The No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are gearing up for a semifinal matchup in the College Football Playoff against the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions, set to take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, for the iconic Orange Bowl.
The jersey combinations have been teased and revealed, with Penn State issuing an announcement for a "whiteout," encouraging Nittany Lions fans to wear white. The team will don their famous white-on-white uniform combination, paired with their iconic helmet.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame continues to embrace its tradition of unconventional choices, particularly when it comes to their jerseys. The Fighting Irish will sport their signature shiny gold helmets, and they’ll wear navy blue jerseys with names on the back—something they've never done before until the College Football Playoff. The names will be in gold lettering with a gold outline and match their gold pants.
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 5, 2025
Orange Bowl
6️⃣ Penn State
Miami Gardens, Florida
Thursday, Jan. 9
7:30PM ET
ESPN#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/b9htqvHwHL
One standout feature came with walk-on cornerback Charles Du, a native of China, whose name was written in Chinese on the back of his jersey against Georgia. This marks a historic first in college football and has sparked widespread admiration for the unique decision, as the Fighting Irish allow players to express their individuality in this way.
Charles Du's name on his jersey featured in Chinese
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) January 2, 2025
Du is a walk-on cornerback at Notre Dame from Beijing pic.twitter.com/5ADtctj3hd
This is the first year of the expanded 12-team playoff format, and with all the Division I and FBS teams across the country, being selected to play in the playoff is a tremendous honor. It’s a testament to everything the players and coaches have accomplished throughout the regular season.
For some, this may be their final time playing football, while for others, it could be the biggest stage they’ll ever competed on. Having your name on the back of the jersey for the world to see is a special moment.
Notre Dame stepping away from longstanding tradition to start a new one is a cool and significant move for the university and the football program moving forward.
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