Marcus Freeman, Irish Players Rave About Notre Dame's New Football Home
There’s a new building on Notre Dame’s campus and it’s the talk of the country.
More than $100 million was invested into the construction of the Jack and Kathy Shields Family Hall, giving Notre Dame one of the premier football facilities in the sport.
The coaches and players have yet to fully explore every corner of the massive building, but the impact has already been noticeable. The new facility has provided a fresh spark as the Irish prepare for fall camp.
Safety Adon Shuler spent his first three seasons inside The Gug, giving him a unique appreciation for what it took to bring Shields Family Hall to life.
When asked what stood out most about the new facility, Shuler pointed to the people behind the project.
“I'll just say the community behind Shields Hall,” Shuler said. “We've been in The Gug since I've been there and kind of beforehand, but just the love and support behind getting Shields Hall here as fast as possible from Ron (Powlus), Pete (Bevacqua).
“It’s a tremendous opportunity to be in there for camp and it's like a breath of fresh air being in a new facility.”
The glitz and glamour is nice, but Notre Dame's focus is on how Shields Family Hall can improve the daily development of its players.
The facility provides elite training, nutrition and recovery resources, and linebacker Drayk Bowen is eager to see the benefits during fall camp.
Bowen believes the attention to every detail of the player experience will help Notre Dame continue to raise its standard.
“Food is a huge one,” explained Bowen. “It's a huge win, but as I've gotten older, I've realized how much more wear and tear you get on the body throughout long seasons. The biggest thing is probably going to be the recovery room of all the things that they have now that we can use that can help you get back to 100 percent a lot sooner.”
Bowen understands the importance of recovery better than most.
The three-year starter played through a torn hip labrum for much of the 2025 season.
Shields Hall won’t have the miracle ability to cure a torn labrum, but it will allow players to recover more quickly and even prevent injuries.
“I think that's probably going to be the biggest thing for us is the recovery room and how fast guys are going to be able to get back from a game, but also just overall injury,” Bowen stated. “Trying to get back from an injury that maybe we didn't have before that we do now. I'm super excited for that during fall camp season and that's going to be a big piece for our team.”
Head coach Marcus Freeman has also been impressed by what the new facility provides.
Every time he walks through Shields Family Hall, Freeman said he appreciates the commitment that went into creating a space designed specifically around the needs of Notre Dame's players.
“It's unbelievable,” Freeman said. “Credit to everybody, Ron Powlus and everybody that really spent a lot of time thinking about what our players need. It serves our players in a way they've never been served before and they deserve it. They have the best of the best.”
For Freeman, one of the most exciting aspects of the facility isn't just the upgraded spaces, it's the technology and teaching opportunities.
Shields Family Hall gives Notre Dame new tools to teach the game, develop players and maximize every meeting.
“I got a text from a coach I really respect that dealt with moving into a new building,” Freeman explained. “He said, you don't even realize how valuable that will be to the teaching and coaching. I'm excited for them to use it, for me to learn all the different teaching tools and how they can utilize it.
“I don't want to compare anybody else. I know at some point I think it will get old, but every time I walk in there, I'm in awe. It's unbelievable. Credit to the people that invested money and time to get our players the place they deserve.”
The next step for the Irish is simple: learning everything Shields Family Hall has to offer.
“I haven't really been able to enjoy the whole thing yet, but we’re going to be in there all day and night during camp,” said Shuler. Still learning the building. I keep joking around with Drayk, like, ‘We need a map.’ That's how big the building is,
“It's just really cool to just be able to have all the intangibles to recover, meet with your coaches, the experience room to help me be a better person and a better football player.”
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