Coach Day's Top 5 Sports Moments of 2025

As we approach the New Year & the end of 2025, I am diving into the best of 2025. It started last week with Barstool After Dark’s best of the best for their second season, & it will get back to Barstool-centered recaps later this week. Today I am going to give out my personal top 5 sports moments of 2025, what stuck out & will be remembered by me beyond 2025. Let’s get into it.

5. Gonzaga beats UCLA in Seattle – December 13th

Being able to attend in person as Gonzaga broke the Climate Pledge curse has to make the top moments of the year. This included masterful performances by Braden Huff & Graham Ike. The dunk by Ike brought the house down! Anytime you get to see your team get a ranked win over a rival, you’re gonna remember that one. I will be back in early 2026 to see the Bulldogs take on the Seattle Redhawks as well.

4. Team Europe Dominates for Ryder Cup Road Win – September 26th –28th

Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, & Ludvig Åberg took down Team USA. Now yes, I’m all about anything Team America usually… but with all of my favorite golfers being European, getting to see them all accomplish such a historic feat was special. The chip by Jon Rahm out of the bunker will be on re-runs for years. Also, the frustration of not being able to see Åberg’s match at all on Sunday, as he got the only full win of the day. What a 3-day event! I can’t wait till Ireland 2027.

3. Any Saturday I got to see Jeremiyah Love put on at the Notre Dame Gold Dome – Fall

For the college game, it is not every year, or even every five, that you get to watch a player who can break it at any time he touches it. Jeremiyah Love was that & somehow even more. His ability to invent ways to get into the end zone made him one of the all-time greats to play in the Blue & Gold. The ending of the season, of course, wasn’t what we wanted, but I stand by that if he doesn’t play limited snaps vs. Stanford, he wins the Heisman.

2. Notre Dame wins the Orange Bowl to advance to the National Championship – January 9th

After not seeing the Irish win a major bowl game my whole life, in one postseason I got to witness three major wins, including this spectacular comeback in the 4th quarter vs. Penn State. Irish fans will never forget Jeremiyah Love's determination to score at the goal line through countless defenders with a bum knee. Or Jaden Greathouse & his double move to sit down the PSU DB. Or Christian Gray’s diving interception leading to Mitch Jeter’s knuckler kick to win the game. We won’t address the next week’s game though. That, in this blog, did not happen!

1. Rory McIlroy wins The Masters & his Grand Slam is complete – April 13th

I’m back with more golf & Rory, the golfer I’ve been following since I was in my teens. I still remember his Sunday Masters collapse of 2011, in which he shot an 80. Now the scene flipped, as he found a way to finally erase his demons. Walking in multiple shots that I don’t even think dream-me could hit. Not to mention, getting to witness a Grand Slam in golf is such a rarity in itself, as only six players have completed that feat. In reality, this could be on many top sports moments lists of 2025.

It is always fun to think back on your year as New Year’s approaches & find the good memories. Sports give us such highs & lows, but the constant is that feeling of being a part of something bigger, a common thread with others. I, as I’m sure many others are, am hopeful for what my favorite teams & athletes have in store for 2026.

2025 was a blast. Maybe 2026, though, will bring the so-elusive championships for Gonzaga or Notre Dame. Or could Ludvig Åberg & Viktor Hovland snag their first majors? The great thing about sports is the clean slate we all get each new year. Goodbye 2025... thanks for all the memories.