After Selection Sunday, Professor Brian Mulholland sent an email to his Calculus I class encouraging them to begin studying for their final exam, while also sharing his frustration with Notre Dame being left out of the College Football Playoff. He wanted to acknowledge the disappointment many students were feeling and offer some light-hearted encouragement heading into finals week. Unbeknownst to him, a student took a screenshot of part of that email and posted it on social media.
The message spread quickly, gaining traction on NDBarstool and several other prominent college football platforms. Before long, the announcement reached Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua.
Pete ultimately stopped by Professor Mulholland’s Calculus I class to thank the students for their passion and support of Notre Dame. In his brief visit, he and Professor Mulholland emphasized how special the Notre Dame community is—how the athletic, spiritual, academic, and social dimensions of campus life are deeply interconnected.
He brought the class a token of appreciation: ALLFIGHT hats. In return, the students offered him a small joking token of their own: a pack of brown sugar Pop-Tarts.
This is a photo of the class proudly wearing their hats. Moments like this remind us just how remarkable the Notre Dame family truly is.