Pete Bevacqua transcript: What Notre Dame AD said about possible revenue sharing in athletics

On Tuesday, three days before the University of Notre Dame hosts the first-ever College Football Playoff game on a college campus, director of athletics Pete Bevacqua spoke to the media for about 45 minutes. He addressed the following topics:

• The House v. NCAA settlement/revenue sharing
• Football coach Marcus Freeman’s contact language
• Bevacqua’s experience as a media executive in his role as AD
• How he envisions Friday night’s CFP game
• What a gameday is like for him
• One thing that threw him a curveball early on
• How he felt the 12-team playoff played out
• The difference in the football staff salary pool with Freeman’s extension
• The challenge of hosting a CFP game
• What success looks like Friday night from an event-hosting perspective
• Why Notre Dame extended Freeman now
• Notre Dame Stadium looking like a home game on Friday night
• Private equity in college athletics
• Guardrails of finding the right student-athletes in the transfer portal
• The economic impact of Friday’s game
• Call to action to Notre Dame fans for Friday’s game
• Notre Dame’s Relationship with the ACC

Here is the complete transcript of Bevacqua’s conversation with the media.

Opening statement

“It’s amazing. I’ve been on campus since last July, officially in the position, I think, for about nine months, which has absolutely flown by, but just couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t possibly be enjoying it more. 

“You think back to last spring, I think back to the men’s national championship in lacrosse two years in a row. I remember telling (Notre Dame president) Father Bob (Dowd) at the time, ‘This is easy. I’ve only been in the job for about three or four weeks, and we have a national championship.’ So that was a great way to start. 

“Then, I think about going through the summer, entering into the fall, with fall sports—my first official year. To be back at Notre Dame — as all of you know, I’m a 1993 grad, grew up all things Notre Dame — to be back here in this position, particularly during this time of really unprecedented change in the college sports landscape — the team, and I just find that exciting and fascinating, helping Notre Dame navigate through this unprecedented time. It’s just been a wonderful experience so far.

“I think, to this summer, and my old colleagues at NBC with the Olympics in Paris. We had such a great Olympic presence here at Notre Dame. That was an added benefit. 

“Then obviously, with why I know you’re all here for the football season that we’re in right now. It has been so exciting the job that (coach) Marcus (Freeman) and his staff have done, our student-athletes, on that team. It’s just been a wonderful journey that obviously continues this Friday night.

“When I think about being in this role and navigating Notre Dame through these times, for us, it’s all about certainly winning on the field. You want to do that in all of our 26 programs. You want to be successful. But my main obligation, and I feel like my main responsibility, is doing everything we can to maintain the student athlete experience at Notre Dame. That’s what Notre Dame athletics are all about. 

“I remember just a few weeks ago, I had a young female, young woman basketball recruit in my office. This person, one of the top recruits in the country, could go anywhere to play basketball. (She) had just exceptional grades and could go anywhere to get her education. 

“I remember talking to her and saying, ‘Hey, I’m admittedly biased. You can go to other great schools with big-time basketball programs and play basketball at the highest level. You can go to other great schools and get a world-class education. But I really think we’re the best one-two punch in the country.’

“’If you want to come here and experience athletics in its absolute highest form with some of the best coaches in the country, best facilities and resources, but also get a world-class education, I don’t think there’s any place like Notre Dame.’ that’s what I love so much about this university.’

“I always tell people, whether it’s Father Bob or our trustees or fellow staff members, that’s really our main goal. How do we make sure we never lose sight of what it means to be a Notre Dame student-athlete? In a world of NIL, transfer portals, the house settlement, conference realignment and the modernization of college athletics, maybe that’s more difficult than ever. But I think for us, it’s more of an advantage than ever. 

“I think it’s a bigger differentiator than it’s ever been. I think that the promise that we make to our student-athletes in any one of our 26 programs, is that you’re going to have a wonderful experience athletically, but you’re going to have an equally wonderful experience academically. That’s the promise that we make them.

“To stick by them, we say, ‘Coming to Notre Dame is not a four-year decision. It’s a forever decision.’ We mean it. We think we give them an unbelievable experience when they’re here with us. 

“Then, after they leave Notre Dame, to keep them connected to this Notre Dame family, to keep them connected to the university through programs like LAND that we’re incredibly excited about — Life After Notre Dame. So you’re a part of the Notre Dame family as a student-athlete, just not for your 3, 4, 5 years while you’re here, but whether you’re 21 or 53 or 72. We want to keep you part of our family. 

