Notre Dame searching for $75 million annually in hopes to remain independent

As conference realignment continues to ramp up, many are looking towards independent powerhouse Notre Dame to see what their next move will be. And according to CBS’s Dennis Dodd, they are targeting $75 million annual revenue deal with their current broadcast partner NBC in order to remain independent and avoid joining a conference.

NBC and Notre Dame’s relationship dates back to 1991, but this deal is set to expire in 2025, conveniently a year after the early phases of major conference realignment are set to take place. Dodd’s source says NBC’s negotiations with Notre Dame will extend the next two to three weeks, and that NBC is seeking a “shouldering program” from a Power 5 conference in order to feel more comfortable raising Notre Dame’s valuation.

Notre Dame’s current deal has them earning $22 million annually. And with them most likely having to rely on the media presence of a Power 5 conference in order to achieve their payout, it definitely poses the question of whether or not they are better off staying independent or joining a conference. Notre Dame is one of the most iconic brands in all of college football. But in a new era of NIL, media rights, and conference realignment on the horizon, there may not be room for an independent, blue-blood powerhouse. And the result of this payout request will definitely play a key factor in the Fighting Irish’s next move.

Joel Klatt assesses possibility of Notre Dame joining Big Ten, difficulty of being independent

With the recent moves of USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, many are beginning to wonder whether Notre Dame could be next. The Fighting Irish have been a football independent since their beginning and take pride in that tradition. 

According to a report from Sports Illustrated, Notre Dame’s “independence remains the preference and the leader in the clubhouse.” However, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt explained recently that refusing to join a conference could potentially cost the school a lot of money. 

“There’s only six or seven games that you’re selling as an independent,” Klatt said on the Colin Cowherd Podcast. “You’ve got to find the revenue out of your road games. Let’s just (compare) Ohio State and Notre Dame. Ohio State is essentially in the Big Ten selling both their home games and their away games. They’re maximizing their brand regardless of where they’re playing. Notre Dame doesn’t do that. Notre Dame is maximizing their brand in their home games because those are the ones that they own. But they have to have some sort of other arrangement for grant of rights for their road games in order to supplement the rest of the revenue that a team like Ohio State would get from their conference. The tradeoff is that Ohio State then has to go and share evenly among the other schools in their conference.”

Notre Dame already competes in the Big Ten in ice hockey, but is affiliated with the ACC in all other sports except football. Klatt went on to explain that there is a path for the Irish to stay independent at least in the short term. However, in order to make it possible he believes they would have to end their partnership with the ACC

On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this report.