Jack Swarbrick addresses importance of Notre Dame's independence with NBC extension

In an expected move, Notre Dame and NBC announced they were extending their historic media deal through the 2029 season. The announcement comes before an era of change in South Bend as university athletics director Jack Swarbrick and president Fr. John Jenkins are both preparing to step down.

What won’t change, though, is Notre Dame’s independent status — a major talking point during this latest round of conference realignment. As Swarbrick told NBC analyst and former Notre Dame basketball star Jordan Cornette, independence was a major factor in the extension talks.

He also understands the reality of college sports, which is why keeping Notre Dame independent was important.

“One of the great things about the extension with NBC that we’re announcing today is it helps ensure our independence,” Swarbrick said. “And that’s so important for us because it’s the independence platform that allows us to do the unique things we do in Notre Dame athletics.”

The Fighting Irish were one of the biggest targets as the realignment dominoes began to fall. The Big Ten has “always courted Notre Dame,” On3’s Pete Nakos reported in August, and those rumors continued to swirl as the league added four Pac-12 teams. All the while, Notre Dame was in the process of working out an extension of its deal with NBC, which was set to expire after the 2024 season.

As former NBC executive and Notre Dame football player Pete Bevacqua gets ready to come in to replace Swarbrick, he pointed out the reality of college sports in its current state.

“Realignment will continue,” Swarbrick said. “It’s not over. But we need to make sure, as realignment continues, that the interest of the student-athletes are first and foremost.”

NBC and Notre Dame entered their partnership in 1991, giving the Fighting Irish a national game every time they play at home. Until recently, it was the network’s only major venture into college football.

That is, until the Big Ten came calling.

This year is the first of an agreement between the Big Ten and three networks — FOX, CBS and NBC — as part of a landmark seven-year deal worth up to $7 million. NBC landed the primetime window for Big Ten football while the afternoon window, which is traditionally 2:30 p.m. ET or 3:30 p.m. ET, will remain for Notre Dame.

The Big Ten’s media deal runs through the 2029-30 school year. For comparison, NBC’s extension with Notre Dame will also go through the 2029 season.

While Notre Dame will remain in its current place as an independent, the rest of college athletics is changing in a major way. The Pac-12 is now, effectively, the “Pac-2” after 10 teams departed over the summer. Next season, the Big Ten will move to 18 teams with the additions of Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington. The Big 12 will increase to 16 as the Four Corners schools — Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah — enter the fray while Oklahoma and Texas head to the SEC.

Perhaps most importantly for Notre Dame, though, the College Football Playoff will expand to 12 teams. Under the current format, which could change, the six highest-ranked conference champions will receive bids while six at-large teams will also make the field. That means the path to the CFP could get easier for the Fighting Irish as an independent.