“So couldn’t be more excited. Obviously, we’re thrilled about what’s coming up this Friday. This was our goal. One of our goals was to host a College Football Playoff game. To think that we’re going to host the first-ever playoff game on a campus as a home-field advantage — that’s really what it is. I mean, the CFP was adamant about that. They were like, ‘With these four teams that are hosting games, you’ve earned the right to host a playoff game.’

“Our goal, our belief, and our expectation (is that it’s) going to sound like a Notre Dame home football game. It’s going to feel like a Notre Dame home football game. 

“We’re going to hand out these neat towels that are the blue and gold/yellow, but of the Play Like A Champion sign, which will also commemorate this great first for Notre Dame. 

“There aren’t many opportunities to have firsts at Notre Dame because of the history of Notre Dame. We’ve done so much and accomplished so much across the university and certainly on the football field. But this is a first.

“I think the community is excited. I think the country is excited, and we couldn’t be more pleased and just more thrilled about what we have to look forward to here in a few days.”

On if the House v. NCAA settlement moves forward as expected in April, will Notre Dame participate from a full revenue share distribution standpoint and what percentage will go to football

“The house settlement — some of you are probably closer to it than others — but it’s on our minds constantly. We have conversations about the house settlement, preparing for the house settlement, how we will change things operationally (and) what we need to change if it’s approved.

“The way it’s currently laid out is it’s set to have the final hearing by Judge (Claudia) Wilkin, the US District Court, Judge at 10 a.m. on April 7, that she will either approve it or comment on it. I think the expectation by many is that it will be approved. Should it be approved, we have a plan in place to be prepared, if it is improved. We absolutely will meet the cap. 

“We think the house settlement, although it’s not a cure-all, it’s not a solve for everything in college sports. I think we firmly believe that we still need the support of Congress, and we’re very involved in those efforts.

“I was in Washington, D.C., a few weeks ago with Father Bob, our president, and we met with Senator Cory Booker, we met with Senator (Ted) Cruz, had conversations with the team of Senator (Chris) Coons office. Had time with Senator (Maria) Cantwell. And Senator (Todd) Young, our own Indiana senator, has been such a great resource for us. 

“But we will obviously participate in the house settlement. We will hit the cap. We want to continue to be very aggressive in what we do in Notre Dame athletics. While we’re still in the process of figuring out percentages and dollar amounts, the initial cap, we believe, will be slightly less than $22 million. It’ll probably be $20.5 million. There’s an automatic 4% escalator, then a series of look-in periods for that number to change. 

“No secret, a large portion of that will be dedicated to football. That’s important to us. I think you’ll see that across the nation. Again, we’re going to be strategic. We’re going to be aggressive. 

“We think that compensation in a smart, strategic way is proper and benefits our student-athletes. So again, we think this is a positive step — should it get approved. We think it will create some stability, but we still think it’s not a cure-all. It’s not a total solve.

“We need to keep having those conversations within the ACC with the commissioners of the different conferences. I feel like I’m on the phone constantly, not only with (ACC commissioner) Jimmy Phillips, but with (SEC commissioner) Greg Sankey and (Big Ten commissioner) Tony Peititti and (Big 12 commissioner) Brett Yormark, trying to all figure out this space together.”

On if there is any special language in Freeman’s new contract that pertains to either the NFL or perhaps Ohio State University

“Thrilled about the new agreement with Marcus. Obviously, we all think the world of him, the job he has done here at Notre Dame, on the field and off the field. You think about the improvement year in and year out, now in his third year. 

“If you were in my position, just to see the way he interacts with our student-athletes. It’s just amazing the bond that he has created with them. The way they can relate to him. The way he relates to them.

“Then, what he does off the field at Notre Dame. I’ve said to so many people, ‘The two most visible representatives of Notre Dame are our President and our head football coach.’ Obviously, Father Bob and everything he’s accomplished. When we think about Coach Freeman, there’s no better representative of Notre Dame. He’s so authentic, so sincere. Everything that makes Notre Dame different and special, and some would say, maybe harder, he embraces and uses that as an advantage and as a differentiator. 

“So for me, and in the conversations I had with Father, Bob and John Veihmeyer, the Chair of our Board of Trustees, it was easy. 

“To Marcus’s credit, every conversation I had with him about the future and his future here, it was never about him. It was always about the program. It was always about his assistant coaches, making sure that we would have the resources to keep and to attract the very best assistant coaches in the country.

