Some members of the Notre Dame football team have reportedly been feeling under the weather leading up to Thursday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal game against Penn State.
As Notre Dame and Penn State prepare for the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla., reports have swirled that the Fighting Irish are dealing with a flu outbreak. On3’s Tyler Horka said Thursday morning that several Notre Dame players have been battling illnesses and that “those who have it have it bad.”
Horka added that is believed to be mostly reserve and special teams players who are sick. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg was told by a source that the team is “good” and that the situation has improved in recent days.
Rittenberg also noted that Notre Dame star running back Jeremiyah Love battled a respiratory illness in his team’s opening-round College Football Playoff game against Indiana.
Heard from a Notre Dame source who said the situation has improved from several days ago and "overall, we're good." Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love had an upper respiratory bug that impacted him before the first-round CFP game, so team has dealt with this for a bit. https://t.co/pZcV4ZKMl9
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) January 9, 2025
Love rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 8 carries in Notre Dame’s 27-17 win over Indiana. He was held to just 19 yards on 6 carries in the quarterfinals, but the Irish beat Georgia 23-10 in that game.
There have also been rumors on social media this week that Penn State players have dealt with gastrointestinal issues, but that has not been confirmed.
This is not the first time a team has dealt with a flu outbreak, and it won’t be the last. There have been no reports that any key players are at risk of missing Thursday night’s game.
