The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast

Pete Sampson, Matt Fortuna

mtw149@gmail.com

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Booking Overview

This is a twice-weekly college football interview and analysis show focused on Notre Dame football, with external guests typically consisting of prominent coaches and national college football journalists. PR agencies could credibly pitch former or current high-profile coaches, Notre Dame program figures, and established football analysts or reporters; booking difficulty is high because the show has featured nationally recognized guests such as Brian Kelly and ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

Metrics

Episodes: 154

Frequency: Multiple_weekly

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Estimated listeners: 1k-10k

Gender skew: Male

Location: USA

Contact Information

mtw149@gmail.com

For verified host and producer emails, sign up to view.

Host

Pete Sampson - College football journalist for The Athletic who covers Notre Dame football and has extensive experience reporting on the program.

Matt Fortuna - College football journalist and founder of The Inside Zone, with a professional focus on Notre Dame and the broader college football landscape.

Booking Intelligence

Booking Requirements

high
Typical Credentials:  
Recognized college football head coaches, former Notre Dame coaches or program figures, and nationally established college football reporters or analysts
Required Achievements:  
Major college football coaching records, National sports-media roles, Authoritative analysis of college football programs

Recent Guest Discussions

Brian Kelly - His Departure From Notre Dame, His Legacy With The Fighting Irish, Marcus Freeman, His Experience At LSU, And His Future Coaching Plans

Adam Rittenberg - Notre Dame's No. 1 Ranking In Espn's Future Power Rankings, Marcus Freeman's Program Leadership, And The Team's Outlook

Recent Topics

Notre Dame, College Football, Coaching, Football Analysis, Sports Journalism

Episodes

Here's the recent few episodes on
The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast
:

Brian Kelly joins the show to talk Notre Dame exit, Irish legacy, Marcus Freeman and more!

July 14, 2026

Former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly joins The Independent for this extended exclusive interview. Matt and Pete talk to the Irish’s all-time winningest coach about his Irish exit, the affection he still has for Notre Dame, why things didn’t work out at LSU, what could have been and much more. Kelly praises Marcus Freeman and the current staff for all that they have accomplished, and he talks about what life has been like these past few months without a team to coach after 35 years of runn...

Notre Dame Fan Survey Recap: Why You Are So High on Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish in 2026

June 30, 2026

It's Fan Survey Time! Matt Fortuna and Pete Sampson are here to discuss the feedback Pete received from his annual Notre Dame Fan Survey on The Athletic. You are all incredibly high on the Fighting Irish in 2026, and rightfully so. With Marcus Freeman entering Year 5 and CJ Carr listed as a preseason Heisman contender, what's not to like about this squad? The fellas discuss that and more on the latest episode of The Independent. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com fo...

Notre Dame is No. 1 in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings with Adam Rittenberg

June 27, 2026

It’s been a good offseason for Notre Dame, and the vibes continue to be high as the Fighting Irish are ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s future power rankings. Adam Rittenberg, the author of the rankings, joins Matt and Pete to discuss why he loves the Irish, and what Marcus Freeman has done to position the program for so much success. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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