This Week: Notre Dame College football opens the 2023 season in a non-conference matchup against Ohio Dominican University, on Sept. 2. Kickoff at Mueller Field is scheduled for 12 p.m.

Gameday Information: To find more information on NDC home games, click here.

Records: Notre Dame went 9-3 last season, while going 9-1 in Mountain East Conference play. The Falcons won their fifth consecutive MEC Title and qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the fourth consecutive time. NDC has now won at least nine games in five of the last six full length seasons. Ohio Dominican went 7-3 (6-2 Great Midwest Athletic Conference) last season. The Panthers finished in a tie for second place in the conference, behind Ashland University.

Coaches Corner: Garrett Mack enters his second season at the helm of the NDC football program. He has a record of 9-3 (9-1 MEC). Kelly Cummings is in year number eight as the head coach at ODU. He has a record of 48-21.

Rankings: Both of these teams are knocking on the door of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) preseason Division II top 25 poll. Notre Dame is 26th, with 99 votes in the poll and Ohio Dominican is receiving 10 votes. Last season, NDC finished the season at No. 23 in the poll.

Series History: Notre Dame and Ohio Dominican have only met once before. Back in 2012, NDC was playing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and was in its first season as an NCAA Division II program. On Oct. 20 of that year, the Falcons fell, 45-7, to ODU. The Falcons were still playing at Korb Field in Lyndhurst, Ohio at the time, before moving onto campus the next season.

Noting the Falcons: Despite some major pieces graduating from last season's team, the Mountain East Conference coaches still have NDC at the top of the preseason poll for the fourth straight year. For the first time since 2017, Notre Dame will go into the season with a quarterback not named Chris Brimm. The offensive line will not feature Nick Beans, who was the center, or Adam Riegler. On the defensive side, the Falcons will have to replace MEC Defensive Player of the Year Nathan Moore. However, NDC still has plenty of talent returning with All-Americans Cameron Shirkey (kicker) and CJ Kiss (tight end) return, as well as safety Antoine Holloway II, who earned All-Region honors in 2022 and All-America in 2021. All-MEC running back Idris Lawrence is back and one of the top returners in the conference Jay Sharp is on the depth chart. Receivers Napoleon Harris, Tyshawn Lighty and Andre Allen will be some of the main targets.

"We have a tremendous tradition here at Notre Dame College," said NDC head coach Garrett Mack. "It's great to see us picked first in the preseason poll, but, at the end of the day it's about where we are ranked at the end of the season. We have to continue to raise our standard each and every day because we know we will get every opponent's best shot. We are young and inexperienced but eager to compete. I am excited for the season."

Noting the Panthers: The Panthers were picked fourth in the 2023 GMAC preseason poll. They did not receive a first-place vote, but were just four points behind Findlay for third place. The two teams ODU was tied with for second place in the standings last season received first-place votes, as Tiffin had three and Findlay received one. Ashland is picked to repeat as the champion, with six first-place votes. Jake Byrd, who threw 23 touchdowns and over 2,600 yards, returns, as does top running back Travis Whittaker. However, receivers Andrew Wolf (60 catches, 901 yards, 13 touchdowns) and Austin Davis (51 catches, 553 yards) both graduated. Daishaun Hill (72 tackles), Jayden Hill (68 tackles) and Michael Powers (60 tackles) will be on the field for ODU.