The Notre Dame football team is off to a very strong start, winning its first four games of the year and ranked in the top 10 in both polls. But are the Fighting Irish similar to teams in the NFL? Norte Dame legend Joe Montana recently spoke to PopCulutre.com on a number of topics, including the future of the program and how it is similar to an NFL team.
“Notre Dame is like the NFL in a lot of ways,” Montana told PopCulture. It’s about the money, and they have the power to be able not to have to share a lot of stuff if they don’t want to, and I think that’s why they’ve stayed independent for so long.” What Montana is referring to is Norte Dame’s independence from any NCAA conference. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Norte Dame joined the ACC for the season and reached the conference championship game. Montana, 65, did admit he liked Notre Dame playing in ACC for one reason.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“I think one of the things that I did like about it was, the big thing that held them back a lot was that they didn’t have that Championship Game to add onto the end of their season, which affected the polls a lot,” Montana explained. “I think they’re going to drop back down that way, because they’re not going to have that extra game. Even when they tried to add an extra game, it still didn’t have the same meaning as going into a Championship Game and winning the conference.”
Norte Dame won a big game against Wisconsin this past weekend at Soldier Field in Chicago. Montana has been working with Guinness who recently announced a new taproom is coming to Chicago in 2023. The beer company also released a commercial that features Montana.
“They partnered with my old alma mater, Notre Dame, and part of the Shamrock Series, who will be playing Wisconsin at Soldier Field this weekend,” Montana stated. “The new taproom is going to be located on the west end, and it’s there, they’re going to help do a lot of things with the community there, and celebrate what makes Chicago so great.”
Most Viewed
-
Side-by-side: Images of Tim Allen, Stefan Gossler and Jackie Chan (Credit: Christian JENTZ/Gamma-Rapho // Franziska Krug/Getty Images // Stephane Cardinale/Corbis) -
A defocused police car sits behind crime scene tape with flashing lights at night. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) -
Handcuffs laying on top of fingerprint chart in file (Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto) -
Joe Tenta, Josephine Tenta, Joanna Tenta, John Jr Tenta, Fred Ottman and son induct the Natural Disasters during WWE 2025 Hall of Fame at BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas on April 18, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Eric Johnson/WWE via Getty Images) -
US television personality Kylie Jenner arrives for the Wall Street Journal Magazine 2023 Innovator Awards at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City on November 1, 2023. The annual awards, now in their 12th year, recognize talents from a range of disciplines, including fashion, art, literature, entertainment, architecture, design, technology, and philanthropy. (Photo by Andrea RENAULT / AFP) (Photo by ANDREA RENAULT/AFP via Getty Images) -
Netflix logo (Credit: Netflix) -
Beverly Hills, CA – January 31, 2026: Jelly Roll, left, and Bunnie Xo, right, pose for portraits on the red carpet during the 68th GRAMMY Awards Pre-GRAMMY Gala & GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Avery Lipman & Monte Lipman at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Beverly Hills, CA. Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party hosts an array of A-listers from entertainment, sports, and politics to come together and enjoy performances. (Kayla Bartkowski/ Los Angeles Times)
