Stephen A. Smith visits Notre Dame football team ahead of 2026 season

With the 2026 season approaching, Notre Dame received a visit from one of ESPN’s biggest names. Stephen A. Smith spoke with the Fighting Irish and visited the new football facility on Tuesday night. Smith got an up-close look at Shields Family Hall, as evidenced by a photo he took with Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman. He also had the chance to address the team as training camp continues in South Bend. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage Of course, this isn’t the first time Smith has made a visit during college football season. When Nick Saban was at Alabama, the legendary coach brought him in to speak one day. Even beyond football, Smith also took a trip to Ole Miss last year for a women’s basketball game at the invitation of Yolett McPhee-McCuin. Smith’s visit to Notre Dame comes as the Fighting Irish get ready for a season with high expectations in 2026. They missed out on the College Football Playoff a year ago, but are considered a contender for the national championship this year with key pieces such as quarterback CJ Carr and cornerback Leonard Moore returning. Marcus Freeman: ‘I’m in awe’ of Shields Family Hall Notre Dame officially opened Shields Family Hall July 31, just over two years after its announcement. The new facility is more than 150,000 square feet and cost roughly $100 million. The facility is football-specific, meaning the rest of Notre Dame’s athletics programs can have more room in the Guglielmino Athletics Complex. After the new building opened, Freeman said had high praise for the impact it can have on the Notre Dame program. In fact, he heard as much from another coach who went through the process of changing facilities. “I got a text from a coach I really respect that dealt with moving into a new building,” Freeman said during a press conference last week. “He said, ‘You don’t even realize how valuable that will be to the teaching and coaching.’ “And so I’m excited for ’em to use it, for me to learn all the different teaching tools and how they can utilize it. But I don’t want to compare anybody else. I’ve never, I mean, right now, I know at some point I think it will get old, but every time I walk in there, I’m in awe. It’s unbelievable and credit to the people that invested money and time to get our players that place they deserve.”