Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes are approaching the summer with a heightened sense of urgency, thanks to a high-profile season opener against Notre Dame. With the Fighting Irish set to visit Hard Rock Stadium to kick off the 2025 season, Cristobal knows his team must hit the ground running — and that starts with a restructured summer camp.
Cristobal, entering his fourth season at the helm, emphasized that this year’s preparation won’t follow the usual timeline or tone. “When you open with a team like Notre Dame, there’s no easing into the season,” he said during a recent media availability. “Every single rep matters. Every install, every meeting — it all takes on added importance. Our summer is about precision, urgency, and getting game-ready from day one.”
Typically, Miami uses early summer workouts to reintroduce schemes, focus on individual development, and build chemistry. This year, however, Cristobal and his staff are accelerating that process. The playbook will be installed earlier. Team scrimmages will be more frequent. Situational football — red zone, third down, two-minute drill — will take center stage far sooner than in previous years.
“This is not a warm-up game,” Cristobal said. “Notre Dame is physical, disciplined, and experienced. We need to match that intensity from the first whistle. That starts in July, not August.”
One key focus of the adjusted camp schedule is quarterback play. With a talented yet relatively young group in the quarterback room, the staff wants to create as many live-action scenarios as possible before fall camp officially begins. The goal is to identify a clear starter early — someone who can command the offense and operate crisply against one of the nation’s toughest defenses.
“Reps are gold,” Cristobal added. “We want to simulate game speed every chance we get. Whoever wins the job at quarterback will have already faced pressure-packed moments by the time we take the field in Week 1.”
The defensive side of the ball will also see changes. With Notre Dame’s reputation for pounding the rock and controlling the clock, Cristobal is prioritizing front-seven toughness and tackling efficiency. Expect longer, more physical practice sessions that emphasize pursuit angles, gap integrity, and in-game communication — particularly among the linebacker corps.
Summer strength and conditioning is another area getting a makeover. Miami’s new Director of Performance, brought in during the offseason, is coordinating closely with the coaching staff to tailor workouts for game-readiness. Instead of ramping up slowly, players are being pushed harder, sooner.
“Our guys understand what’s at stake,” Cristobal said. “You don’t get many chances like this — a national opponent, prime-time setting, all eyes on Miami. We’ve got to be ready to make a statement.”
Miami hasn’t hosted Notre Dame since the famous 2017 “Catholics vs. Convicts” redux, when the Hurricanes routed the Irish 41–8 and rocketed into the national spotlight. While Cristobal isn’t banking on history repeating itself, he does believe the early test offers a massive opportunity.
“It’s a tone-setter. A chance to show who we are,” he said. “But it only means something if we prepare the right way. That’s what this summer is about.”
With expectations rising in Coral Gables and a tough ACC slate following the opener, Cristobal’s decision to alter Miami’s summer schedule is as much about long-term momentum as it is about Week 1 success. But make no mistake: the Hurricanes’ sights are firmly set on Notre Dame — and the path to that game starts now.
