Freeman reinstates pregame Mass

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Fans will see a longtime Notre Dame tradition return to gamedays thanks to new head coach Marcus Freeman.

One of the first things he did as head coach was reinstate the gameday Mass and the walk from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to Notre Dame Stadium.

Freeman was baptized into the Catholic church recently, and he talked about the importance of having mass before kickoff.

“You know for me, the mindset really being calm before the storm,” Freeman said. “You can get so riled up before the game and hours before the game, and I didn’t want that. As we move forward, I want to make sure these guys are calm, and part of that is making sure we spend some time in reflection in a mass.

“When the foot hits the ball for kickoff, we’ll be ready to roll,” Freeman added. “But I really want to be able to be at peace and be a little bit calm as we get ready to come into the stadium and embrace this place. And then when it’s kickoff time, we’ll be ready to roll.”

Notre Dame looks to bounce back in its home opener on Saturday against Marshall. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.

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