ATLANTA — It’s debatable whether Notre Dame and Ohio State have been the two college football teams most outspoken about their religious faith this season, as Irish quarterback Riley Leonard suggested ahead of their CFP championship showdown on Monday night.
Boise State players and coaches, for instance, made no secret of their Christian beliefs before losing to Penn State in the quarterfinals.
Regardless, the topic was raised Sunday morning at the final pregame news conference for both head coaches.
“When you’re at Notre Dame, faith is something that’s openly talked about, obviously being at a private Catholic university,” Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman said. “Amongst our football program, it’s promoted. I’m not saying you have to be Catholic; we’re saying we want our young people to grow in their faith.”
Soon after Freeman was promoted from defensive coordinator to replace Brian Kelly in December 2021, pregame Mass at the on-campus Basilica of the Sacred Heart was reinstated at Freeman’s urging.
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“When you have a leader like Riley Leonard who is very outspoken about his faith and is very intentional about putting together Bible studies and helping his peers grow in their faith … it’s huge,” Freeman said. “It promotes a culture where you’re comfortable as an individual seeking out ways to grow in your faith.”
Freeman converted to Catholicism in the summer of 2022. His wife Joanna and their six children were already Catholic.
“I’m a believer, and I have a strong faith,” Freeman said. “That’s my personal opinion and beliefs. But I think we have a team of leaders that do a really great job of promoting and helping young people grow in their faith.”
Seventh-year Ohio State coach Ryan Day spent nine total seasons over three different periods on staff at Boston College. He called it “an amazing experience” to be around the Jesuit education, noting all three of his children were baptized there.
Working at a publicly funded state university in Columbus, Ohio, Day noted, is “a different experience” from what players and coaches might encounter at Notre Dame or Boston College.
“It’s been amazing to watch this team grow spiritually,” Day said. “We have Bible studies and reflections that we’ll have folks come in and speak at, and we have been for a long time, but then also seeing our players lead them in those moments.”
Day noted times when he will be in the football building and “walk around the corner and see a bunch of guys in a room together that that we didn’t even know about that they’re having a Bible study, talking.”
Added Day: “The impact they’ve made on our community and even nationally is significant here, and I’m proud of where those guys have gone in their journey. I think it’s a great example for some of our young players.”
Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame, Ohio State football coaches encourage faith component
