I think the new leadership at ND realize that ND is not going to win national titles simply for showing up in blue and gold uniforms and playing the fight song. I think for the first time in a long time they have full understanding that in order to win a national championship on the football field they have to win national championships organizationally off the field. Which means: building a better product than their competitors; building the right culture that resonates with 18 year old athletes, by winning in talent acquisition, in the facilities arms race, in having an enticing enough package (money, facilities, perks, etc.) that makes a national championship talent choose notre dame over its competitors.
This podcast was music to my ears. I literally shouted "yes!" at the top of my lungs after hearing several of Petey Bs responses in this podcast. It was super refreshing to hear a person in leadership at the university talk about the football program in a way that is grounded in reality.
Marcus Freeman has shown signs of being a really good football coach (as per his #8 finish in F+ last year -- one of NDs best finishes in F+ since the inception of the stat 15+ years ago).
Now if we can get administrators that are in touch with reality in the year 2024 to support him and compliment what he is trying to accomplish on the recruiting trail and as a head coach we finally might be able to compete with--and win some football games against--the tier-1 in the sport again. And Petey Bs responses in this podcast definitely provide hope to that end.