“You think about the team that he is assembled, it’s just a wonderful team. The culture that he has created with the student-athletes and with the coaching staff, it’s special. I think we have a ton of momentum.

“I know it’s a long-winded answer to your question. The (answer) is, no, there are no carve-outs specific to either of those that you mentioned: the NFL or any other colleges.”

On how his experience as a media executive has shaped how he views his role and how important television has become the college athletics

“Well, it is important. My time at NBC as the chairman of NBC Sports, I saw that firsthand. You think about the media landscape right now, and this movement from a broadcast cable ecosystem to really more of a broadcast streaming system, and the role that sports plays. 

“Particularly, you think about the two most dominant things in sports media. Clearly the NFL, but college football is right up there. There is a great hunger for college football. You see that. It bears itself out in the ratings.

“When you think about these great matchups, whether it’s the wonderful games that we’re lucky enough to participate in. Or those terrific matchups, like Ohio State and Michigan, people want to watch major college sports. They want to watch college football. 

“In the conversations we’ve had with NBC. You think about that relationship. I graduated from Notre Dame in 1993. That relationship started in 1991 and was really groundbreaking at the time. It’s so unusual for a relationship between a sports property and a media company to endure for over 30 years. That’s a testament to Notre Dame, that’s a testament to NBC, a testament to working together, because those types of partnerships only survive if they’re mutually beneficial. It’s worked. It’s worked well.

“And we’ve changed. You think about when we were renegotiating our extension to the NBC agreement, we knew it was incredibly important for NBC to continue to have a game exclusively on Peacock. That’s not accepted by everybody as an easy thing to do, but that’s where the world’s headed. 

“I went through that process when I was at NBC, that you have to pivot, you have to stay current, you have to stay progressive. That’s what NBC and Notre Dame have done together as a partnership. I think you start to see the fruits that bears. This Peacock documentary is a perfect example. 

“When we were talking to (NBC Sports president) Rick Cordella and others at NBC, we had this idea of, ‘Okay, yeah, we bring Notre Dame to the NBC Peacock viewership six or seven times a year, but let’s make that more enduring. Let’s make that more lasting and permanent. Let’s create this docuseries where we have six to eight episodes a year and give people a real behind-the-scenes look at this program, what Marcus does with these student-athletes.’ I think that’s gone really well so far.

“We also know that your media value, the revenue you can derive from your media partners, is critical to the success of your athletic program. In this world of the changing dynamics and the house settlement, and to use the phrase of the moment, ‘to hit the cap,’ you need to generate revenue. The major source of revenue generation for any major athletic department comes from its media partners. 

“So we’re always looking for ways to drive value to our media partners. First and foremost, that’s performance on the field, but it’s everything else we can offer. It’s the documentary, it’s the staff and the team we have at Fighting Irish Media that makes NBC’s life so much easier. 

“So we feel like we’re in really good shape with that agreement, and we’re hopeful about the future. We know we have that NBC deal going into the future, so we’re pleased with that as well.”

On what he envisions for Friday night

“I think it’s a special, wonderful moment for Notre Dame. You know, people always ask me, ‘What’s the best sporting event I’ve ever been to?’ I’ve been lucky because of what I’ve done professionally, but I always have an easy number one.

“I graduated in the spring of ’93 and came back in the fall of ’93 for that great Florida State game with (FSU quarterback) Charlie Ward. That’s where my expectations are heading into Friday. That type of atmosphere where it felt like the whole country was focused singularly on the sporting event. 

“I think because we’re the first game, because it’s in Notre Dame Stadium, because it’s going to be this great intrastate game on primetime, on a Friday, I think it really has the chance to be a spectacular moment in sports, and spectacular, hopefully, moment in Notre Dame sports history. 

“Certain things will be different, right? Like I said, it’s going to feel like a home game, it’s going to sound like a home game, look like a home game. But you’ll see some CFP messaging.

“Indiana University will have an intro video. We usually don’t do that for our opponents here at Notre Dame Stadium, but that’s part of the CFP deal. IU has 3,500 tickets; 1,500 of those will be in what we would consider kind of the lower portion of the stadium, which is different. They’ll be clustered together. 

“It’s going to be cold, but we’re used to cold. It might snow, but we’re used to snow. A lot of people have asked, ‘Hey, is the stadium ready for that? Is Notre Dame ready for that?’ The university has been just amazing. 

