Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman 'not too overly opinionated' on ideas for NIL fixes
Marcus Freeman’s NIL frustrations and suggestions are minimal. Publicly, at least. The Notre Dame head coach has not lamented the NIL era or strongly advocated for rules changes during media appearances.
The furthest he went during a Thursday interview tour on several ESPN shows was voicing his support for some more structure to the NIL rules. That was in response to a question based on Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin advocating for “some form of cap” on NIL contracts during a Wednesday appearance on ESPN’s First Take and Alabama head coach Nick Saban expressing a desire for guidelines to help “maintain competitive balance.”
Freeman, asked for his view on recruiting in the NIL age on ESPN’s Get Up Thursday morning, did not mention a cap or propose any specific change in his answer. He later added that he’s “not concerned” about college football heading in a harmful direction. But he would eventually like to see something done in NIL.
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“At some point, the ability to make rules and restrictions that are put in place to really help student-athletes and your program to not get out of control, I think that’s really important,” Freeman said. “I’m not too overly opinionated on it. I’ve been doing this head coach thing for maybe seven or eight months, so I’m really focused on getting this team prepared.
“Guys like Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban who’ve been doing it for so long, I’m sure they have a strong opinion about it. For me, right now, it’s, ‘OK, how can we maximize the opportunities for our guys within the rules?’ When they come out with new guidance and new rules, I’m sure we’ll be able to capitalize off that.”
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Freeman is pleased with Notre Dame’s selling points and ability to compete in the current structure, though. The Irish have the No. 2 class in 2023, per the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings. They have an early hold on the No. 1 spot in 2024. Their highest finish in On3’s class rankings – which were retroactively applied to 2004 – is fourth (2013, 2008, 2007).
Notre Dame has built those classes without finding itself in headlines for reportedly agreeing to substantial NIL deals with recruits. No matter the rules, Freeman’s job in recruiting is to make prospects see Notre Dame as a place where their NIL opportunities will match those available at any other school.
There are tangible examples for him and his assistants to point to in recruiting, like the Friends of the University of Notre Dame collective that pays athletes for charitable work and former Irish safety Kyle Hamilton’s creativity and success in NIL ventures last year. At the center of his pitch, though, is Notre Dame’s branding power. It will remain there no matter what the recruiting and NIL landscape looks like.
“You look at Notre Dame and the big brand of Notre Dame, and some of the biggest brands in the country, biggest brands in the world are associated with this program and with this university,” Freeman said. “So name, image, and likeness can be maximized at Notre Dame bigger than most places. We believe that it’s a great opportunity to capitalize at Notre Dame, but also we believe in what the education and spending time in South Bend will do for you in your future.”
