On Dec. 12, 2023, Riley Leonard announced via Instagram he was transferring to Notre Dame after three years as Duke’s quarterback. The video showed Leonard holding a football, tapping the “Play Like A Champion Today” sign in the locker room, walking out of the tunnel on to the Notre Dame Stadium field and interacting with new teammates.
On Friday night, Leonard will make a similar stroll. But this time, instead of wearing a jacket and pants and walking into an empty stadium, Leonard will be in full uniform and perform in front of a sold-out crowd at Notre Dame Stadium as the No. 7 seed Fighting Irish play No. 10 seed Indiana in the College Football Playoff opener. It is the first time a team will host a CFP game on its home field, as all of the other games since the CFP began in 2014 have been on neutral fields.
During the summer, Notre Dame’s administrators prepared for the possibility of hosting a playoff game in late December. They made adjustments to the final exam schedule and vowed to keep the dormitories open for an additional day, allowing students to have a place to stay in case there was an extra game.
When the Fighting Irish lost, 16-14, to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, it looked like all that planning would go for naught. After falling to 1-1, Notre Dame knew it likely had to win the rest of its games to have a shot at the CFP. And even then, there was no guarantee the Fighting Irish would host a postseason game.
Still, Notre Dame has done its part, winning its past 10 games by an average of more than 30 points, while other programs have faltered, leaving the Fighting Irish in an enviable spot. Leonard has been a major reason behind the team’s turnaround. After throwing two interceptions in the Northern Illinois game, Leonard has completed 67.5% of his passes (156 of 231 attempts) for 1,771 yards, 16 touchdowns and three interceptions and run for 642 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns.
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