“You think about Father Bob, of course, but (Notre Dame executive vice president) Shannon Cullinan and (Notre Dame vice president for university operations, events and safety) Mike Seamon, and John McGreevy, our provost. The whole campus has rallied around this event. 

“We’ve gone through stages over the course of the last years in preparation for hopefully being lucky enough to host a CFP game where we’ve started winterizing the stadium. But we’ve had a Winter Classic here. We’re used to doing things in that stadium in the cold of winter. It’s going to snow. I hope it snows. I don’t think it’s going to snow nearly as much as it did in the Boston College game a few years ago. 

“It’s going to be on a Friday. That’s going to be a little different. But thanks to Father Bob and Shannon Cullinan and John McGreevy, Friday is going to be, if you can, a work-from-home day. Our ushers — who I think are the best ushers in the nation — are ready to go and couldn’t be more excited.

“This has all the ingredients to be, I think, a really special, memorable moment for ND.”

On what a Notre Dame football game day looks like for him

“Well, I would tell you, even as an alum, I was one of these — there’s alums, and then there’s alums. And I’m in that category of it’s an all-hands-on-deck, full concentration. Like, please, for the next three hours, I have to concentrate here. So maybe it’s probably even heightened. 

“I start every home game day super early in the morning running around the lakes. I think it’s a great way for me to see the campus. Start to get in the mood of the day before the campus really wakes up. 

“On a Saturday home game, we’ll have meetings throughout the day. I’ll do the pre-game with Pete Session, which is always fun. This Friday will be a little bit different. 

“Then I always attend the mass with the team when it’s a home game. So, I’m looking to do that. I’ll go to the Basilica. I’ll sit in the back. At the end of the mass, when the team walks to the stadium, I kind of veer out of the back of the church and head back to my office. 

“You start to prepare yourself. I’ll get to the field maybe a half an hour in advance. Then, as the team knows, as (football deputy athletic director) Ron Powlus knows, there’s always a certain area I stand by. I like to watch the game from down on the field.

“I love that because you see it obviously, up close and personal. But I also love seeing the reactions and the facial expressions of our team and how they’re feeling about things.

“I think a perfect example of that, I think back to the USC game. I saw how the team was surrounding (sophomore cornerback) Christian Gray right before he made that unbelievable interception. Just to see the way they rallied around him and were so enthusiastic and so supportive of him, that led to that great moment. Something I wouldn’t have been able to see or experience if I had been elsewhere. 

“So that’s how I love to watch the game. Like every true Notre Dame fan, nervous until the very last second.”

On the first time he was thrown a curve ball while on the job solo

“It’s interesting. I think the fact that Notre Dame was able to set it up in a way where I had that overlap with (former athletics director) Jack (Swarbrick), avoided that type of moment. That ‘ta-da’ surprise; Oh, I wasn’t ready for that. Didn’t think that type of stuff could happen in this job.’ 

“Jack was so welcoming to me and involved me in everything he was doing. I mean, I could never thank him enough. He’s still a resource. I mean, Jack’s always just a phone call away. I know he’s going to be here for the game this Friday with his family.

“That type of transition, it doesn’t happen at many places. You think about being able to position it that way and the advantage that gave me to come into this job, maybe at a bit of a gallop, as opposed to a crawl. 

“I think more importantly, to see the university do it at the presidential level, with that transition from Father John (Jenkins) to Father Bob. I think if you were to ask Father Bob, he’d probably say the same thing: unbelievably advantageous. And you feel like you can start maybe with a little bit more of a head of steam.”

On how he felt the first 12-team College Football Playoff selection played out

“I wanted to host a playoff game. After that, I didn’t care. I watched the show. But I really didn’t care. I think the fact that we’re able to host a CFP game here at Notre Dame Stadium, we’ve earned that for sure. 

“I think every one of these 12 teams is really good, unbelievably competitive. Each one of these 12 teams have had a great year. Any one of these 12 teams could go on a run and win this national championship. I think that’s what makes this year so spectacular. I think it’s been an enormous success.

“To balance the importance of literally every single game in the regular season. Add to the drama, add to the narratives, add to the intrigue so more fan bases and more teams are in the mix to the very end. Then, whether you have a playoff of two teams or 1,000 teams, somebody’s going to be disappointed, right? It’s never going to be perfect. 

“But I think in this system, with conference changes, with all of the moving pieces, I think it’s been a wonderful success. People say, ‘Oh, did you expect to be the fifth, the sixth, the seventh seed?’ I honest to God am not just saying this, but I really didn’t care. I just wanted to host a playoff game.”

On the commitment to Freeman’s staff’s salary pool, how that’s different from years past and why that’s important moving forward

“I’ll reiterate: the conversations I had with Marcus were never about Marcus. It was always about his staff, which tells you a lot about him. 

“The good news is we have been incredibly competitive with his staff. It wasn’t a question of catching up because we’re there. It’s more a question of, ‘Hey, do I have your commitment, Pete, to stay there? And to respond to changes in the marketplace?’ I said, ‘Yes, 100%.’ 

“I don’t think it’s any secret that we’re keeping our foot on the gas. When you think about Marcus’ extension, when you think about the assistant coaches that we have, when you think about the fact that if you go outside, you see the Shields Family Hall emerging from the ground, Notre Dame football is a priority, and winning national championships is a priority.

“I would tell you — and I said this to Marcus, and we were laughing — we’re both kind of maniacally obsessed with winning a national championship and more in football.”

On the unique challenges they needed to clear up to host a College Football Playoff game

“It’s a great question, because it’s an interesting process in the timing of it. Because you don’t want to assume anything. So, we were having conversations over the summer saying, ‘Okay, if we’re lucky enough and fortunate enough to have a great season and to host a playoff game, here’s what we need changed.’

“Again, credit to Father Bob, and I think about conversations with John McGreevy, who just was so wonderful in working with us. The first thing we had to do was change the exam schedule. That’s not easy to do at a place like Notre Dame. But everybody embraced that. Let’s change the exam schedule. 

“What we wanted to make sure — and it factors into the next thing we had to do, working with (Notre Dame vice president of student affairs Father Gerry Olinger — to keep the dorms open an additional 24 hours. Because we didn’t want to be in the position of hosting a CFP game and not have our students there.

“To us, I mean, a Notre Dame home football game is not a Notre Dame home football game without our student body there. Even think back to that Clemson game during COVID, what made that game so special, was obviously the win, but also the fact that our students were there.

“We also didn’t want to host a game and have our students have to take exams that day or the next morning. So those two changes in anticipation of being in this position were great, and the way the university just worked so closely with us and just made that all come to pass has been fantastic. 

“Now, to think that exams will end, and our students and the community will have this celebration on Friday night. You think about the demand — the ticket demand for this game. All of our students that wanted a ticket are going to be there. They basically all wanted a ticket. The CFP price was $25. That was dictated by the CFP. 

“These tickets never went into the public domain. I mean, we sold out immediately. That was great. It just shows you the the energy level and the support Notre Dame football has, and not just in this community, but around the country.”

On what event success looks like Friday night

“If we can end that game and walk out of that stadium and say, ‘Boy, that went as well as a Notre Dame home football game.’ By that, I mean, traffic, parking, ushers, fan experience, how the campus — because this is new for the campus. It is Friday, right? It’s during a work day around town. It’s going to have added difficulties there. 

“I just feel like our team is so well prepared. Again, I mentioned those people. I mentioned our own staff, our own team. I mentioned Mike Seamon, who’s a wonderful partner of ours.

“We feel like we’re in a great place. We feel like we’re ready. You can never declare victory operationally until the very last person has exited the stadium. But I think we have a really good plan in place.”

On why the time was now to extend Freeman’s contract

“I mean, it’s something I wanted to do and have been thinking about all year. He’s our coach. I want him, and Notre Dame wants him to be our coach for the foreseeable future. This isn’t about any game or any stretch of games. He is the right person to be our head coach for on-the-field and off-the-field reasons. 

“So, in talking with Marcus and primarily with his agent, Clint Dowdle, I just felt like it made sense. The regular season has ended. Let’s get this done before the playoff game. Let’s put it to rest. I want it to happen. Notre Dame wants it to happen. Coach Freeman couldn’t be more excited about staying at Notre Dame. This looked like the perfect time.

“To do it without it all being a distraction to him — he is 100% focused on Friday night and just wanted to get it done. Wanted to get it done quickly. Wanted to get it done in a way that made him happy and made him happy about his staff. Again, I can’t stress enough about how many of the conversations with him were about his staff, and obviously, in a way that works for Notre Dame.

“With two groups want to do something, it’s usually easy to figure out.”

On whether Friday night’s College Football Playoff game is still a home game in his view

“Yeah, 100%. The CFP, to their credit — I’m part of the CFP — we’re clear about that. ‘Hey, Notre Dame, hey, other teams that are going to host a game, you’ve earned this. You’ve earned the ability to host a game.’

“Particularly in our spot, not being in a conference and being independent, which is something we’re tremendously proud of, this is the biggest thing we can do at this point is host a game. That’s our goal. We can’t get a bye. And that makes sense with the way things are situated.

“Purposely, it’s supposed to feel and sound like a home game. The CFP has said, ‘These four teams have earned that right. This is not a neutral field game. It’s not meant to be a neutral field game.’

“This is not like hosting an NCAA Tournament game in the Purcell Pavilion or anywhere else on campus, where it feels like you’re at an NCAA event, as opposed to on Notre Dame. This is made and meant to feel like you’re at a Notre Dame home game, giving us the home field advantage.

“You think about (graduate student linebacker) Jack Kiser’s call to action to our fan base, ‘Make this feel like a Notre Dame home game.’ We’re confident of that.

“Now, hey, Indiana, to their credit, they’re going to have their fans here. They’re going to have their 3,500 ticket holders, and I’m sure they’re going to pick up tickets on the secondary market, as I would if I were one of them.

“But everything we’ve seen in the secondary market really points to Notre Dame fans and Notre Dame community buying those tickets on SeatGeek. We feel good about it. Of course, there’s going to be Indiana fans in there, as there should be, but it’s going to feel and sound like a Notre Dame game.”

On the possible emergence of private equity in college athletics and if Notre Dame would ever philosophically find a way to make that work

“I would tell you, I mean, certainly, those conversations are out there. Those groups — and you can name them, just like I could name them — they’ve all reached out to us. 

“Could it happen at certain universities? Could there be an influx of capital from private equity for a particular university? Sure. Do I think it might happen at some universities? I think probably. Do I think it’s going to happen college football-wide? I don’t see that happening any time in the near future. 

“There’s a lot going on right now in the college athletic landscape. And we mentioned it. You think about the house settlement, which is the next big thing. You think about the world of collectives and NIL.

“Ultimately, I view, one of the key elements of the house settlement is the transfer of that economic responsibility of compensating student-athletes, moving from an unregulated collective world into the university system, which I think is a good thing. Then still having collectives remain, like Rally, that will be regulated by fair market value. So, both will continue to coexist, but the true economic responsibility is now on the universities.

“That will cause and create economic pressure. Some universities, I think, will look to private equity as an outlet for that. We won’t. We’re comfortable doing it ourselves. We’re fortunate that Notre Dame, I don’t think, has ever been stronger academically. I don’t think we’ve ever been more well-positioned financially. So, we will figure this out. And working with our campus partners to figure it out. 

“I think there’s the potential for a moment of stability. Stability is loosely defined. I think we do need support from Congress. Those are the conversations I and Father Bob and others have had with Congress. 

“But there’s this new CFP deal. There’s the extension of the CFP deal with ESPN. I think there seems to be some calm in the waters of conference realignment. I think a lot of people are stepping back and saying, ‘Okay, now it’s moved from four teams to 12 teams. Let’s see how it goes over the next couple of years. 

“I don’t think it could have gone any better so far this year than it has. The amount of interest, the amount of intrigue, the amount of teams that were kind of circling around this number of 12, and again, retaining the importance. 

“Look at our season. (graduate student) Rylie Mills said it the other day. ‘We feel like we’ve played 10 playoff games. This will be the 11th.’ So, I think it’s a good system right now. 

“Private Equity is out there. I think it’ll continue to be out there. We’re informed, but we definitely do not see private equity as the answer for Notre Dame.”

On the guardrails of maintaining student-athlete quality as the transfer portal accelerates

“I think Marcus says it best that Notre Dame has and will continue to major in high school students. That’s the key for Notre Dame. That’s the key for our football team, and that extends to all of our programs. I think Micah Shrewsberry, Niele Ivey, would say the same thing.

“But you got to have to be opportunistic. You can’t turn a blind eye to the transfer market, to the transfer portal. But when Notre Dame is engaged with — let’s use football as the example — a potential transfer, there’s already been a process. 

“So yeah, it could happen quickly. And quickly could be 23, 24 hours. But the academic achievements, the academic positioning of that student-athlete, has been vetted by (vice president of undergraduate enrollment) Micki Kidder and her team. Many conversations have occurred to say, ‘Okay, this particular student-athlete can be admitted into Notre Dame and join the football program.’

“Now, that, at Notre Dame, is never going to be a huge number of people. Again, because Marcus wants to major in high school athletes coming up through the system, entering as freshmen or early enrollees, becoming part of Notre Dame, part of the culture. But to his credit and Notre Dame’s credit, I think so far, we’ve really done remarkably well with the undergrad transfers, which have been more limited than the grad transfers that have come in. 

“Think (senior quarterback) Riley Leonard’s a perfect example of that. (Graduate student wide receiver) Beaux Collins is a great example of that. People who’ve come into the program and have just fit in, not just on the football field, but with Notre Dame. Understanding what the academic rigors are, the academic requirements, understanding the culture of the team that Coach Freeman has put together, and that’s so very important to him. 

“So, we’re very thorough in that process. Coach Freeman and Ron Powlus and (general) Chad Bowden, the effort they put in evaluating student-athlete by student-athlete, what program he’s coming from, what school he’s coming from, what’s his major, where is he in terms of credits earned, what were the type of classes, you have to produce the syllabi for every class you’ve taken over the course of your college career. 

“But be opportunistic. Get the right people here that can fit into Notre Dame and make us better.”

On the economic impact of a College Football Playoff game being in South Bend

“The economic impact of Notre Dame football to the broader South Bend community is a wonderful thing. It’s a great positive for South Bend in this area. It’s also a key component of Notre Dame’s strategic plan — making that bond, continuing to develop that bond, and making the relationship and the partnership between the University and South Bend stronger and better than ever.  

“I think South Bend is in a great moment of growth. One of my sisters sent me an article. I think it was published on Dec. 13 from Travel and Leisure magazine that the South Bend community was just voted one of the best places to raise children and retire. 

“So I think we’re on this great moment of, this wonderful continued development of South Bend and what Notre Dame brings to that, with the campus, with the national/international attention that Notre Dame brings. And no secret, with Notre Dame football. That’s really a great front porch, not only to Notre Dame, but to the broader South Bend area. 

“You’re right. This is kind of another home game that is going to be a wonderful additive component to the economic impact that this football season has. That’s restaurants, that’s hotels, that’s everything in the surrounding community. 

“That’s another moment in time where 12, 14, 15 million people will tune into ESPN 8 o’clock on Friday night and be welcome to Notre Dame and South Bend. I think it’s great for the community. Hopefully, it’s something we can replicate more often than not.”

On his call to action to be a part of a special opportunity Friday night

“I think we have some of the greatest fans in sports. The most passionate fans in sports. Just to feel that pride. This is a key moment for Notre Dame, for Notre Dame football. 

“You were only going to have the chance to do this once for the first time. Hopefully, we’re back here next year doing it again. But it will only be the first time once, and we celebrate it as such. 

“I think, to this point, this has been a remarkable season. You think about opening up in that hostile environment in Texas A&M. And hostile, I mean, because of the talent of their football team. The Texas A&M environment and fan base were one of the best I’ve ever experienced. They were amazing in the way they welcomed us. 

“Then obviously, the very next weekend, with the slip up to NIU. Then, the pressure that put on everybody involved with the program. Credit to the team and to Marcus, to kind of rally everybody together, and to go on this great 10-game sprint.

“Now, it all culminates in the first-ever home college football game at Notre Dame Stadium. I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that. So I hope people sense that, feel that, and celebrate that when they come here on Friday night.”

On how he views Notre Dame’s relationship with the ACC

“The ACC relationship, our partnership, our inclusion in the ACC in everything but football and hockey has been wonderful for Notre Dame. A strong ACC is important to us and beneficial to us. 

“I think so highly of Jimmy Phillips. He is truly one of the most reasonable, ethical, moral leaders I’ve ever been around. I can’t say enough good things about him.

“We’re hopeful. We would like to see Florida State and Clemson stay in the ACC. Only they and the ACC can make that decision. But that’s certainly how I feel. That’s certainly how we feel. 

“We think the ACC is firing on all cylinders right now when you think about the addition of Stanford, Cal, and SMU. And the fact that SMU in their first year, what a great showing they’ve had, certainly in football and the ACC. And to bring universities like Stanford and Cal and their academic pedigrees, we think the conference is in great shape. But it’s better and stronger with Clemson and Florida State, and we hope it stays that way.”