THE ECHOES: A Podcast on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame football stays rolling! Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana react to the Fighting Irish's dominant 49-10 win over Purdue — Notre Dame's program-record 14th straight double-digit victory. Marcus Freeman's defense delivered again. The guys break down the disruptive defensive line play and the emergence of Bryce Young as one of Notre Dame's most dynamic pass rushers. On offense, Mike and Je...

Notre Dame football is rolling. Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana break down the biggest takeaways from the Fighting Irish's latest win on The Echoes. Is Notre Dame's backfield battle changing? Aneyas Williams vs. Nolan James Jr. is heating up, with James forcing his way into a bigger role. Mike and Jess debate what the depth chart really says, react to Micah Gilbert's breakout, and explain why C...

Notre Dame football DOMINATED Rice 52-0 in South Bend! Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana break down the Fighting Irish shutout on The Echoes: A Notre Dame Football Podcast. Marcus Freeman's team avoided the trap-game letdown, coming out prepared, physical and focused from the opening snap. The Irish defense set the tone early — forcing four fumbles, scoring a defensive touchdown, and pitching a c...

Notre Dame is 1-0 and still unbeaten in the Shamrock Series after a 41-13 win over Wisconsin at historic Lambeau Field. On this episode of The Echoes: A Notre Dame Football Podcast, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana react to the Fighting Irish’s second-half surge, break down the uneven start, and hand out game balls following a statement win over the Badgers. Mike and Jessica discuss why Notre Da...

The Echoes Podcast is back for game week! Notre Dame football is officially headed to Lambeau Field as the Fighting Irish prepare to take on Wisconsin in one of the most anticipated games of the early 2026 season. In this episode, we get you ready for kickoff with a full Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin preview, breaking down the matchup, the Badgers, and what the Irish need to do to leave Green Bay with...

School is back in session at Notre Dame, fall training camp is officially in the books, and college football season is right around the corner. On this episode of The Echoes: A Notre Dame Football Podcast, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana break down what Marcus Freeman had to say as the Fighting Irish shift from camp mode into game-week preparation. New Notre Dame sideline reporter Caroline Pine...

On this episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana break down the Fighting Irish landing at No. 4 in the preseason AP Poll, Notre Dame’s highest preseason AP ranking since 2006. The Irish received six first-place votes, but what separates Marcus Freeman’s team from Ohio State, Oregon and Georgia at the top of the rankings? And does Notre Dame have everything it needs to make a run a...

Mike Golic Sr. is officially joining the Notre Dame Radio Network! He joins Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana on The Echoes: A Notre Dame Football Podcast to discuss his return to the Fighting Irish and preview the biggest storylines surrounding the 2026 Notre Dame football season. Then it’s time to Buy or Sell on some of the biggest questions facing Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish in 2026:...

Former Notre Dame quarterback and current Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees joins The Echoes! First, the news that Notre Dame football fans have been waiting years to hear: the Notre Dame vs. USC rivalry is officially back, returning to the schedule in 2030. Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana break down the full story — the rivalry's rocky road, Indiana canceling their series, onlin...

The Irish made headlines this week with a jersey sponsorship deal with SoFi, reportedly worth around $20 million annually. Is it a tradition-breaker or a necessary move in the modern college football arms race? Mike and Jess dig into just how controversial the deal really is — and why keeping up with championship-caliber rosters in today's landscape means the math has to work. Then, former Notre D...

Notre Dame football is EVERYWHERE — and so is Brian Kelly. 🏈 Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana break down the Irish media blitz, Kelly's image rehab tour, and which college football 2025 contenders are the real deal on this week's episode of The Echoes. In This Episode: 🎙️ Marcus Freeman & The Irish Media Blitz Notre Dame football was all over the airwaves last week — First Take, ESPN Radio, the...

On this episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana welcome Nick Black, Director of Design Footwear & Team Sports at Under Armour, to break down the story behind Notre Dame’s 2026 Shamrock Series uniforms. From the inspiration and historical details to the years of planning that went into every element, Nick shares how these special uniforms came to life. Before diving into the desig...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana are back after a week off, and there’s plenty to discuss as Notre Dame’s recruiting momentum continues to build. Before diving into recruiting, Mike explains what the final weeks of summer look like for players before fall camp officially begins. With the season just around the corner, he shares what happens behind the scenes...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana welcome legendary Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn to the show! As Mike points out early in the episode, there are plenty of similarities between Quinn's Notre Dame teams and the 2026 Fighting Irish squad—both carrying sky-high expectations heading into the season. Before Brady joins the show, Jess shares what it was like be...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana are back after a two-week hiatus with an action-packed show! Mike returns from Europe just as Notre Dame's freshman football players arrive on campus and the countdown to the season continues. Could incoming freshman quarterback Teddy Jarrard gain an early edge in the battle for the backup QB job? We break down the quarterback...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana welcome special guest and Notre Dame Women’s Basketball Head Coach Niele Ivey to the show! Before Coach Ivey joins the program, Mike and Jess break down the latest comments from Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua on why the College Football Playoff should expand to 24 teams — and what changed over the last few months. Plus, they disc...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana are back after a week off — and Mike is ENGAGED! 💍 Plus, Notre Dame officially released kickoff times for the 2026 home schedule, so we break down the biggest matchups coming to South Bend this season. We also react to breaking news surrounding the University of Notre Dame and University of Southern California rivalry. Are ND...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana return from a packed weekend in South Bend—balancing a family charity golf tournament, the Blue-Gold spring game, and all the action from the NFL Draft. They kick things off by breaking down what stood out in the Blue-Gold Game—what impressed them, what didn’t, and which areas the team needs to sharpen heading into the summer....

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana get you set for Notre Dame’s spring football game and break down everything you need to know ahead of the NFL Draft with Nate Tice. CJ Carr has been turning heads all spring, and the hype around Notre Dame’s potential star QB is starting to feel very real. It’s not just him—the offensive line has been dominant up front, and (f...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana kick things off by celebrating Hannah Hidalgo and her return to Notre Dame women’s basketball. After a surprising run this past season, the Irish look poised to be even more dangerous with a strong recruiting class and potential impact transfers on the way. With the Notre Dame Spring Game approaching, the show turns to footbal...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana kick things off by celebrating a historic run from Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball. Before diving into football, the spotlight is on head coach Niele Ivey and her squad after reaching the Elite 8 for the first time in her tenure. Led by superstar Hannah Hidalgo, the Irish proved they’re among the nation’s best—and...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana are back talking ball and getting you set for spring football at Notre Dame. Head coach Marcus Freeman met with reporters last week, and Mike and Jess break down everything he had to say—from the team’s energy heading into spring to how the program is responding after last season’s tough ending. One name already popping during...

On this week’s episode of The Echoes: A Podcast on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana reflect on the life of legendary Notre Dame head coach, Lou Holtz, following his death at the age of 89.   One of coach Holtz’s former players, 2-time All American Aaron Taylor, joins to share some his amazing stories and experiences during his time playing under the college footbal...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana are joined by Mike Renner to break down a massive weekend for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. From viral weight room clips that had the internet fired up to standout performances in Indy, the Irish were everywhere last week. We open the show by diving into the social media reaction to...

On the latest episode of The Echoes, Mike Golic Jr. and Jessica Smetana welcome Julian Love, Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks, former Notre Dame defensive back, and Chicago native. Mike and Jess kick things off by celebrating Notre Dame’s presence on the international stage, highlighting two Irish alums who helped power Team USA women’s hockey during a historic Winter Olympics run in...