Sports Anchor/Reporter Former Valley tight end will play in College Football Playoff national championship game Updated: 7:27 AM CST Jan 10, 2025 GET TICKETS, YOU GET ENTRY TO BOTH GAMES, WHICH IS PRETTY NICE. THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMIFINALS BEGIN THURSDAY WITH NOTRE DAME AND PENN STATE IN THE ORANGE BOWL. NOTRE DAME HAS 11 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, WINNING ITS LAST IN 1988, BUT THE IRISH HAVE YET TO WIN A NATTY IN THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF ERA. THURSDAY NIGHT A TRIP TO THE TITLE GAME IS ON THE LINE. ONE PLAYER, BORN IN DES MOINES WAS BRED FOR THIS MOMENT. TEXT MESSAGES FROM EVERYONE YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THAT 515 AREA CODE. I’LL NEVER FORGET THE FIRST COLLEGE GAME EXPERIENCE WE WERE. ACTUALLY, IT WAS AN AWAY GAME AND THEY RAN OUT OF THE LOCKER ROOM AND I JUST I KIND OF WAS STRUCK WITH FEAR BECAUSE IT WASN’T HIGH SCHOOL ANYMORE. FORMER VALLEY TIGER ELI REARDON IS NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL’S BACKUP TIGHT END. FELT SURREAL AT FIRST, BUT ONCE YOU GET THAT FIRST SNAP OVER WITH, IT KIND OF IS LIKE, YOU GOT TO LOCK IN. WE’RE HERE NOW. HE WAS BORN TO BE IRISH. I WENT TO NOTRE DAME, PLAYED FOOTBALL OH TWO TO OH SIX, YOU KNOW. YEAH. OLD TEAMMATES TEXTING ME LIKE, I CAN’T BELIEVE. YOU KNOW, I FEEL OLD AND I CAN’T BELIEVE YOUR SON’S OUT THERE. MY DAD’S MY GO TO GUY AND EVERYTHING. HE’S THE WISEST AND MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE PERSON THAT I’VE TALKED TO. SO I RELY ON HIM FOR A LOT OF THINGS. AFTER TEARING THE SAME ACL TWICE, ELI IS TEARING THROUGH THE SECONDARY. COLLEGE SPORTS. SEEMS LIKE IT’S A ROLLER COASTER RIDE AND YOU EXPERIENCE REALLY HIGH HIGHS AND REALLY LOW LOWS WITH THE INJURY AND THEN COMING BACK AND SCORING SOME TOUCHDOWNS THIS YEAR. AND I THINK THE LEARNING LESSON FOR US IS LIKE MAYBE JUST TO LIKE MAYBE NOT TAKE THE ROLLER COASTER RIDE. TO BE HONEST, IT’S A LITTLE TERRIFYING BECAUSE ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN ON A SNAP LIKE A TOUCHDOWN AGAINST USC. ON NATIONAL TV. THAT WAS ONE WE DECIDED TO STAY HOME AND WATCH ON THE BIG SCREEN, AND IT WAS SURREAL TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT AND EXPERIENCE THAT WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. WE DON’T ALWAYS GET TO SIT WITH AND LOTS OF HIGH FIVES AND CHEERS GOING AROUND. YOU COULD IMAGINE THE REARDON FAMILY FLEW FROM DES MOINES TO MIAMI AS THEIR SON IS TWO WINS AWAY FROM A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. IT’S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT’S A VERY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY. AND SO WE’RE JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, CHERISH THE MOMENT AND AND SOAK IT ALL IN LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON. THERE’S A CERTAIN MOMENT WHERE YOU KIND OF SIT BACK AND TAKE IT ALL IN, LIKE, WOW, I’ Advertisement Former Valley tight end will play in College Football Playoff national championship game Updated: 7:27 AM CST Jan 10, 2025 Sports Anchor/Reporter Former West Des Moines Valley star Eli Raridon will be playing for a College Football Playoff championship.Raridon is the second tight end on Notre Dame's depth chart. He played several snaps in Thursday night's 27-24 semifinal win against Penn State, including a play early in the fourth quarter where he ran a route into the end zone and drew a pass interference penalty, which set up a Fighting Irish touchdown on the next play."It felt surreal at first," Eli Raridon said ahead of the semis. "But once you get that first snap over with ... you have to lock in. We're here now." Eli's dad, Scott Raridon Jr., played football at Notre Dame from 2002-06. And Eli's grandpa, Scott Raridon Sr., was a strength coach there under legendary coach Lou Holtz.The Fighting Irish will face either the winner between Ohio State and Texas, who play Friday night in the Cotton Bowl.The championship game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. DES MOINES, Iowa — Former West Des Moines Valley star Eli Raridon will be playing for a College Football Playoff championship.Raridon is the second tight end on Notre Dame's depth chart. He played several snaps in Thursday night's 27-24 semifinal win against Penn State, including a play early in the fourth quarter where he ran a route into the end zone and drew a pass interference penalty, which set up a Fighting Irish touchdown on the next play. Advertisement "It felt surreal at first," Eli Raridon said ahead of the semis. "But once you get that first snap over with ... you have to lock in. We're here now." Eli's dad, Scott Raridon Jr., played football at Notre Dame from 2002-06. And Eli's grandpa, Scott Raridon Sr., was a strength coach there under legendary coach Lou Holtz.The Fighting Irish will face either the winner between Ohio State and Texas, who play Friday night in the Cotton Bowl. Kevork Djansezian Tight end Eli Raridon #9 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish scores a touchdown against linebacker Mason Cobb #13 of the USC Trojans during the first half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. The championship game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Former Valley tight end at Notre Dame will play in College Football Playoff title game

Sports Anchor/Reporter The championship game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The championship game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Former West Des Moines Valley star Eli Raridon will be playing for a College Football Playoff championship. Sports Anchor/Reporter The Fighting […]

The championship game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

The Fighting Irish will face either the winner between Ohio State and Texas, who play Friday night in the Cotton Bowl.

Raridon is the second tight end on Notre Dame’s depth chart. He played several snaps in Thursday night’s 27-24 semifinal win against Penn State, including a play early in the fourth quarter where he ran a route into the end zone and drew a pass interference penalty, which set up a Fighting Irish touchdown on the next play.
Former West Des Moines Valley star Eli Raridon will be playing for a College Football Playoff championship.Raridon is the second tight end on Notre Dame’s depth chart. He played several snaps in Thursday night’s 27-24 semifinal win against Penn State, including a play early in the fourth quarter where he ran a route into the end zone and drew a pass interference penalty, which set up a Fighting Irish touchdown on the next play.”It felt surreal at first,” Eli Raridon said ahead of the semis. “But once you get that first snap over with … you have to lock in. We’re here now.” Eli’s dad, Scott Raridon Jr., played football at Notre Dame from 2002-06. And Eli’s grandpa, Scott Raridon Sr., was a strength coach there under legendary coach Lou Holtz.The Fighting Irish will face either the winner between Ohio State and Texas, who play Friday night in the Cotton Bowl.The championship game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Kevork Djansezian

Tight end Eli Raridon #9 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish scores a touchdown against linebacker Mason Cobb #13 of the USC Trojans during the first half at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 30, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Former Valley tight end at Notre Dame will play in College Football Playoff title game

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