Page 52 - BusinessWest December 8, 2021

On His Own Turf
For Christian McCollum, Notre Dame Football Is a Passion and Career
By George O’Brien
Christian McCollum says he was just about to jump on his Peloton for his eve- ning workout when the news that had
been simmering all day finally came to a boil. Brian Kelly, the longtime head football coach of Notre Dame, was leaving to take the same job
at Louisiana State University (LSU).
That bombshell immediately changed the
night, the next day, and the entire landscape for a number of people, including McCollum, a lead writer for the website Irish Sports Daily, which is devoted entirely to Notre Dame sports, with, as might be expected at this time of year, a heavy focus on a football team that has a huge, national following.
Long story short, McCollum, lead recruiting writer for the site, never did get his bike ride that night, and he’s not sure when he will.
Indeed, after the news became official early in the evening on Nov. 29, the writers at Irish Sports Daily went into action, quickly turning out sto- ries on Kelly’s departure, likely successors, and, in McCollum’s case, one on who might be on the sidelines for the Irish if they play in a New Year’s Six bowl game or even one of the playoff games.
There were emergency Zoom meetings for the writers and, for McCollum, a series of calls to recruits to gauge their reaction to what was, for most, a stunning turn of events.
Recruiting has become McCollum’s main point of focus in a career now devoted mostly to Notre Dame sports and especially football. He also has an entrepreneurial venture of his own called Play Action Pools, an office sports pool hosting site that is gaining traction and looking to hit its stride in time for next spring’s March Madness.
For McCollum, Notre Dame sports has become as a much a passion as a job or a career.
After a 10-year stint with the Republican that started when he was in college, he moved to South Bend when he was hired by Frank Publish- ing, which produces Irish Sports Daily. His first job was a beat writer for both the football and basketball teams.
“I would go to all the practices, all the press conferences, and all the games, home and away — I would basically cover the team,” he said, adding that he moved back to this area in 2011 and has since focused mostly on recruiting, following the high-school players the team is recruiting seriously and taking their stories right up to signing day and beyond.
“Recruitment starts earlier and earlier these days; sometimes they’re freshmen in high school, sometimes they’re sophomores,” he noted. “I just track them throughout their journey.”
He acknowledged that the school’s mas-
Christian McCollum says Notre Dame is like the New York Yankees — it’s a team people love or hate, almost in equal numbers.
McCollum
Continued on page 55
New Look
Same Great Music
52 DECEMBER 8, 2021
SPORTS, LEISURE, & AUTO
BusinessWest