Notre Dame Tops Preseason Poll | Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football News

Notre Dame jumps to No. 5 in the preseason AFCA Coaches Poll, marking their third top-five start under Marcus Freeman — and setting high expectations ahead of the 2026 season. With a brutal schedule featuring ranked foes like Miami, BYU, and SMU, they’re facing stiff competition — but not unlike other elite teams. While the poll isn’t a playoff guarantee (Texas was No. 1 last year and missed out; Penn State at No. 3 fired their coach), history shows most champions started in the top five — with Alabama’s 2017 title being the lone exception at No. 1. The rankings confirm what we already knew: Notre Dame’s got serious momentum — and serious work ahead. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6da43ce8b86b9881