 at Louisville* ^ ACC/SEC Challenge; * ACC Game Notre Dame Remembers Coley O'Brien, The Ultimate 'Next Man In' O'Brien's lone collegiate start as a quarterback at Notre Dame — a 51-0 win at No. 10 Southern Cal in which he threw for 255 yards and 3 touch- downs — clinched the 1966 national champion- ship for the Fighting Irish. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS