Why AD Jack Swarbrick believes impending NBC-Big Ten deal is ‘perfect’ for Notre Dame
As has been the case with recent conference realignment discussions, the Tuesday news about the likely blockbuster NBC-Big Ten (plus CBS and Fox) media deal was followed by a “Where does Notre Dame fit into this equation?” question. NBC has televised Notre Dame home games since 1991, and the school’s current contract with the media giant expires in 2025.
The exact answer to that inquiry has yet to be determined, but athletic director Jack Swarbrick’s initial take is the agreement bodes well for Notre Dame.
“I think it’s great,” Swarbrick said Wednesday on a live chat hosted by the school. “The more major broadcasters we keep involved in college football, the better it is for everybody because they’re invested, they want to promote the game, they want additional properties. I think it was a brilliant strategy by Commissioner (Kevin) Warren. I think it played out marvelously for them. The timing could not have been better, and I think when they finally announce the number, it will be a pretty amazing one.
“But it’s also perfect for Notre Dame. We need NBC to have more college football to more effectively promote our games, to talk about our games and to have NBC be seen in that light. So that was great for us that they got a big piece of this.”
The current plan, while not finalized, is that NBC would have a primetime Big Ten game every week. Fox would presumably maintain the noon window they currently have, and CBS would take over the late afternoon slot, which is usually around 3:30. Under Notre Dame’s current agreement, there are a couple of primetime games each season on NBC, while the remainder of the contests are shown in the late afternoon. The details of how Notre Dame might fit into the puzzle from weekend to weekend have yet to be fleshed out.
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What is Swarbrick’s prized accomplishment as an AD?
While maintaining a relationship with a media partner is critical to Notre Dame’s long-term viability as an athletic department, Swarbrick won’t leave all of his programs’ exposure up to NBC or another media outlet. His Fighting Irish Media group has swept the country by storm in recent months, and it’s his prized accomplishment as he enters his 15th year as the Irish athletic director.
“I’m asked all the time from a legacy perspective, what do I point to?” Swarbrick said. “People always think it’s going to be Crossroads or Compton or a certain hire, but it’s Fighting Irish Media. To build that capacity was so critical, and to be able to do it as effectively as we have has been so important to our overall success.”
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Swarbrick provided additional details on the media arm of the athletic department, citing FIM has been great for recruiting, communication, and promoting Notre Dame values, among other things. He used the group’s work on the Shamrock Series uniform reveal as an example of a recent triumph.
“If you don’t have that capability, you fall way behind quickly,” Swarbrick said of the office’s work.
Per the FIM webpage, the group’s goal is to “educate, elevate and empower student-athletes, inspiring fans and future generations to forever engage in the Notre Dame experience.” Put simply, they are tasked with all media relations, social media and typically anything else that falls in the athletic communications bucket.
You can check out Notre Dame social media and be the judge of FIM’s success, but the very fact that it’s hard to miss is an indication that it’s going pretty well.
